第5章

THEdistancebetweenMoscowandIrkutsk，abouttobetraversedbyMichaelStrogoff，wasthreethousandfourhundredmiles。

BeforethetelegraphwireextendedfromtheUralMountainstotheeasternfrontierofSiberia，thedispatchservicewasperformedbycouriers，thosewhotraveledthemostrapidlytakingeighteendaystogetfromMoscowtoIrkutsk。Butthiswastheexception，andthejourneythroughAsiaticRussiausuallyoccupiedfromfourtofiveweeks，eventhougheveryavailablemeansoftransportwasplacedatthedisposaloftheCzar’smessengers。

MichaelStrogoffwasamanwhofearedneitherfrostnorsnow。

Hewouldhavepreferredtravelingduringtheseverewinterseason，inorderthathemightperformthewholedistancebysleighs。

Atthatperiodoftheyearthedifficultieswhichallothermeansoflocomotionpresentaregreatlydiminished，thewidesteppesbeingleveledbysnow，whiletherearenoriverstocross，butsimplysheetsofglass，overwhichthesleighglidesrapidlyandeasily。

Perhapscertainnaturalphenomenaaremosttobefearedatthattime，suchaslong-continuinganddensefogs，excessivecold，fearfullyheavysnow-storms，whichsometimesenvelopwholecaravansandcausetheirdestruction。Hungrywolvesalsoroamovertheplaininthousands。

ButitwouldhavebeenbetterforMichaelStrogofftofacetheserisks；

forduringthewintertheTartarinvaderswouldhavebeenstationedinthetowns，anymovementoftheirtroopswouldhavebeenimpracticable，andhecouldconsequentlyhavemoreeasilyperformedhisjourney。

Butitwasnotinhispowertochooseeitherweatherortime。

Whateverthecircumstances，hemustacceptthemandsetout。

SuchwerethedifficultieswhichMichaelStrogoffboldlyconfrontedandpreparedtoencounter。

Inthefirstplace，hemustnottravelasacourieroftheCzarusuallywould。Noonemustevensuspectwhathereallywas。

Spiesswarminarebelliouscountry；lethimberecognized，andhismissionwouldbeindanger。Also，whilesupplyinghimwithalargesumofmoney，whichwassufficientforhisjourney，andwouldfacilitateitinsomemeasure，GeneralKissoffhadnotgivenhimanydocumentnotifyingthathewasontheEmperor’sservice，whichistheSesameparexcellence。

Hecontentedhimselfwithfurnishinghimwitha“podorojna。“

ThispodorojnawasmadeoutinthenameofNicholasKorpanoff，merchant，livingatIrkutsk。ItauthorizedNicholasKorpanofftobeaccompaniedbyoneormorepersons，and，moreover，itwas，byspecialnotification，madeavailableintheeventoftheMuscovitegovernmentforbiddingnativesofanyothercountriestoleaveRussia。

Thepodorojnaissimplyapermissiontotakepost-horses；

butMichaelStrogoffwasnottouseitunlesshewassurethatbysodoinghewouldnotexcitesuspicionastohismission，thatistosay，whilsthewasonEuropeanterritory。

TheconsequencewasthatinSiberia，whilsttraversingtheinsurgentprovinces，hewouldhavenopowerovertherelays，eitherinthechoiceofhorsesinpreferencetoothers，orindemandingconveyancesforhispersonaluse；neitherwasMichaelStrogofftoforgetthathewasnolongeracourier，butaplainmerchant，NicholasKorpanoff，travelingfromMoscowtoIrkutsk，and，assuchexposedtoalltheimpedimentsofanordinaryjourney。

Topassunknown，moreorlessrapidly，buttopasssomehow，suchwerethedirectionshehadreceived。

Thirtyyearspreviously，theescortofatravelerofrankconsistedofnotlessthantwohundredmountedCossacks，twohundredfoot-soldiers，twenty-fiveBaskirhorsemen，threehundredcamels，fourhundredhorses，twenty-fivewagons，twoportableboats，andtwopiecesofcannon。

AllthiswasrequisiteforajourneyinSiberia。

MichaelStrogoff，however，hadneithercannon，norhorsemen，norfoot-soldiers，norbeastsofburden。Hewouldtravelinacarriageoronhorseback，whenhecould；onfoot，whenhecouldnot。

Therewouldbenodifficultyingettingoverthefirstthousandmiles，thedistancebetweenMoscowandtheRussianfrontier。

Railroads，post-carriages，steamboats，relaysofhorses，wereateveryone’sdisposal，andconsequentlyatthedisposalofthecourieroftheCzar。

Accordingly，onthemorningofthe16thofJuly，havingdoffedhisuniform，withaknapsackonhisback，dressedinthesimpleRussiancostume——tightly-fittingtunic，thetraditionalbeltoftheMoujik，widetrousers，garteredattheknees，andhighboots——

MichaelStrogoffarrivedatthestationintimeforthefirsttrain。

Hecarriednoarms，openlyatleast，butunderhisbeltwashiddenarevolverandinhispocket，oneofthoselargeknives，resemblingbothacutlassandayataghan，withwhichaSiberianhuntercansoneatlydisembowelabear，withoutinjuringitspreciousfur。

AcrowdoftravelershadcollectedattheMoscowstation。

ThestationsontheRussianrailroadsaremuchusedasplacesformeeting，notonlybythosewhoareabouttoproceedbythetrain，butbyfriendswhocometoseethemoff。

Thestationresembles，fromthevarietyofcharactersassembled，asmallnewsexchange。

ThetraininwhichMichaeltookhisplacewastosethimdownatNijni-Novgorod。Thereterminatedatthattime，theironroadwhich，unitingMoscowandSt。Petersburg，hassincebeencontinuedtotheRussianfrontier。Itwasajourneyofunderthreehundredmiles，andthetrainwouldaccomplishitintenhours。

OncearrivedatNijni-Novgorod，StrogoffwouldeithertakethelandrouteorthesteamerontheVolga，soastoreachtheUralMountainsassoonaspossible。

MichaelStrogoffensconcedhimselfinhiscorner，likeaworthycitizenwhoseaffairsgowellwithhim，andwhoendeavorstokilltimebysleep。Nevertheless，ashewasnotaloneinhiscompartment，hesleptwithoneeyeopen，andlistenedwithbothhisears。

Infact，rumoroftherisingoftheKirghizhordes，andoftheTartarinvasionhadtranspiredinsomedegree。Theoccupantsofthecarriage，whomchancehadmadehistravelingcompanions，discussedthesubject，thoughwiththatcautionwhichhasbecomehabitualamongRussians，whoknowthatspiesareeveronthewatchforanytreasonableexpressionswhichmaybeuttered。

Thesetravelers，aswellasthelargenumberofpersonsinthetrain，weremerchantsontheirwaytothecelebratedfairofNijni-Novgorod；——averymixedassembly，composedofJews，Turks，Cossacks，Russians，Georgians，Kalmucks，andothers，butnearlyallspeakingthenationaltongue。

TheydiscussedtheprosandconsoftheseriouseventswhichweretakingplacebeyondtheUral，andthosemerchantsseemedtofearlestthegovernmentshouldbeledtotakecertainrestrictivemeasures，especiallyintheprovincesborderingonthefrontier——measuresfromwhichtradewouldcertainlysuffer。

Theyapparentlythoughtonlyofthestrugglefromthesinglepointofviewoftheirthreatenedinterests。Thepresenceofaprivatesoldier，cladinhisuniform——andtheimportanceofauniforminRussiaisgreat——wouldhavecertainlybeenenoughtorestrainthemerchants’tongues。ButinthecompartmentoccupiedbyMichaelStrogoff，therewasnoonewhoseemedamilitaryman，andtheCzar’scourierwasnotthepersontobetrayhimself。

Helistened，then。

“Theysaythatcaravanteasareup，“remarkedaPersian，knownbyhiscapofAstrakhanfur，andhisamplebrownrobe，wornthreadbarebyuse。

“Oh，there’snofearofteasfalling，“answeredanoldJewofsullenaspect。“ThoseinthemarketatNijni-NovgorodwillbeeasilyclearedoffbytheWest；but，unfortunately，itwon’tbethesamewithBokharacarpets。“

“What！areyouexpectinggoodsfromBokhara？“askedthePersian。

“No，butfromSamarcand，andthatisevenmoreexposed。

TheideaofreckoningontheexportsofacountryinwhichthekhansareinastateofrevoltfromKhivatotheChinesefrontier！“

“Well，“repliedthePersian，“ifthecarpetsdonotarrive，thedraftswillnotarriveeither，Isuppose。“

“Andtheprofits，FatherAbraham！“exclaimedthelittleJew，“doyoureckonthemasnothing？“

“Youareright，“saidanother；“goodsfromCentralAsiarunagreatriskinthemarket，anditwillbethesamewiththetallowandshawlsfromtheEast。“

“Why，lookout，littlefather，“saidaRussiantraveler，inabanteringtone；“you’llgreaseyourshawlsterriblyifyoumixthemupwithyourtallow。“

“Thatamusesyou，“sharplyansweredthemerchant，whohadlittlerelishforthatsortofjoke。

“Well，ifyoutearyourhair，orifyouthrowashesonyourhead，“

repliedthetraveler，“willthatchangethecourseofevents？

No；nomorethanthecourseoftheExchange。“

“Onecaneasilyseethatyouarenotamerchant，“observedthelittleJew。

“Faith，no，worthysonofAbraham！Isellneitherhops，noreider-down，norhoney，norwax，norhemp-seed，norsaltmeat，norcaviare，norwood，norwool，norribbons，nor，hemp，norflax，normorocco，norfurs。“

“Butdoyoubuythem？“askedthePersian，interruptingthetraveler’slist。

“AslittleasIcan，andonlyformyownprivateuse，“

answeredtheother，withawink。

“He’sawag，“saidtheJewtothePersian。

“Oraspy，“repliedtheother，loweringhisvoice。

“Wehadbettertakecare，andnotspeakmorethannecessary。

Thepolicearenotover-particularinthesetimes，andyounevercanknowwithwhomyouaretraveling。“

Inanothercornerofthecompartmenttheywerespeakinglessofmercantileaffairs，andmoreoftheTartarinvasionanditsannoyingconsequences。

“AllthehorsesinSiberiawillberequisitioned，“saidatraveler，“andcommunicationbetweenthedifferentprovincesofCentralAsiawillbecomeverydifficult。“

“Isittrue，“askedhisneighbor，“thattheKirghizofthemiddlehordehavejoinedtheTartars？“

“Soitissaid，“answeredthetraveler，loweringhisvoice；

“butwhocanflatterthemselvesthattheyknowanythingreallyofwhatisgoingoninthiscountry？“

“Ihaveheardspeakofaconcentrationoftroopsonthefrontier。

TheDonCossackshavealreadygatheredalongthecourseoftheVolga，andtheyaretobeopposedtotherebelKirghiz。“

“IftheKirghizdescendtheIrtish，theroutetoIrkutskwillnotbesafe，“observedhisneighbor。“Besides，yesterdayIwantedtosendatelegramtoKrasnoiarsk，anditcouldnotbeforwarded。

It’stobefearedthatbeforelongtheTartarcolumnswillhaveisolatedEasternSiberia。“

“Inshort，littlefather，“continuedthefirstspeaker，“thesemerchantshavegoodreasonforbeinguneasyabouttheirtradeandtransactions。

Afterrequisitioningthehorses，theywilltaketheboats，carriages，everymeansoftransport，untilpresentlynoonewillbeallowedtotakeevenonestepinalltheempire。“

“I’mmuchafraidthattheNijni-Novgorodfairwon’tendasbrilliantlyasithasbegun，“respondedtheother，shakinghishead。

“ButthesafetyandintegrityoftheRussianterritorybeforeeverything。

Businessisbusiness。“

Ifinthiscompartmentthesubjectofconversationvariedbutlittle——

nordidit，indeed，intheothercarriagesofthetrain——inallitmighthavebeenobservedthatthetalkersusedmuchcircumspection。

Whentheydidhappentoventureoutoftheregionoffacts，theyneverwentsofarastoattempttodivinetheintentionsoftheMuscovitegovernment，oreventocriticizethem。

Thiswasespeciallyremarkedbyatravelerinacarriageatthefrontpartofthetrain。Thisperson——evidentlyastranger——

madegooduseofhiseyes，andaskednumberlessquestions，towhichhereceivedonlyevasiveanswers。Everyminuteleaningoutofthewindow，whichhewouldkeepdown，tothegreatdisgustofhisfellow-travelers，helostnothingoftheviewstotheright。

Heinquiredthenamesofthemostinsignificantplaces，theirposition，whatweretheircommerce，theirmanufactures，thenumberoftheirinhabitants，theaveragemortality，etc。，andallthishewrotedowninanote-book，alreadyfull。

ThiswasthecorrespondentAlcideJolivet，andthereasonofhisputtingsomanyinsignificantquestionswas，thatamongstthemanyanswershereceived，hehopedtofindsomeinterestingfact“forhiscousin。“

But，naturallyenough，hewastakenforaspy，andnotawordtreatingoftheeventsofthedaywasutteredinhishearing。

Finding，therefore，thathecouldlearnnothingoftheTartarinvasion，hewroteinhisbook，“Travelersofgreatdiscretion。

Verycloseastopoliticalmatters。“

WhilstAlcideJolivetnoteddownhisimpressionsthusminutely，hisconfrere，inthesametrain，travelingforthesameobject，wasdevotinghimselftothesameworkofobservationinanothercompartment。NeitherofthemhadseeneachotherthatdayattheMoscowstation，andtheywereeachignorantthattheotherhadsetouttovisitthesceneofthewar。