第4章

THEdooroftheimperialcabinetwasagainopenedandGeneralKissoffwasannounced。

“Thecourier？“inquiredtheCzareagerly。

“Heishere，sire，“repliedGeneralKissoff。

“Haveyoufoundafittingman？“

“Iwillanswerforhimtoyourmajesty。“

“HashebeenintheserviceofthePalace？“

“Yes，sire。“

“Youknowhim？“

“Personally，andatvarioustimeshehasfulfilleddifficultmissionswithsuccess。“

“Abroad？“

“InSiberiaitself。“

“Wheredoeshecomefrom？“

“FromOmsk。HeisaSiberian。“

“Hashecoolness，intelligence，courage？“

“Yes，sire；hehasallthequalitiesnecessarytosucceed，evenwhereothersmightpossiblyfail。“

“Whatishisage？“

“Thirty。“

“Ishestrongandvigorous？“

“Sire，hecanbearcold，hunger，thirst，fatigue，totheverylastextremities。“

“Hemusthaveaframeofiron。“

“Sire，hehas。“

“Andaheart？“

“Aheartofgold。“

“Hisname？“

“MichaelStrogoff。“

“Ishereadytosetout？“

“Heawaitsyourmajesty’sordersintheguard-room。“

“Lethimcomein，“saidtheCzar。

InafewmomentsMichaelStrogoff，thecourier，enteredtheimperiallibrary。Hewasatall，vigorous，broad-shouldered，deep-chestedman。

HispowerfulheadpossessedthefinefeaturesoftheCaucasianrace。

Hiswell-knitframeseemedbuiltfortheperformanceoffeatsofstrength。Itwouldhavebeenadifficulttasktomovesuchamanagainsthiswill，forwhenhisfeetwereonceplantedontheground，itwasasiftheyhadtakenroot。AshedoffedhisMuscovitecap，locksofthickcurlyhairfelloverhisbroad，massiveforehead。

Whenhisordinarilypalefacebecameatallflushed，itarosesolelyfromamorerapidactionoftheheart。

Hiseyes，ofadeepblue，lookedwithclear，frank，firmgaze。

Theslightly-contractedeyebrowsindicatedloftyheroism——“thehero’scoolcourage，“accordingtothedefinitionofthephysiologist。

Hepossessedafinenose，withlargenostrils；andawell-shapedmouth，withtheslightly-projectinglipswhichdenoteagenerousandnobleheart。

MichaelStrogoffhadthetemperamentofthemanofaction，whodoesnotbitehisnailsorscratchhisheadindoubtandindecision。

Sparingofgesturesasofwords，healwaysstoodmotionlesslikeasoldierbeforehissuperior；butwhenhemoved，hisstepshowedafirmness，afreedomofmovement，whichprovedtheconfidenceandvivacityofhismind。

MichaelStrogoffworeahandsomemilitaryuniformsomethingresemblingthatofalight-cavalryofficerinthefield——

boots，spurs，halftightly-fittingtrousers，brownpelisse，trimmedwithfurandornamentedwithyellowbraid。

Onhisbreastglitteredacrossandseveralmedals。

MichaelStrogoffbelongedtothespecialcorpsoftheCzar’scouriers，rankingasanofficeramongthosepickedmen。

Hismostdiscerniblecharacteristic——particularlyinhiswalk，hisface，inthewholeman，andwhichtheCzarperceivedataglance——was，thathewas“afulfilleroforders。“

HethereforepossessedoneofthemostserviceablequalitiesinRussia——onewhich，asthecelebratednovelistTourgueneffsays，“willleadtothehighestpositionsintheMuscoviteempire。“

Inshort，ifanyonecouldaccomplishthisjourneyfromMoscowtoIrkutsk，acrossarebelliouscountry，surmountobstacles，andbraveperilsofallsorts，MichaelStrogoffwastheman。

Acircumstanceespeciallyfavorabletothesuccessofhisplanwas，thathewasthoroughlyacquaintedwiththecountrywhichhewasabouttotraverse，andunderstooditsdifferentdialects——

notonlyfromhavingtraveledtherebefore，butbecausehewasofSiberianorigin。

Hisfather——oldPeterStrogoff，deadtenyearssince——

inhabitedthetownofOmsk，situatedinthegovernmentofthesamename；andhismother，MarfaStrogoff，livedtherestill。

There，amidthewildsteppesoftheprovincesofOmskandTobolsk，hadthefamoushuntsmanbroughtuphissonMichaeltoendurehardship。

PeterStrogoffwasahuntsmanbyprofession。Summerandwinter——

intheburningheat，aswellaswhenthecoldwassometimesfiftydegreesbelowzero——hescouredthefrozenplains，thethicketsofbirchandlarch，thepineforests；settingtraps；watchingforsmallgamewithhisgun，andforlargegamewiththespearorknife。

ThelargegamewasnothinglessthantheSiberianbear，aformidableandferociousanimal，insizeequalingitsfellowofthefrozenseas。

PeterStrogoffhadkilledmorethanthirty-ninebears——thatistosay，thefortiethhadfallenunderhisblows；and，accordingtoRussianlegends，mosthuntsmenwhohavebeenluckyenoughuptothethirty-ninthbear，havesuccumbedtothefortieth。

PeterStrogoffhad，however，passedthefatalnumberwithoutevenascratch。Fromthattime，hissonMichael，agedelevenyears，neverfailedtoaccompanyhimtothehunt，carryingtheragatinaorspeartoaidhisfather，whowasarmedonlywiththeknife。

Whenhewasfourteen，MichaelStrogoffhadkilledhisfirstbear，quitealone——thatwasnothing；butafterstrippingithedraggedthegiganticanimal’sskintohisfather’shouse，manyverstsdistant，exhibitingremarkablestrengthinaboysoyoung。

Thisstyleoflifewasofgreatbenefittohim，andwhenhearrivedatmanhoodhecouldbearanyamountofcold，heat，hunger，thirst，orfatigue。LiketheYakoutofthenortherncountries，hewasmadeofiron。Hecouldgofour-and-twentyhourswithouteating，tennightswithoutsleeping，andcouldmakehimselfashelterintheopensteppewhereotherswouldhavebeenfrozentodeath。

Giftedwithmarvelousacuteness，guidedbytheinstinctoftheDelawareofNorthAmerica，overthewhiteplain，wheneveryobjectishiddeninmist，oreveninhigherlatitudes，wherethepolarnightisprolongedformanydays，hecouldfindhiswaywhenotherswouldhavehadnoideawhithertoturn。Allhisfather’ssecretswereknowntohim。Hehadlearnttoreadalmostimperceptiblesigns——

theformsoficicles，theappearanceofthesmallbranchesoftrees，mistsrisingfarawayinthehorizon，vaguesoundsintheair，distantreports，theflightofbirdsthroughthefoggyatmosphere，athousandcircumstanceswhicharesomanywordstothosewhocandecipherthem。Moreover，temperedbysnowlikeaDamascusbladeinthewatersofSyria，hehadaframeofiron，asGeneralKissoffhadsaid，and，whatwasnolesstrue，aheartofgold。

TheonlysentimentoflovefeltbyMichaelStrogoffwasthatwhichheentertainedforhismother，theagedMarfa，whocouldneverbeinducedtoleavethehouseoftheStrogoffs，atOmsk，onthebanksoftheIrtish，wheretheoldhuntsmanandshehadlivedsolongtogether。

Whenhersonlefther，hewentawaywithafullheart，butpromisingtocomeandseeherwheneverhecouldpossiblydoso；andthispromisehehadalwaysreligiouslykept。

WhenMichaelwastwenty，itwasdecidedthatheshouldenterthepersonalserviceoftheEmperorofRussia，inthecorpsofthecouriersoftheCzar。Thehardy，intelligent，zealous，well-conductedyoungSiberianfirstdistinguishedhimselfespecially，inajourneytotheCaucasus，throughthemidstofadifficultcountry，ravagedbysomerestlesssuccessorsofSchamyl；thenlater，inanimportantmissiontoPetropolowski，inKamtschatka，theextremelimitofAsiaticRussia。Duringtheselongjourneyshedisplayedsuchmarvelouscoolness，prudence，andcourage，astogainhimtheapprobationandprotectionofhischiefs，whorapidlyadvancedhiminhisprofession。

Thefurloughswhichwerehisdueafterthesedistantmissions，heneverfailedtodevotetohisoldmother。Havingbeenmuchemployedinthesouthoftheempire，hehadnotseenoldMarfaforthreeyears——

threeages！——thefirsttimeinhislifehehadbeensolongabsentfromher。Now，however，inafewdayshewouldobtainhisfurlough，andhehadaccordinglyalreadymadepreparationsfordepartureforOmsk，whentheeventswhichhavebeenrelatedoccurred。

MichaelStrogoffwasthereforeintroducedintotheCzar’spresenceincompleteignoranceofwhattheemperorexpectedfromhim。

TheCzarfixedapenetratinglookuponhimwithoututteringaword，whilstMichaelstoodperfectlymotionless。

TheCzar，apparentlysatisfiedwithhisscrutiny，motionedtothechiefofpolicetoseathimself，anddictatedinalowvoicealetterofnotmorethanafewlines。

Theletterpenned，theCzarre-readitattentively，thensignedit，precedinghisnamewiththewords“Bytposemou，“which，signifying“Sobeit，“constitutesthedecisiveformulaoftheRussianemperors。

Theletterwasthenplacedinanenvelope，whichwassealedwiththeimperialarms。

TheCzar，rising，toldMichaelStrogofftodrawnear。

Michaeladvancedafewsteps，andthenstoodmotionless，readytoanswer。

TheCzaragainlookedhimfullinthefaceandtheireyesmet。

Theninanabrupttone，“Thyname？“heasked。

“MichaelStrogoff，sire。“

“Thyrank？“

“CaptaininthecorpsofcouriersoftheCzar。“

“ThoudostknowSiberia？“

“IamaSiberian。“

“Anativeof？“

“Omsk，sire。“

“Hastthourelationsthere？“

“Yessire。“

“Whatrelations？“

“Myoldmother。“

TheCzarsuspendedhisquestionsforamoment。Then，pointingtotheletterwhichheheldinhishand，“HereisaletterwhichIchargethee，MichaelStrogoff，todeliverintothehandsoftheGrandDuke，andtonootherbuthim。“

“Iwilldeliverit，sire。“

“TheGrandDukeisatIrkutsk。“

“IwillgotoIrkutsk。“

“Thouwilthavetotraversearebelliouscountry，invadedbyTartars，whoseinterestitwillbetointerceptthisletter。“

“Iwilltraverseit。“

“Aboveall，bewareofthetraitor，IvanOgareff，whowillperhapsmeettheeontheway。“

“Iwillbewareofhim。“

“WiltthoupassthroughOmsk？“

“Sire，thatismyroute。“

“Ifthoudostseethymother，therewillbetheriskofbeingrecognized。

Thoumustnotseeher！“

MichaelStrogoffhesitatedamoment。

“Iwillnotseeher，“saidhe。

“Sweartomethatnothingwillmaketheeacknowledgewhothouart，norwhitherthouartgoing。“

“Iswearit。“

“MichaelStrogoff，“continuedtheCzar，givingthelettertotheyoungcourier，“takethisletter；onitdependsthesafetyofallSiberia，andperhapsthelifeofmybrothertheGrandDuke。“

“ThislettershallbedeliveredtohisHighnesstheGrandDuke。“

“Thenthouwiltpasswhateverhappens？“

“Ishallpass，ortheyshallkillme。“

“Iwanttheetolive。“

“Ishalllive，andIshallpass，“answeredMichaelStrogoff。

TheCzarappearedsatisfiedwithStrogoff’scalmandsimpleanswer。

“Gothen，MichaelStrogoff，“saidhe，“goforGod，forRussia，formybrother，andformyself！“

Thecourier，havingsalutedhissovereign，immediatelylefttheimperialcabinet，and，inafewminutes，theNewPalace。

“Youmadeagoodchoicethere，General，“saidtheCzar。

“Ithinkso，sire，“repliedGeneralKissoff；“andyourmajestymaybesurethatMichaelStrogoffwilldoallthatamancando。“

“Heisindeedaman，“saidtheCzar。