michael strogoff-第14节

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He　stopped。　　The　voices　appeared　to　come　from　a　group　of
passengers　enveloped　in　cloaks　and　wraps。　　It　was　impossible
to　recognize　them　in　the　dark；　though　it　sometimes　happened　that；
when　the　steamer's　chimney　sent　forth　a　plume　of　ruddy　flames；
the　sparks　seemed　to　fall　amongst　the　group　as　though　thousands
of　spangles　had　been　suddenly　illuminated。

Michael　was　about　to　step　up　the　ladder；　when　a　few　words　reached　his　ear；
uttered　in　that　strange　tongue　which　he　had　heard　during　the　night
at　the　fair。　　Instinctively　he　stopped　to　listen。　　Protected　by
the　shadow　of　the　forecastle；　he　could　not　be　perceived　himself。
As　to　seeing　the　passengers　who　were　talking；　that　was　impossible。
He　must　confine　himself　to　listening。

The　first　words　exchanged　were　of　no　importanceto　him　at　leastbut　they
allowed　him　to　recognize　the　voices　of　the　man　and　woman　whom　he　had　heard
at　Nijni…Novgorod。　This；　of　course；　made　him　redouble　his　attention。
It　was；　indeed；　not　at　all　impossible　that　these　same　Tsiganes；
now　banished；　should　be　on　board　the　Caucasus。

And　it　was　well　for　him　that　he　listened；　for　he　distinctly
heard　this　question　and　answer　made　in　the　Tartar　idiom：
〃It　is　said　that　a　courier　has　set　out　from　Moscow　for　Irkutsk。〃

〃It　is　so　said；　Sangarre；　but　either　this　courier　will　arrive　too　late；
or　he　will　not　arrive　at　all。〃

Michael　Strogoff　started　involuntarily　at　this　reply；
which　concerned　him　so　directly。　　He　tried　to　see　if　the　man
and　woman　who　had　just　spoken　were　really　those　whom　he　suspected；
but　he　could　not　succeed。

In　a　few　moments　Michael　Strogoff　had　regained　the　stern　of　the　vessel
without　having　been　perceived；　and；　taking　a　seat　by　himself；
he　buried　his　face　in　his　hands。　　It　might　have　been　supposed
that　he　was　asleep。

He　was　not　asleep；　however；　and　did　not　even　think　of　sleeping。
He　was　reflecting；　not　without　a　lively　apprehension：
〃Who　is　it　knows　of　my　departure；　and　who　can　have　any　interest
in　knowing　it？〃


CHAPTER　VIII　GOING　UP　THE　KAMA

THE　next　day；　the　18th　of　July；　at　twenty　minutes　to　seven　in　the　morning；
the　Caucasus　reached　the　Kasan　quay；　seven　versts　from　the　town。

Kasan　is　situated　at　the　confluence　of　the　Volga
and　Kasanka。　　It　is　an　important　chief　town　of　the　government；
and　a　Greek　archbishopric；　as　well　as　the　seat　of　a　university。
The　varied　population　preserves　an　Asiatic　character。
Although　the　town　was　so　far　from　the　landing…place；　a　large
crowd　was　collected　on　the　quay。　　They　had　come　for　news。
The　governor　of　the　province　had　published　an　order　identical
with　that　of　Nijni…Novgorod。　Police　officers　and　a　few　Cossacks　kept
order　among　the　crowd；　and　cleared　the　way　both　for　the　passengers
who　were　disembarking　and　also　for　those　who　were　embarking　on
board　the　Caucasus；　minutely　examining　both　classes　of　travelers。
The　one　were　the　Asiatics　who　were　being　expelled；　the　other；
mujiks　stopping　at　Kasan。

Michael　Strogoff　unconcernedly　watched　the　bustle　which　occurs　at
all　quays　on　the　arrival　of　a　steam　vessel。　　The　Caucasus　would　stay
for　an　hour　to　renew　her　fuel。　　Michael　did　not　even　think　of　landing。
He　was　unwilling　to　leave　the　young　Livonian　girl　alone　on　board；
as　she　had　not　yet　reappeared　on　deck。

The　two　journalists　had　risen　at　dawn；　as　all　good　huntsmen　should　do。
They　went　on　shore　and　mingled　with　the　crowd；　each　keeping　to　his　own
peculiar　mode　of　proceeding；　Harry　Blount；　sketching　different　types；
or　noting　some　observation；　Alcide　Jolivet　contenting　himself　with
asking　questions；　confiding　in　his　memory；　which　never　failed　him。

There　was　a　report　along　all　the　frontier　that　the　insurrection　and
invasion　had　reached　considerable　proportions。　　Communication　between
Siberia　and　the　empire　was　already　extremely　difficult。
All　this　Michael　Strogoff　heard　from　the　new　arrivals。
This　information　could　not　but　cause　him　great　uneasiness；
and　increase　his　wish　of　being　beyond　the　Ural　Mountains；
so　as　to　judge　for　himself　of　the　truth　of　these　rumors；
and　enable　him　to　guard　against　any　possible　contingency。
He　was　thinking　of　seeking　more　direct　intelligence　from　some
native　of　Kasan；　when　his　attention　was　suddenly　diverted。

Among　the　passengers　who　were　leaving　the　Caucasus；　Michael
recognized　the　troop　of　Tsiganes　who；　the　day　before；
had　appeared　in　the　Nijni…Novgorod　fair。　　There；　on　the　deck
of　the　steamboat　were　the　old　Bohemian　and　the　woman。
With　them；　and　no　doubt　under　their　direction；　landed　about
twenty　dancers　and　singers；　from　fifteen　to　twenty　years　of　age；
wrapped　in　old　cloaks；　which　covered　their　spangled　dresses。
These　dresses；　just　then　glancing　in　the　first　rays　of　the　sun；
reminded　Michael　of　the　curious　appearance　which　he　had　observed
during　the　night。　　It　must　have　been　the　glitter　of　those　spangles
in　the　bright　flames　issuing　from　the　steamboat's　funnel
which　had　attracted　his　attention。

〃Evidently；〃　said　Michael　to　himself；　〃this　troop　of　Tsiganes；　after
remaining　below　all　day；　crouched　under　the　forecastle　during　the　night。
Were　these　gipsies　trying　to　show　themselves　as　little　as　possible？
Such　is　not　according　to　the　usual　custom　of　their　race。〃

Michael　Strogoff　no　longer　doubted　that　the　expressions　he　had　heard；
had　proceeded　from　this　tawny　group；　and　had　been　exchanged　between
the　old　gypsy　and　the　woman　to　whom　he　gave　the　Mongolian　name
of　Sangarre。　　Michael　involuntarily　moved　towards　the　gangway；
as　the　Bohemian　troop　was　leaving　the　steamboat。

The　old　Bohemian　was　there；　in　a　humble　attitude；
little　conformable　with　the　effrontery　natural　to　his　race。
One　would　have　said　that　he　was　endeavoring　rather　to　avoid
attention　than　to　attract　it。　　His　battered　hat；　browned　by　the　suns
of　every　clime；　was　pulled　forward　over　his　wrinkled　face。
His　arched　back　was　bent　under　an　old　cloak；　wrapped　closely
round　him；　notwithstanding　the　heat。　　It　would　have　been　difficult；
in　this　miserable　dress；　to　judge　of　either　his　size　or　face。
Near　him　was　the　Tsigane；　Sangarre；　a　woman　about　thirty　years　old。
She　was　tall　and　well　made；　with　olive　complexion；　magnificent　eyes；
and　golden　hair。

Many　of　the　young　dancers　were　remarkably　pretty；　all　possessing
the　clear…cut　features　of　their　race。　　These　Tsiganes　are　generally
very　attractive；　and　more　than　one　of　the　great　Russian　nobles；
who　try　to　vie　with　the　English　in　eccentricity；　has　not
hesitated　to　choose　his　wife　from　among　these　gypsy　girls。
One　of　them　was　humming　a　song　of　strange　rhythm；　which　might
be　thus　rendered：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Glitters　brightly　the　gold
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　my　raven　locks　streaming
　　　　　　　　　　　Rich　coral　around
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　My　graceful　neck　gleaming；
　　　　　　　　　　　Like　a　bird　of　the　air；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Through　the　wide　world　I　roam。〃

The　laughing　girl　continued　her　song；　but　Michael　Strogoff　ceased
to　listen。　　It　struck　him　just　then　that　the　Tsigane；　Sangarre；
was　regarding　him　with　a　peculiar　gaze；　as　if　to　fix　his　features
indelibly　in　her　memory。

It　was　but　for　a　few　moments；　when　Sangarre　herself　followed
the　old　man　and　his　troop；　who　had　already　left　the　vessel。
〃That's　a　bold　gypsy；〃　said　Michael　to　himself。
〃Could　she　have　recognized　me　as　the　man　whom　she　saw　at
Nijni…Novgorod？　These　confounded　Tsiganes　have　the　eyes　of　a　cat！
They　can　see　in　the　dark；　and　that　woman　there　might　well　know〃

Michael　Strogoff　was　on　the　point　of　following　Sangarre
and　the　gypsy　band；　but　he　stopped。　　〃No；〃　thought　he；
〃no　unguarded　proceedings。　　If　I　were　to　stop　that　old
fortune　teller　and　his　companions　my　incognito　would　run
a　risk　of　being　discovered。　　Besides；　now　they　have　landed；
before　they　can　pass　the　frontier　I　shall　be　far　beyond　it。
They　may　take　the　route　from　Kasan　to　Ishim；　but　that　affords
no　resources　to　travelers。　　Besides　a　tarantass；　drawn　by　good
Siberian　horses；　will　always　go　faster　than　a　gypsy　cart！
Come；　friend　Korpanoff；　be　easy。〃

By　this　time　the　man　and　Sangarre　had　disappeared。

Kasan　is　justly　called　the　〃Gate　of　Asia〃　and　considered　as　the　center
of　Siberian　and　Bokharian　commerce；　for　two　roads　begin　here　and　lead
across　the　Ural　Mountains。　　Michael　Strogoff　had　very　judiciously
chosen　the　one　by　Perm　and　Ekaterenburg。　　It　is　the　great　stage　road；
well　supplied　with　relays　kept　at　the　expense　of　the　government；
and　is　prolonged　from　Ishim　to　Irkutsk。

It　is　true　that　a　second　routethe　one　of　which　Michael　had　just　spoken
avoiding　the　slight　detour　by　Perm；　also　connects　Kasan　with　Ishim。　　It　is
perhaps　shorter　than　the　other；　but　this　advantage　is　much　diminished
by　the　absence　of　post…houses；　the　bad　roads；　and　lack　of　villages。
Michael　Strogoff　was　right　in　the　choice　he　had　made；　and　if；
as　appeared　probable；　the　gipsies　should　follow　the　second　route　from
Kasan　to　Ishim；　he　had　every　chance　of　arriving　before　them。

An　hour　afterwards　the　bell　rang　on　board　the　Caucasus；
calling　the　new　passengers；　and　recalling　the　former　ones。
It　was　now　seven　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　The　requisite　fuel
had　been　received　on　board。　　The　whole　vessel　began　to　vibrate
from　the　effects　of　the　steam。　　She　was　ready　to　start。
Passengers　going　from　Kasan　to　Perm　were　crowding　on　the　de