第13章

“Letthemputthehorsestoassoonaspossible。“

MichaelandNadia，resolvednottostopevenforanhour，traveledallnight。Theweathercontinuedfine，thoughtheatmospherewasheavyandbecomingchargedwithelectricity。

Itwastobehopedthatastormwouldnotburstwhilsttheywereamongthemountains，forthereitwouldbeterrible。

Beingaccustomedtoreadatmosphericsigns，MichaelStrogoffknewthatastruggleoftheelementswasapproaching。

Thenightpassedwithoutincident。Notwithstandingthejoltingofthetarantass，Nadiawasabletosleepforsomehours。

Thehoodwaspartlyraisedsoastogiveasmuchairastherewasinthestiflingatmosphere。

Michaelkeptawakeallnight，mistrustingtheiemschiks，whoareapttosleepattheirposts。Notanhourwaslostattherelays，notanhourontheroad。

Thenextday，the20thofJuly，atabouteighto’clockinthemorning，theycaughtthefirstglimpseoftheUralMountainsintheeast。

ThisimportantchainwhichseparatesRussiafromSiberiawasstillatagreatdistance，andtheycouldnothopetoreachituntiltheendoftheday。Thepassageofthemountainsmustnecessarilybeperformedduringthenextnight。Theskywascloudyallday，andthetemperaturewasthereforemorebearable，buttheweatherwasverythreatening。

Itwouldperhapshavebeenmoreprudentnottohaveascendedthemountainsduringthenight，andMichaelwouldnothavedoneso，hadhebeenpermittedtowait；butwhen，atthelaststage，theiemschikdrewhisattentiontoapealofthunderreverberatingamongtherocks，hemerelysaid:

“Isatelgastillbeforeus？“

“Yes。“

“Howlongisitinadvance？“

“Nearlyanhour。“

“Forward，andatripletipifweareatEkaterenburgto-morrowmorning。“

THEUralMountainsextendinalengthofovertwothousandmilesbetweenEuropeandAsia。WhethertheyarecalledtheUrals，whichistheTartar，orthePoyas，whichistheRussianname，theyarecorrectlysotermed；forthesenamessignify“belt“

inbothlanguages。RisingontheshoresoftheArcticSea，theyreachthebordersoftheCaspian。ThiswasthebarriertobecrossedbyMichaelStrogoffbeforehecouldenterSiberianRussia。Themountainscouldbecrossedinonenight，ifnoaccidenthappened。Unfortunately，thundermutteringinthedistanceannouncedthatastormwasathand。

Theelectrictensionwassuchthatitcouldnotbedispersedwithoutatremendousexplosion，whichinthepeculiarstateoftheatmospherewouldbeveryterrible。

Michaeltookcarethathisyoungcompanionshouldbeaswellprotectedaspossible。Thehood，whichmighthavebeeneasilyblownaway，wasfastenedmoresecurelywithropes，crossedaboveandattheback。

Thetracesweredoubled，and，asanadditionalprecaution，thenave-boxeswerestuffedwithstraw，asmuchtoincreasethestrengthofthewheelsastolessenthejolting，unavoidableonadarknight。

Lastly，theforeandhinderparts，connectedsimplybytheaxlestothebodyofthetarantass，werejoinedonetotheotherbyacrossbar，fixedbymeansofpinsandscrews。

Nadiaresumedherplaceinthecart，andMichaeltookhisseatbesideher。Beforetheloweredhoodhungtwoleatherncurtains，whichwouldinsomedegreeprotectthetravelersagainstthewindandrain。Twogreatlanterns，suspendedfromtheiemschik’sseat，threwapaleglimmerscarcelysufficienttolighttheway，butservingaswarninglightstopreventanyothercarriagefromrunningintothem。

Itwaswellthatalltheseprecautionsweretaken，inexpectationofaroughnight。Theroadledthemuptowardsdensemassesofclouds，andshouldthecloudsnotsoonresolveintorain，thefogwouldbesuchthatthetarantasswouldbeunabletoadvancewithoutdangeroffallingoversomeprecipice。

TheUralchaindoesnotattainanyverygreatheight，thehighestsummitnotbeingmorethanfivethousandfeet。

Eternalsnowisthereunknown，andwhatispiledupbytheSiberianwinterissoonmeltedbythesummersun。

Shrubsandtreesgrowtoaconsiderableheight。

Theironandcoppermines，aswellasthoseofpreciousstones，drawaconsiderablenumberofworkmentothatregion。

Also，thosevillagestermed“gavody“aretheremetwithprettyfrequently，andtheroadthroughthegreatpassesiseasilypracticableforpost-carriages。

Butwhatiseasyenoughinfineweatherandbroaddaylight，offersdifficultiesandperilswhentheelementsareengagedinfiercewarfare，andthetravelerisinthemidstofit。

MichaelStrogoffknewfromformerexperiencewhatastorminthemountainswas，andperhapsthiswouldbeasterribleasthesnowstormswhichburstforthwithsuchvehemenceinthewinter。

Rainwasnotyetfalling，soMichaelraisedtheleatherncurtainswhichprotectedtheinteriorofthetarantassandlookedout，watchingthesidesoftheroad，peopledwithfantasticshadows，causedbythewaveringlightofthelanterns。Nadia，motionless，herarmsfolded，gazedforthalso，thoughwithoutleaningforward，whilsthercompanion，hisbodyhalfoutofthecarriage，examinedbothskyandearth。

Thecalmnessoftheatmospherewasverythreatening，theairbeingperfectlystill。ItwasjustasifNaturewerehalfstifled，andcouldnolongerbreathe；herlungs，thatistosaythosegloomy，denseclouds，notbeingabletoperformtheirfunctions。

Thesilencewouldhavebeencompletebutforthegrindingsofthewheelsofthetarantassovertheroad，thecreakingoftheaxles，thesnortingofthehorses，andtheclatteringoftheirironhoofsamongthepebbles，sparksflyingoutoneveryside。

Theroadwasperfectlydeserted。Thetarantassencounteredneitherpedestriansnorhorsemen，noravehicleofanydescription，inthenarrowdefilesoftheUral，onthisthreateningnight。

Noteventhefireofacharcoal-burnerwasvisibleinthewoods，notanencampmentofminersnearthemines，notahutamongthebrushwood。

Underthesepeculiarcircumstancesitmighthavebeenallowabletopostponethejourneytillthemorning。

MichaelStrogoff，however，hadnothesitated，hehadnorighttostop，butthen——anditbegantocausehimsomeanxiety——

whatpossiblereasoncouldthosetravelersinthetelgaaheadhaveforbeingsoimprudent？

Michaelremainedthusonthelook-outforsometime。

Abouteleveno’clocklightningbegantoblazecontinuouslyinthesky。

Theshadowsofhugepinesappearedanddisappearedintherapidlight。

Sometimeswhenthetarantassnearedthesideoftheroad，deepgulfs，litupbytheflashes，couldbeseenyawningbeneaththem。

Fromtimetotime，ontheirvehiclegivingaworselurchthanusual，theyknewthattheywerecrossingabridgeofroughly-hewnplanksthrownoversomechasm，thunderappearingactuallytoberumblingbelowthem。Besidesthis，aboomingsoundfilledtheair，whichincreasedastheymountedhigher。Withthesedifferentnoisesrosetheshoutsoftheiemschik，sometimesscolding，sometimescoaxinghispoorbeasts，whoweresufferingmorefromtheoppressionoftheairthantheroughnessoftheroads。

Eventhebellsontheshaftscouldnolongerrousethem，andtheystumbledeveryinstant。

“Atwhattimeshallwereachthetopoftheridge？“askedMichaeloftheiemschik。

“Atoneo’clockinthemorningifweevergetthereatall，“

repliedhe，withashakeofhishead。

“Why，myfriend，thiswillnotbeyourfirststorminthemountains，willit？“

“No，andprayGoditmaynotbemylast！“

“Areyouafraid？“

“No，I’mnotafraid，butIrepeatthatIthinkyouwerewronginstarting。“

“IshouldhavebeenstillmorewronghadIstayed。“

“Holdup，mypigeons！“criedtheiemschik；itwashisbusinesstoobey，nottoquestion。

Justthenadistantnoisewasheard，shrillwhistlingthroughtheatmosphere，socalmaminutebefore。

Bythelightofadazzlingflash，almostimmediatelyfollowedbyatremendousclapofthunder，Michaelcouldseehugepinesonahighpeak，bendingbeforetheblast。Thewindwasunchained，butasyetitwastheupperairalonewhichwasdisturbed。

Successivecrashesshowedthatmanyofthetreeshadbeenunabletoresisttheburstofthehurricane。Anavalancheofshatteredtrunkssweptacrosstheroadanddashedovertheprecipiceontheleft，twohundredfeetinfrontofthetarantass。

Thehorsesstoppedshort。

“Getup，myprettydoves！“criedtheiemschik，addingthecrackingofhiswhiptotherumblingofthethunder。

MichaeltookNadia’shand。“Areyouasleep，sister？“

“No，brother。“

“Bereadyforanything；herecomesthestorm！“

“Iamready。“

MichaelStrogoffhadonlyjusttimetodrawtheleatherncurtains，whenthestormwasuponthem。

Theiemschikleaptfromhisseatandseizedthehorses’

heads，forterribledangerthreatenedthewholeparty。

Thetarantasswasatastandstillataturningoftheroad，downwhichsweptthehurricane；itwasabsolutelynecessarytoholdtheanimals’headstothewind，forifthecarriagewastakenbroadsideitmustinfalliblycapsizeandbedashedovertheprecipice。Thefrightenedhorsesreared，andtheirdrivercouldnotmanagetoquietthem。Hisfriendlyexpressionshadbeensucceededbythemostinsultingepithets。

Nothingwasofanyuse。Theunfortunateanimals，blindedbythelightning，terrifiedbytheincessantpealsofthunder，threatenedeveryinstanttobreaktheirtracesandflee。

Theiemschikhadnolongeranycontroloverhisteam。

AtthatmomentMichaelStrogoffthrewhimselffromthetarantassandrushedtohisassistance。Endowedwithmorethancommonstrength，hemanaged，thoughnotwithoutdifficulty，tomasterthehorses。

Thestormnowragedwithredoubledfury。Aperfectavalancheofstonesandtrunksoftreesbegantorolldowntheslopeabovethem。

“Wecannotstophere，“saidMichael。

“Wecannotstopanywhere，“returnedtheiemschik，allhisenergiesapparentlyovercomebyterror。“Thestormwillsoonsendustothebottomofthemountain，andthatbytheshortestway。“

“Takeyouthathorse，coward，“returnedMichael，“I’lllookafterthisone。“

Afreshburstofthestorminterruptedhim。Thedriverandhewereobligedtocrouchuponthegroundtoavoidbeingblowndown。

Thecarriage，notwithstandingtheireffortsandthoseofthehorses，wasgraduallyblownback，andhaditnotbeenstoppedbythetrunkofatree，itwouldhavegoneovertheedgeoftheprecipice。

“Donotbeafraid，Nadia！“criedMichaelStrogoff。

“I’mnotafraid，“repliedtheyoungLivonian，hervoicenotbetrayingtheslightestemotion。

Therumblingofthethunderceasedforaninstant，theterribleblasthadsweptpastintothegorgebelow。

“Willyougoback？“saidtheiemschik。

“No，wemustgoon！Oncepastthisturning，weshallhavetheshelteroftheslope。“

“Butthehorseswon’tmove！“

“DoasIdo，anddragthemon。“

“Thestormwillcomeback！“

“Doyoumeantoobey？“

“Doyouorderit？“