michael strogoff-第37节

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To　him　it　was　a　question　of　life　and　death；　and　still　more；　a　question
of　duty　and　honor。〃

〃Duty；　indeed；　imperious　duty；〃　said　the　old　Siberian；
〃of　those　who　sacrifice　everything；　even　the　joy　of　giving
a　kiss；　perhaps　the　last；　to　his　old　mother。　　All　that　you　do
not　know；　Nadiaall　that　I　did　not　know　myselfI　now　know。
You　have　made　me　understand　everything。　　But　the　light　which　you
have　thrown　on　the　mysteries　of　my　heart；　I　cannot　return　on　yours。
Since　my　son　has　not　told　you　his　secret；　I　must　keep　it。
Forgive　me；　Nadia；　I　can　never　repay　what　you　have　done　for　me。〃

〃Mother；　I　ask　you　nothing；〃　replied　Nadia。

All　was　thus　explained　to　the　old　Siberian；　all；　even　the　conduct
of　her　son　with　regard　to　herself　in　the　inn　at　Omsk。　　There　was
no　doubt　that　the　young　girl's　companion　was　Michael　Strogoff；
and　that　a　secret　mission　in　the　invaded　country　obliged　him
to　conceal　his　quality　of　the　Czar's　courier。

〃Ah；　my　brave　boy！〃　thought　Marfa。　　〃No；　I　will　not　betray　you；
and　tortures　shall　not　wrest　from　me　the　avowal　that　it　was　you
whom　I　saw　at　Omsk。〃

Marfa　could　with　a　word　have　paid　Nadia　for　all　her　devotion　to　her。
She　could　have　told　her　that　her　companion；　Nicholas　Korpanoff；
or　rather　Michael　Strogoff；　had　not　perished　in　the　waters　of　the　Irtych；
since　it　was　some　days　after　that　incident　that　she　had　met　him；
that　she　had　spoken　to　him。

But　she　restrained　herself；　she　was　silent；　and　contented　herself
with　saying；　〃Hope；　my　child！　　Misfortune　will　not　overwhelm　you。
You　will　see　your　father　again；　I　feel　it；　and　perhaps　he　who　gave
you　the　name　of　sister　is　not　dead。　　God　cannot　have　allowed　your
brave　companion　to　perish。　　Hope；　my　child；　hope！　　Do　as　I　do。
The　mourning　which　I　wear　is　not　yet　for　my　son。〃


CHAPTER　III　BLOW　FOR　BLOW

SUCH　were　now　the　relative　situations　of　Marfa　Strogoff
and　Nadia。　　All　was　understood　by　the　old　Siberian；　and　though　the　young
girl　was　ignorant　that　her　much…regretted　companion　still　lived；
she　at　least　knew　his　relationship　to　her　whom　she　had　made　her　mother；
and　she　thanked　God　for　having　given　her　the　joy　of　taking　the　place
of　the　son　whom　the　prisoner　had　lost。

But　what　neither　of　them　could　know　was　that　Michael；　having　been
captured　at　Kolyvan；　was　in　the　same　convoy　and　was　on　his　way
to　Tomsk　with　them。

The　prisoners　brought　by　Ivan　Ogareff　had　been　added　to　those　already　kept
by　the　Emir　in　the　Tartar　camp。　　These　unfortunate　people；　consisting
of　Russians；　Siberians；　soldiers　and　civilians；　numbered　some　thousands；
and　formed　a　column　which　extended　over　several　versts。　　Some　among　them
being　considered　dangerous　were　handcuffed　and　fastened　to　a　long　chain。
There　were；　too；　women　and　children；　many　of　the　latter　suspended
to　the　pommels　of　the　saddles；　while　the　former　were　dragged　mercilessly
along　the　road　on　foot；　or　driven　forward　as　if　they　were　animals。
The　horsemen　compelled　them　to　maintain　a　certain　order；　and　there　were
no　laggards　with　the　exception　of　those　who　fell　never　to　rise　again。

In　consequence　of　this　arrangement；　Michael　Strogoff；
marching　in　the　first　ranks　of　those　who　had　left　the　Tartar　camp
that　is　to　say；　among　the　Kolyvan　prisonerswas　unable　to　mingle
with　the　prisoners　who　had　arrived　after　him　from　Omsk。　　He　had
therefore　no　suspicion　that　his　mother　and　Nadia　were　present　in
the　convoy；　nor　did　they　suppose　that　he　was　among　those　in　front。
This　journey　from　the　camp　to　Tomsk；　performed　under　the　lashes　and
spear…points　of　the　soldiers；　proved　fatal　to　many；　and　terrible　to　all。
The　prisoners　traveled　across　the　steppe；　over　a　road　made
still　more　dusty　by　the　passage　of　the　Emir　and　his　vanguard。
Orders　had　been　given　to　march　rapidly。　　The　short　halts　were　rare。
The　hundred　miles　under　a　burning　sky　seemed　interminable；
though　they　were　performed　as　rapidly　as　possible。

The　country；　which　extends　from　the　right　of　the　Obi　to
the　base　of　the　spur　detached　from　the　Sayanok　Mountains；
is　very　sterile。　　Only　a　few　stunted　and　burnt…up　shrubs
here　and　there　break　the　monotony　of　the　immense　plain。
There　was　no　cultivation；　for　there　was　no　water；　and　it　was　water
that　the　prisoners；　parched　by　their　painful　march；　most　needed。
To　find　a　stream　they　must　have　diverged　fifty　versts　eastward；
to　the　very　foot　of　the　mountains。

There　flows　the　Tom；　a　little　affluent　of　the　Obi；　which　passes　near
Tomsk　before　losing　itself　in　one　of　the　great　northern　arteries。
There　water　would　have　been　abundant；　the　steppe　less　arid；
the　heat　less　severe。　　But　the　strictest　orders　had　been　given
to　the　commanders　of　the　convoy　to　reach　Tomsk　by　the　shortest　way；
for　the　Emir　was　much　afraid　of　being　taken　in　the　flank　and　cut
off　by　some　Russian　column　descending　from　the　northern　provinces。

It　is　useless　to　dwell　upon　the　sufferings　of　the　unhappy　prisoners。
Many　hundreds　fell　on　the　steppe；　where　their　bodies　would　lie
until　winter；　when　the　wolves　would　devour　the　remnants　of　their　bones。

As　Nadia　helped　the　old　Siberian；　so　in　the　same　way　did　Michael
render　to　his　more　feeble　companions　in　misfortune　such　services
as　his　situation　allowed。　　He　encouraged　some；　supported　others；
going　to　and　fro；　until　a　prick　from　a　soldier's　lance　obliged　him
to　r俿um？the　place　which　had　been　assigned　him　in　the　ranks。

Why　did　he　not　endeavor　to　escape？

The　reason　was　that　he　had　now　quite　determined　not　to　venture　until
the　steppe　was　safe　for　him。　　He　was　resolved　in　his　idea　of　going
as　far　as　Tomsk　〃at　the　Emir's　expense；〃　and　indeed　he　was　right。
As　he　observed　the　numerous　detachments　which　scoured　the　plain
on　the　convoy's　flanks；　now　to　the　south；　now　to　the　north；
it　was　evident　that　before　he　could　have　gone　two　versts
he　must　have　been　recaptured。　　The　Tartar　horsemen　swarmed
it　actually　appeared　as　if　they　sprang　from　the　earthlike　insects
which　a　thunderstorm　brings　to　the　surface　of　the　ground。
Flight　under　these　conditions　would　have　been　extremely　difficult；
if　not　impossible。　　The　soldiers　of　the　escort　displayed
excessive　vigilance；　for　they　would　have　paid　for　the　slightest
carelessness　with　their　heads。

At　nightfall　of　the　15th　of　August；　the　convoy　reached　the　little
village　of　Zabediero；　thirty　versts　from　Tomsk。

The　prisoners'　first　movement　would　have　been　to　rush　into　the　river；
but　they　were　not　allowed　to　leave　the　ranks　until　the　halt
had　been　organized。　　Although　the　current　of　the　Tom　was　just
now　like　a　torrent；　it　might　have　favored　the　flight　of　some
bold　or　desperate　man；　and　the　strictest　measures　of　vigilance
were　taken。　　Boats；　requisitioned　at　Zabediero；　were　brought　up
to　the　Tom　and　formed　a　line　of　obstacles　impossible　to　pass。
As　to　the　encampment　on　the　outskirts　of　the　village；　it　was
guarded　by　a　cordon　of　sentinels。

Michael　Strogoff；　who　now　naturally　thought　of　escape；　saw；
after　carefully　surveying　the　situation；　that　under　these
conditions　it　was　perfectly　impossible；　so；　not　wishing
to　compromise　himself；　he　waited。

The　prisoners　were　to　encamp　for　the　whole　night　on　the　banks
of　the　Tom；　for　the　Emir　had　put　off　the　entrance　of　his　troops
into　Tomsk。　　It　had　been　decided　that　a　military　fete　should　mark
the　inauguration　of　the　Tartar　headquarters　in　this　important　city。
Feofar…Khan　already　occupied　the　fortress；　but　the　bulk　of　his　army
bivouacked　under　its　walls；　waiting　until　the　time　came　for　them
to　make　a　solemn　entry。

Ivan　Ogareff　left　the　Emir　at　Tomsk；　where　both　had　arrived
the　evening　before；　and　returned　to　the　camp　at　Zabediero。　　From　here
he　was　to　start　the　next　day　with　the　rear…guard　of　the　Tartar　army。
A　house　had　been　arranged　for　him　in　which　to　pass　the　night。
At　sunrise　horse　and　foot　soldiers　were　to　proceed　to　Tomsk；
where　the　Emir　wished　to　receive　them　with　the　pomp　usual
to　Asiatic　sovereigns。　　As　soon　as　the　halt　was　organized；
the　prisoners；　worn　out　with　their　three　days'　journey；　and　suffering
from　burning　thirst；　could　drink　and　take　a　little　rest。
The　sun　had　already　set；　when　Nadia；　supporting　Marfa　Strogoff；
reached　the　banks　of　the　Tom。　　They　had　not　till　then　been　able
to　get　through　those　who　crowded　the　banks；　but　at　last　they　came
to　drink　in　their　turn。

The　old　woman　bent　over　the　clear　stream；　and　Nadia；　plunging　in
her　hand；　carried　it　to　Marfa's　lips。　　Then　she　refreshed　herself。
They　found　new　life　in　these　welcome　waters。　　Suddenly　Nadia　started　up；
an　involuntary　cry　escaped　her。

Michael　Strogoff　was　there；　a　few　steps　from　her。　　It　was　he。
The　dying　rays　of　the　sun　fell　upon　him。

At　Nadia's　cry　Michael　started。　　But　he　had　sufficient　command　over
himself　not　to　utter　a　word　by　which　he　might　have　been　compromised。
And　yet；　when　he　saw　Nadia；　he　also　recognized　his　mother。

Feeling　he　could　not　long　keep　master　of　himself　at　this
unexpected　meeting；　he　covered　his　eyes　with　his　hands　and
walked　quickly　away。

Nadia's　impulse　was　to　run　after　him；　but　the　old　Siberian　murmured
in　her　ear；　〃Stay；　my　daughter！〃

〃It　is　he！〃　replied　Nadia；　choking　with　emotion。　　〃He　lives；　mother！
It　is　he！〃

〃It　is　my　son；〃　answered　Marfa；　〃it　is　Michael　Strogoff；
and　you　see　that　I　do　not　make　a　step