michael strogoff-第23节

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adding　coarseness　to　brutality。

〃No；〃　answered　Michael；　without　moving；　but　looking　the　other　straight
in　the　face。

〃The　horses　this　moment；〃　said　the　man；　and　left　the　room。

The　postmaster　followed　him；　after　shrugging　his　shoulders　and　bestowing
on　Michael　a　glance　of　anything　but　approbation。

The　effect　produced　on　the　reporters　by　this　incident　was　not
to　Michael's　advantage。　　Their　discomfiture　was　visible。
How　could　this　strong　young　man　allow　himself　to　be　struck
like　that　and　not　demand　satisfaction　for　such　an　insult？
They　contented　themselves　with　bowing　to　him　and　retired；
Jolivet　remarking　to　Harry　Blount

〃I　could　not　have　believed　that　of　a　man　who　is　so　skillful
in　finishing　up　Ural　Mountain　bears。　　Is　it　the　case　that　a
man　can　be　courageous　at　one　time　and　a　coward　at　another？
It　is　quite　incomprehensible。〃

A　moment　afterwards　the　noise　of　wheels　and　whip　showed　that
the　berlin；　drawn　by　the　tarantass'　horses；　was　driving　rapidly
away　from　the　post…house。

Nadia；　unmoved；　and　Michael；　still　quivering；　remained　alone　in　the　room。
The　courier　of　the　Czar；　his　arms　crossed　over　his　chest　was　seated
motionless　as　a　statue。　　A　color；　which　could　not　have　been　the　blush
of　shame；　had　replaced　the　paleness　on　his　countenance。

Nadia　did　not　doubt　that　powerful　reasons　alone　could　have　allowed　him
to　suffer　so　great　a　humiliation　from　such　a　man。　　Going　up　to　him
as　he　had　come　to　her　in　the　police…station　at　Nijni…Novgorod：

〃Your　hand；　brother；〃　said　she。

And　at　the　same　time　her　hand；　with　an　almost　maternal　gesture；
wiped　away　a　tear　which　sprang　to　her　companion's　eye。


CHAPTER　XIII　DUTY　BEFORE　EVERYTHING

NADIA；　with　the　clear　perception　of　a　right…minded　woman；
guessed　that　some　secret　motive　directed　all　Michael　Strogoff's　actions；
that　he；　for　a　reason　unknown　to　her；　did　not　belong　to　himself；
and　that　in　this　instance　especially　he　had　heroically　sacrificed
to　duty　even　his　resentment　at　the　gross　injury　he　had　received。

Nadia；　therefore；　asked　no　explanation　from　Michael。　　Had　not　the　hand
which　she　had　extended　to　him　already　replied　to　all　that　he　might　have
been　able　to　tell　her？

Michael　remained　silent　all　the　evening。　　The　postmaster
not　being　able　to　supply　them　with　fresh　horses　until
the　next　morning；　a　whole　night　must　be　passed　at　the　house。
Nadia　could　profit　by　it　to　take　some　rest；　and　a　room　was
therefore　prepared　for　her。

The　young　girl　would　no　doubt　have　preferred　not　to　leave　her　companion；
but　she　felt　that　he　would　rather　be　alone；　and　she　made　ready　to　go
to　her　room。

Just　as　she　was　about　to　retire　she　could　not　refrain　from　going　up
to　Michael　to　say　good…night。

〃Brother；〃　she　whispered。　　But　he　checked　her　with　a　gesture。
The　girl　sighed　and　left　the　room。

Michael　Strogoff　did　not　lie　down。　　He　could　not　have　slept　even
for　an　hour。　　The　place　on　which　he　had　been　struck　by　the　brutal
traveler　felt　like　a　burn。

〃For　my　country　and　the　Father；〃　he　muttered　as　he　ended
his　evening　prayer。

He　especially　felt　a　great　wish　to　know　who　was　the　man
who　had　struck　him；　whence　he　came；　and　where　he　was　going。
As　to　his　face；　the　features　of　it　were　so　deeply　engraven
on　his　memory　that　he　had　no　fear　of　ever　forgetting　them。

Michael　Strogoff　at　last　asked　for　the　postmaster。　　The　latter；
a　Siberian　of　the　old　type；　came　directly；　and　looking　rather
contemptuously　at　the　young　man；　waited　to　be　questioned。

〃You　belong　to　the　country？〃　asked　Michael。

〃Yes。〃

〃Do　you　know　that　man　who　took　my　horses？〃

〃No。〃

〃Had　you　never　seen　him　before？〃

〃Never。〃

〃Who　do　you　think　he　was？〃

〃A　man　who　knows　how　to　make　himself　obeyed。〃

Michael　fixed　his　piercing　gaze　upon　the　Siberian；　but　the　other　did
not　quail　before　it。

〃Do　you　dare　to　judge　me？〃　exclaimed　Michael。

〃Yes；〃　answered　the　Siberian；　〃there　are　some　things　even　a　plain
merchant　cannot　receive　without　returning。〃

〃Blows？〃

〃Blows；　young　man。　　I　am　of　an　age　and　strength　to　tell　you　so。〃

Michael　went　up　to　the　postmaster　and　laid　his　two　powerful　hands
on　his　shoulders。

Then　in　a　peculiarly　calm　tone；　〃Be　off；　my　friend；〃　said　he：
〃be　off！　　I　could　kill　you。〃

The　postmaster　understood。　　〃I　like　him　better　for　that；〃
he　muttered　and　retired　without　another　word。

At　eight　o'clock　the　next　morning；　the　24th　of　July；
three　strong　horses　were　harnessed　to　the　tarantass。
Michael　Strogoff　and　Nadia　took　their　places；　and　Ichim；
with　its　disagreeable　remembrances；　was　soon　left　far　behind。

At　the　different　relays　at　which　they　stopped　during　the　day　Strogoff
ascertained　that　the　berlin　still　preceded　them　on　the　road　to　Irkutsk；
and　that　the　traveler；　as　hurried　as　they　were；　never　lost　a　minute
in　pursuing　his　way　across　the　steppe。

At　four　o'clock　in　the　evening　they　reached　Abatskaia；
fifty　miles　farther　on；　where　the　Ichim；　one　of　the　principal
affluents　of　the　Irtych；　had　to　be　crossed。　　This　passage
was　rather　more　difficult　than　that　of　the　Tobol。　　Indeed　the
current　of　the　Ichim　was　very　rapid　just　at　that　place。
During　the　Siberian　winter；　the　rivers　being　all　frozen
to　a　thickness　of　several　feet；　they　are　easily　practicable；
and　the　traveler　even　crosses　them　without　being　aware　of　the　fact；
for　their　beds　have　disappeared　under　the　snowy　sheet　spread
uniformly　over　the　steppe；　but　in　summer　the　difficulties
of　crossing　are　sometimes　great。

In　fact；　two　hours　were　taken　up　in　making　the　passage
of　the　Ichim；　which　much　exasperated　Michael；　especially　as
the　boatmen　gave　them　alarming　news　of　the　Tartar　invasion。
Some　of　Feofar…Khan's　scouts　had　already　appeared　on　both　banks
of　the　lower　Ichim；　in　the　southern　parts　of　the　government
of　Tobolsk。　　Omsk　was　threatened。　　They　spoke　of　an　engagement
which　had　taken　place　between　the　Siberian　and　Tartar　troops
on　the　frontier　of　the　great　Kirghese　hordean　engagement　not
to　the　advantage　of　the　Russians；　who　were　weak　in　numbers。
The　troops　had　retreated　thence；　and　in　consequence　there　had
been　a　general　emigration　of　all　the　peasants　of　the　province。
The　boatmen　spoke　of　horrible　atrocities　committed　by　the　invaders
pillage；　theft；　incendiarism；　murder。　　Such　was　the　system
of　Tartar　warfare。

The　people　all　fled　before　Feofar…Khan。　Michael　Strogoff's
great　fear　was　lest；　in　the　depopulation　of　the　towns；
he　should　be　unable　to　obtain　the　means　of　transport。
He　was　therefore　extremely　anxious　to　reach　Omsk。　　Perhaps　there
they　would　get　the　start　of　the　Tartar　scouts；　who　were　coming
down　the　valley　of　the　Irtych；　and　would　find　the　road
open　to　Irkutsk。

Just　at　the　place　where　the　tarantass　crossed　the　river　ended
what　is　called；　in　military　language；　the　〃Ichim　chain〃a　chain
of　towers；　or　little　wooden　forts；　extending　from　the　southern
frontier　of　Siberia　for　a　distance　of　nearly　four　hundred　versts。
Formerly　these　forts　were　occupied　by　detachments　of　Cossacks；
and　they　protected　the　country　against　the　Kirghese；　as　well　as
against　the　Tartars。　　But　since　the　Muscovite　Government　had　believed
these　hordes　reduced　to　absolute　submission；　they　had　been　abandoned；
and　now　could　not　be　used；　just　at　the　time　when　they　were　needed。
Many　of　these　forts　had　been　reduced　to　ashes；　and　the　boatmen　even
pointed　out　the　smoke　to　Michael；　rising　in　the　southern　horizon；
and　showing　the　approach　of　the　Tartar　advance…guard。

As　soon　as　the　ferryboat　landed　the　tarantass　on　the　right　bank　of
the　Ichim；　the　journey　across　the　steppe　was　resumed　with　all　speed。
Michael　Strogoff　remained　very　silent。　　He　was；　however；　always
attentive　to　Nadia；　helping　her　to　bear　the　fatigue　of　this　long
journey　without　break　or　rest；　but　the　girl　never　complained。
She　longed　to　give　wings　to　the　horses。　　Something　told　her　that
her　companion　was　even　more　anxious　than　herself　to　reach　Irkutsk；
and　how　many　versts　were　still　between！

It　also　occurred　to　her　that　if　Omsk　was　entered　by
the　Tartars；　Michael's　mother；　who　lived　there；　would　be　in　danger；
and　that　this　was　sufficient　to　explain　her　son's　impatience
to　get　to　her。

Nadia　at　last　spoke　to　him　of　old　Marfa；　and　of　how　unprotected
she　would　be　in　the　midst　of　all　these　events。

〃Have　you　received　any　news　of　your　mother　since　the　beginning
of　the　invasion？〃　she　asked。

〃None；　Nadia。　　The　last　letter　my　mother　wrote　to　me　contained
good　news。　　Marfa　is　a　brave　and　energetic　Siberian　woman。
Notwithstanding　her　age；　she　has　preserved　all　her　moral　strength。
She　knows　how　to　suffer。〃

〃I　shall　see　her；　brother；〃　said　Nadia　quickly。　　〃Since　you　give　me
the　name　of　sister；　I　am　Marfa's　daughter。〃

And　as　Michael　did　not　answer　she　added：

〃Perhaps　your　mother　has　been　able　to　leave　Omsk？〃

〃It　is　possible；　Nadia；〃　replied　Michael；　〃and　I　hope　she　may　have
reached　Tobolsk。　　Marfa　hates　the　Tartars。　　She　knows　the　steppe；
and　would　have　no　fear　in　just　taking　her　staff　and　going　down　the　banks
of　the　Irtych。　　There　is　not　a　spot　in　all　the　province　unknown　to　her。
Many　times　has　she　traveled　all　over　the　country　with　my　father；
and　many　times　I　myself；　when　a　mere　child；　have　accompanied　them
across　the　Siberian　desert。　　Yes；　Nadia；　I　tru