michael strogoff-第16节

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to　be　found　in　all　Perm。　　He　haggled　long　about　the　price；
for　form's　sake；　to　act　up　to　his　part　as　Nicholas　Korpanoff；
a　plain　merchant　of　Irkutsk。

Nadia　had　followed　her　companion　in　his　search　after　a　suitable　vehicle。
Although　the　object　of　each　was　different；　both　were　equally
anxious　to　arrive　at　their　goal。　　One　would　have　said　the　same　will
animated　them　both。

〃Sister；〃　said　Michael；　〃I　wish　I　could　have　found　a　more　comfortable
conveyance　for　you。〃

〃Do　you　say　that　to　me；　brother；　when　I　would　have　gone　on　foot；
if　need　were；　to　rejoin　my　father？〃

〃I　do　not　doubt　your　courage；　Nadia；　but　there　are　physical　fatigues
a　woman　may　be　unable　to　endure。〃

〃I　shall　endure　them；　whatever　they　be；〃　replied　the　girl。
〃If　you　ever　hear　a　complaint　from　me　you　may　leave　me　in　the　road；
and　continue　your　journey　alone。〃

Half　an　hour　later；　the　podorojna　being　presented　by　Michael；
three　post…horses　were　harnessed　to　the　tarantass。　　These　animals；
covered　with　long　hair；　were　very　like　long…legged　bears。
They　were　small　but　spirited；　being　of　Siberian　breed。
The　way　in　which　the　iemschik　harnessed　them　was　thus：
one；　the　largest；　was　secured　between　two　long　shafts；　on　whose
farther　end　was　a　hoop　carrying　tassels　and　bells；　the　two　others
were　simply　fastened　by　ropes　to　the　steps　of　the　tarantass。
This　was　the　complete　harness；　with　mere　strings　for　reins。

Neither　Michael　Strogoff　nor　the　young　Livonian　girl　had　any　baggage。
The　rapidity　with　which　one　wished　to　make　the　journey；　and　the　more　than
modest　resources　of　the　other；　prevented　them　from　embarrassing　themselves
with　packages。　　It　was　a　fortunate　thing；　under　the　circumstances；
for　the　tarantass　could　not　have　carried　both　baggage　and　travelers。
It　was　only　made　for　two　persons；　without　counting　the　iemschik；
who　kept　his　equilibrium　on　his　narrow　seat　in　a　marvelous　manner。

The　iemschik　is　changed　at　every　relay。　　The　man　who　drove
the　tarantass　during　the　first　stage　was；　like　his　horses；
a　Siberian；　and　no　less　shaggy　than　they；　long　hair；　cut　square
on　the　forehead；　hat　with　a　turned…up　brim；　red　belt；　coat　with
crossed　facings　and　buttons　stamped　with　the　imperial　cipher。
The　iemschik；　on　coming　up　with　his　team；　threw　an　inquisitive
glance　at　the　passengers　of　the　tarantass。　　No　luggage！
and　had　there　been；　where　in　the　world　could　he　have　stowed　it？
Rather　shabby　in　appearance　too。　　He　looked　contemptuous。

〃Crows；〃　said　he；　without　caring　whether　he　was　overheard　or　not；
〃crows；　at　six　copecks　a　verst！〃

〃No；　eagles！〃　said　Michael；　who　understood　the　iemschik's　slang　perfectly；
〃eagles；　do　you　hear；　at　nine　copecks　a　verst；　and　a　tip　besides。〃

He　was　answered　by　a　merry　crack　of　the　whip。

In　the　language　of　the　Russian　postillions　the　〃crow〃　is　the　stingy
or　poor　traveler；　who　at　the　post…houses　only　pays　two　or　three
copecks　a　verst　for　the　horses。　　The　〃eagle〃　is　the　traveler
who　does　not　mind　expense；　to　say　nothing　of　liberal　tips。
Therefore　the　crow　could　not　claim　to　fly　as　rapidly　as
the　imperial　bird。

Nadia　and　Michael　immediately　took　their　places　in　the　tarantass。
A　small　store　of　provisions　was　put　in　the　box；　in　case　at　any　time　they
were　delayed　in　reaching　the　post…houses；　which　are　very　comfortably
provided　under　direction　of　the　State。　　The　hood　was　pulled　up；
as　it　was　insupport…ably　hot；　and　at　twelve　o'clock　the　tarantass
left　Perm　in　a　cloud　of　dust。

The　way　in　which　the　iemschik　kept　up　the　pace　of　his　team　would
have　certainly　astonished　travelers　who；　being　neither　Russians
nor　Siberians；　were　not　accustomed　to　this　sort　of　thing。
The　leader；　rather　larger　than　the　others；　kept　to　a　steady
long　trot；　perfectly　regular；　whether　up　or　down　hill。
The　two　other　horses　seemed　to　know　no　other　pace　than　the　gallop；
though　they　performed　many　an　eccentric　curvette　as　they　went　along。
The　iemschik；　however；　never　touched　them；　only　urging　them　on
by　startling　cracks　of　his　whip。　　But　what　epithets　he　lavished
on　them；　including　the　names　of　all　the　saints　in　the　calendar；
when　they　behaved　like　docile　and　conscientious　animals！
The　string　which　served　as　reins　would　have　had　no　influence
on　the　spirited　beasts；　but　the　words　〃na　pravo；〃　to　the　right；
〃na　levo；〃　to　the　left；　pronounced　in　a　guttural　tone；
were　more　effectual　than　either　bridle　or　snaffle。

And　what　amiable　expressions！　　〃Go　on；　my　doves！〃　the　iemschik
would　say。　　〃Go　on；　pretty　swallows！　　Fly；　my　little　pigeons！
Hold　up；　my　cousin　on　the　left！　　Gee　up；　my　little　father
on　the　right！〃

But　when　the　pace　slackened；　what　insulting　expressions；
instantly　understood　by　the　sensitive　animals！
〃Go　on；　you　wretched　snail！　　Confound　you；　you　slug！
I'll　roast　you　alive；　you　tortoise；　you！〃

Whether　or　not　it　was　from　this　way　of　driving；　which　requires
the　iemschiks　to　possess　strong　throats　more　than　muscular　arms；
the　tarantass　flew　along　at　a　rate　of　from　twelve　to　fourteen
miles　an　hour。　　Michael　Strogoff　was　accustomed　both　to　the　sort
of　vehicle　and　the　mode　of　traveling。　　Neither　jerks　nor　jolts
incommoded　him。　　He　knew　that　a　Russian　driver　never　even　tries
to　avoid　either　stones；　ruts；　bogs；　fallen　trees；　or　trenches；
which　may　happen　to　be　in　the　road。　　He　was　used　to　all　that。
His　companion　ran　a　risk　of　being　hurt　by　the　violent　jolts
of　the　tarantass；　but　she　would　not　complain。

For　a　little　while　Nadia　did　not　speak。　　Then　possessed
with　the　one　thought；　that　of　reaching　her　journey's　end；
〃I　have　calculated　that　there　are　three　hundred　versts
between　Perm　and　Ekaterenburg；　brother；〃　said　she。
〃Am　I　right？〃

〃You　are　quite　right；　Nadia；〃　answered　Michael；　〃and　when　we　have
reached　Ekaterenburg；　we　shall　be　at　the　foot　of　the　Ural　Mountains
on　the　opposite　side。〃

〃How　long　will　it　take　to　get　across　the　mountains？〃

〃Forty…eight　hours；　for　we　shall　travel　day　and　night。
I　say　day　and　night；　Nadia；〃　added　he；　〃for　I　cannot　stop
even　for　a　moment；　I　go　on　without　rest　to　Irkutsk。〃

〃I　shall　not　delay　you；　brother；　no；　not　even　for　an　hour；
and　we　will　travel　day　and　night。〃

〃Well　then；　Nadia；　if　the　Tartar　invasion　has　only　left　the　road　open；
we　shall　arrive　in　twenty　days。〃

〃You　have　made　this　journey　before？〃　asked　Nadia。

〃Many　times。〃

〃During　winter　we　should　have　gone　more　rapidly　and　surely；
should　we　not？〃

〃Yes；　especially　with　more　rapidity；　but　you　would　have　suffered　much
from　the　frost　and　snow。〃

〃What　matter！　　Winter　is　the　friend　of　Russia。〃

〃Yes；　Nadia；　but　what　a　constitution　anyone　must　have　to　endure
such　friendship！　　I　have　often　seen　the　temperature　in　the　Siberian
steppes　fall　to　more　than　forty　degrees　below　freezing　point！
I　have　felt；　notwithstanding　my　reindeer　coat；　my　heart
growing　chill；　my　limbs　stiffening；　my　feet　freezing　in　triple
woolen　socks；　I　have　seen　my　sleigh　horses　covered　with　a
coating　of　ice；　their　breath　congealed　at　their　nostrils。
I　have　seen　the　brandy　in　my　flask　change　into　hard　stone；
on　which　not　even　my　knife　could　make　an　impression。
But　my　sleigh　flew　like　the　wind。　　Not　an　obstacle　on　the　plain；
white　and　level　farther　than　the　eye　could　reach！　　No　rivers
to　stop　one！　　Hard　ice　everywhere；　the　route　open；　the　road　sure！
But　at　the　price　of　what　suffering；　Nadia；　those　alone　could　say；
who　have　never　returned；　but　whose　bodies　have　been　covered　up
by　the　snow　storm。〃

〃However；　you　have　returned；　brother；〃　said　Nadia。

〃Yes；　but　I　am　a　Siberian；　and；　when　quite　a　child；　I　used　to　follow
my　father　to　the　chase；　and　so　became　inured　to　these　hardships。
But　when　you　said　to　me；　Nadia；　that　winter　would　not　have　stopped　you；
that　you　would　have　gone　alone；　ready　to　struggle　against　the　frightful
Siberian　climate；　I　seemed　to　see　you　lost　in　the　snow　and　falling；
never　to　rise　again。〃

〃How　many　times　have　you　crossed　the　steppe　in　winter？〃
asked　the　young　Livonian。

〃Three　times；　Nadia；　when　I　was　going　to　Omsk。〃

〃And　what　were　you　going　to　do　at　Omsk？〃

〃See　my　mother；　who　was　expecting　me。〃

〃And　I　am　going　to　Irkutsk；　where　my　father　expects　me。
I　am　taking　him　my　mother's　last　words。　　That　is　as　much
as　to　tell　you；　brother；　that　nothing　would　have　prevented　me
from　setting　out。〃

〃You　are　a　brave　girl；　Nadia；〃　replied　Michael。　　〃God　Himself
would　have　led　you。〃

All　day　the　tarantass　was　driven　rapidly　by　the　iemschiks；
who　succeeded　each　other　at　every　stage。　　The　eagles　of　the　mountain
would　not　have　found　their　name　dishonored　by　these　〃eagles〃
of　the　highway。　　The　high　price　paid　for　each　horse；　and　the　tips
dealt　out　so　freely；　recommended　the　travelers　in　a　special　way。
Perhaps　the　postmasters　thought　it　singular　that；　after　the　publication
of　the　order；　a　young　man　and　his　sister；　evidently　both　Russians；
could　travel　freely　across　Siberia；　which　was　closed　to　everyone　else；
but　their　papers　were　all　en　regle　and　they　had　the　right　to　pass。

However；　Michael　Strogoff　and　Nadia　were　not　the　only　travelers　on
their　way　from　Perm　to　Ekaterenburg。　　At　the　first　stages；　the　courier
of　the　Czar　had　learnt　that　a　carriage　preceded　them；　but；　as　there
was　no　want　of　horses；　he　did　not　trouble　himself　about　that。

During　the