michael strogoff-第39部分

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that　Nadia；　compelled　to　walk　ever　since　they　crossed　the　Obi；
that　is；　for　eight　days；　must　be　almost　exhausted。　　He　waited。

The　cart　was　soon　at　the　corner　of　the　road。　　It　was　a　very
dilapidated　vehicle；　known　in　the　country　as　a　kibitka；　just　capable
of　holding　three　persons。　　Usually　the　kibitka　is　drawn　by　three　horses；
but　this　had　but　one；　a　beast　with　long　hair　and　a　very　long　tail。
It　was　of　the　Mongol　breed；　known　for　strength　and　courage。

A　young　man　was　leading　it；　with　a　dog　beside　him。
Nadia　saw　at　once　that　the　young　man　was　Russian；　his　face
was　phlegmatic；　but　pleasant；　and　at　once　inspired　confidence。
He　did　not　appear　to　be　in　the　slightest　hurry；　he　was　not
walking　fast　that　he　might　spare　his　horse；　and；　to　look　at　him；
it　would　not　have　been　believed　that　he　was　following　a　road
which　might　at　any　instant　be　swarming　with　Tartars。

Nadia；　holding　Michael　by　the　hand；　made　way　for　the　vehicle。
The　kibitka　stopped；　and　the　driver　smilingly　looked　at　the　young　girl。

〃And　where　are　you　going　to　in　this　fashion？〃　he　asked；
opening　wide　his　great　honest　eyes。

At　the　sound　of　his　voice；　Michael　said　to　himself　that　he　had　heard
it　before。　　And　it　was　satisfactory　to　him　to　recognize　the　man
for　his　brow　at　once　cleared。

〃Well；　where　are　you　going？〃　repeated　the　young　man；　addressing　himself
more　directly　to　Michael。

〃We　are　going　to　Irkutsk；〃　he　replied。

〃Oh！　little　father；　you　do　not　know　that　there　are　still　versts
and　versts　between　you　and　Irkutsk？〃

〃I　know　it。〃

〃And　you　are　going　on　foot？〃

〃On　foot。〃

〃You；　well！　but　the　young　lady？〃

〃She　is　my　sister；〃　said　Michael；　who　judged　it　prudent　to　give
again　this　name　to　Nadia。

〃Yes；　your　sister；　little　father！　　But；　believe　me；　she　will　never　be
able　to　get　to　Irkutsk！〃

〃Friend；〃　returned　Michael；　approaching　him；　〃the　Tartars　have
robbed　us　of　everything；　and　I　have　not　a　copeck　to　offer　you；
but　if　you　will　take　my　sister　with　you；　I　will　follow　your　cart　on　foot；
I　will　run　when　necessary；　I　will　not　delay　you　an　hour！〃

〃Brother；〃　exclaimed　Nadia；　〃I　will　not！　　I　will　not！
Sir；　my　brother　is　blind！〃

〃Blind！〃　repeated　the　young　man；　much　moved。

〃The　Tartars　have　burnt　out　his　eyes！〃　replied　Nadia；　extending　her　hands；
as　if　imploring　pity。

〃Burnt　out　his　eyes！　　Oh！　poor　little　father！　　I　am　going
to　Krasnoiarsk。　　Well；　why　should　not　you　and　your　sister　mount
in　the　kibitka？　　By　sitting　a　little　close；　it　will　hold　us
all　three。　　Besides；　my　dog　will　not　refuse　to　go　on　foot；
only　I　don't　go　fast；　I　spare　my　horse。〃

〃Friend；　what　is　your　name？〃　asked　Michael。

〃My　name　is　Nicholas　Pigassof。〃

〃It　is　a　name　that　I　will　never　forget；〃　said　Michael。

〃Well；　jump　up；　little　blind　father。　　Your　sister　will　be
beside　you；　in　the　bottom　of　the　cart；　I　sit　in　front　to　drive。
There　is　plenty　of　good　birch　bark　and　straw　in　the　bottom；
it's　like　a　nest。　　Serko；　make　room！〃

The　dog　jumped　down　without　more　telling。　　He　was　an　animal　of　the
Siberian　race；　gray　hair；　of　medium　size；　with　an　honest　big　head；
just　made　to　pat；　and　he；　moreover；　appeared　to　be　much　attached
to　his　master。

In　a　moment　more；　Michael　and　Nadia　were　seated　in　the　kibitka。
Michael　held　out　his　hands　as　if　to　feel　for　those　of　Pigassof。　　〃You　wish
to　shake　my　hands！〃　said　Nicholas。　　〃There　they　are；　little　father！
shake　them　as　long　as　it　will　give　you　any　pleasure。〃

The　kibitka　moved　on；　the　horse；　which　Nicholas　never　touched　with
the　whip；　ambled　along。　　Though　Michael　did　not　gain　any　in　speed；
at　least　some　fatigue　was　spared　to　Nadia。

Such　was　the　exhaustion　of　the　young　girl；　that；　rocked　by
the　monotonous　movement　of　the　kibitka；　she　soon　fell　into
a　sleep；　its　soundness　proving　her　complete　prostration。
Michael　and　Nicholas　laid　her　on　the　straw　as　comfortably　as　possible。
The　compassionate　young　man　was　greatly　moved；　and　if　a　tear
did　not　escape　from　Michael's　eyes；　it　was　because　the　red…hot
iron　had　dried　up　the　last！

〃She　is　very　pretty；〃　said　Nicholas。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Michael。

〃They　try　to　be　strong；　little　father；　they　are　brave；
but　they　are　weak　after　all；　these　dear　little　things！
Have　you　come　from　far。〃

〃Very　far。〃

〃Poor　young　people！　　It　must　have　hurt　you　very　much　when　they
burnt　your　eyes！〃

〃Very　much；〃　answered　Michael；　turning　towards　Nicholas　as　if
he　could　see　him。

〃Did　you　not　weep？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃I　should　have　wept　too。　　To　think　that　one　could　never
again　see　those　one　loves。　　But　they　can　see　you；　however；
that's　perhaps　some　consolation！〃

〃Yes；　perhaps。　　Tell　me；　my　friend；〃　continued　Michael；
〃have　you　never　seen　me　anywhere　before？〃

〃You；　little　father？　　No；　never。〃

〃The　sound　of　your　voice　is　not　unknown　to　me。〃

〃Why！〃　returned　Nicholas；　smiling；　〃he　knows　the　sound　of　my　voice！
Perhaps　you　ask　me　that　to　find　out　where　I　come　from。
I　come　from　Kolyvan。〃

〃From　Kolyvan？〃　repeated　Michael。　　〃Then　it　was　there　I　met　you；
you　were　in　the　telegraph　office？〃

〃That　may　be；〃　replied　Nicholas。　　〃I　was　stationed　there。
I　was　the　clerk　in　charge　of　the　messages。〃

〃And　you　stayed　at　your　post　up　to　the　last　moment？〃

〃Why；　it's　at　that　moment　one　ought　to　be　there！〃

〃It　was　the　day　when　an　Englishman　and　a　Frenchman　were　disputing；
roubles　in　hand；　for　the　place　at　your　wicket；　and　the　Englishman
telegraphed　some　poetry。〃

〃That　is　possible；　but　I　do　not　remember　it。〃

〃What！　you　do　not　remember　it？〃

〃I　never　read　the　dispatches　I　send。　　My　duty　being　to　forget　them；
the　shortest　way　is　not　to　know　them。〃

This　reply　showed　Nicholas　Pigassof's　character。
In　the　meanwhile　the　kibitka　pursued　its　way；　at　a　pace　which　Michael
longed　to　render　more　rapid。　　But　Nicholas　and　his　horse　were
accustomed　to　a　pace　which　neither　of　them　would　like　to　alter。
The　horse　went　for　two　hours　and　rested　oneso　on；　day　and　night。
During　the　halts　the　horse　grazed；　the　travelers　ate　in　company
with　the　faithful　Serko。　　The　kibitka　was　provisioned　for　at
least　twenty　persons；　and　Nicholas　generously　placed　his
supplies　at　the　disposal　of　his　two　guests；　whom　he　believed
to　be　brother　and　sister。

After　a　day's　rest；　Nadia　recovered　some　strength。
Nicholas　took　the　best　possible　care　of　her。
The　journey　was　being　made　under　tolerable　circumstances；
slowly　certainly；　but　surely。　　It　sometimes　happened　that　during
the　night；　Nicholas；　although　driving；　fell　asleep；　and　snored
with　a　clearness　which　showed　the　calmness　of　his　conscience。
Perhaps　then；　by　looking　close；　Michael's　hand　might　have　been　seen
feeling　for　the　reins；　and　giving　the　horse　a　more　rapid　pace；
to　the　great　astonishment　of　Serko；　who；　however；　said　nothing。
The　trot　was　exchanged　for　the　amble　as　soon　as　Nicholas　awoke；
but　the　kibitka　had　not　the　less　gained　some　versts。

Thus　they　passed　the　river　Ichirnsk；　the　villages
of　Ichisnokoe；　Berikylokoe；　Kuskoe；　the　river　Marunsk；　the　village
of　the　same　name；　Bogostowskoe；　and；　lastly；　the　Ichoula；　a　little
stream　which　divides　Western　from　Eastern　Siberia。　　The　road
now　lay　sometimes　across　wide　moors；　which　extended　as　far
as　the　eye　could　reach；　sometimes　through　thick　forests　of　firs；
of　which　they　thought　they　should　never　get　to　the　end。
Everywhere　was　a　desert；　the　villages　were　almost　entirely　abandoned。
The　peasants　had　fled　beyond　the　Yenisei；　hoping　that　this　wide
river　would　perhaps　stop　the　Tartars。

On　the　22d　of　August；　the　kibitka　entered　the　town　of　Atchinsk；
two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　from　Tomsk。　　Eighty　miles　still　lay
between　them　and　Krasnoiarsk。

No　incident　had　marked　the　journey。　　For　the　six　days　during　which　they
had　been　together；　Nicholas；　Michael；　and　Nadia　had　remained　the　same；
the　one　in　his　unchange…able　calm；　the　other　two；　uneasy；　and　thinking
of　the　time　when　their　companion　would　leave　them。

Michael　saw　the　country　through　which　they　traveled　with　the　eyes
of　Nicholas　and　the　young　girl。　　In　turns；　they　each　described　to　him
the　scenes　they　passed。　　He　knew　whether　he　was　in　a　forest　or　on　a　plain；
whether　a　hut　was　on　the　steppe；　or　whether　any　Siberian　was　in　sight。
Nicholas　was　never　silent；　he　loved　to　talk；　and；　from　his　peculiar
way　of　viewing　things；　his　friends　were　amused　by　his　conversation。
One　day；　Michael　asked　him　what　sort　of　weather　it　was。

〃Fine　enough；　little　father；〃　he　answered；　〃but　soon　we　shall　feel
the　first　winter　frosts。　　Perhaps　the　Tartars　will　go　into　winter
quarters　during　the　bad　season。〃

Michael　Strogoff　shook　his　head　with　a　doubtful　air。

〃You　do　not　think　so；　little　father？〃　resumed　Nicholas。　　〃You　think
that　they　will　march　on　to　Irkutsk？〃

〃I　fear　so；〃　replied　Michael。

〃Yes　。　。　。　you　are　right；　they　have　with　them　a　bad　man；
who　will　not　let　them　loiter　on　the　way。　　You　have　heard　speak
of　Ivan　Ogareff？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃You　know　that　it　is　not　right　to　betray　one's　country！〃

〃No　。　。　。　it　is　not　right　。　。　。〃　answered　Michael；　who　wished
to　remain　unmoved。

〃Little　father；〃　continued　Nicholas；　〃it　seems　to　me　that　you
are　not　half　indignant　enough　when　Ivan　Ogareff　is　spoken　of。
Your　Russian　heart　ought　to　leap　when　his　name　is　uttered。〃

〃Believe　me；　my　friend；　I　hate　him　more　than　you　can　ever
hate　him；〃　said　Michael。

〃It　is　not　possible；〃　replied　Nicholas；　〃no；　it　is　not　possible！
When　I　think　of　Ivan　Ogareff；　of　the　harm　which　he　is　doing
to　our　sacred　Russia；　I　get　into　such　a　rage　that　if　I　could
get　hold　of　him〃

〃If　you　could　get　hold　of　him；　friend？〃

〃I　think　I　should　kill　him。〃

〃And　I；　I　am　sure　of　it；〃　returned　Michael　quietly。


CHAPTER　VII　THE　PASSAGE　OF　THE　YENISEI

AT　nightfall；　on　the　25th　of　August；　the　kibitka　came　in　sight
of　Krasnoiarsk。　　The　journey　from　Tomsk　had　taken　eight　days。
If　it　had　not　been　accomplished　as　rapidly　as　it　might；
it　was　because　Nicholas　had　slept　little。　　Consequently；　it　was
impossible　to　increase　his　horse's　pace；　though　in　other　hands；
the　journey　would　not　have　taken　sixty　hours。

Happily；　there　was　no　longer　any　fear　of　Tartars。　　Not　a　scout
had　appeared　on　the　road　over　which　the　kibitka　had　just　traveled。
This　was　strange　enough；　and　evidently　some　serious　cause
had　prevented　the　Emi