第17章

“Why，NicholasKorpanoff’ssister。“

“Isshehissister？“

“No；hisgrandmother！“repliedAlcide，angryathisindifference。

“Whatageshouldyouconsiderher？“

“HadIbeenpresentatherbirthImighthaveknown。“

VeryfewoftheSiberianpeasantsweretobeseeninthefields。

Thesepeasantsareremarkablefortheirpale，gravefaces，whichacelebratedtravelerhascomparedtothoseoftheCastilians，withoutthehaughtinessofthelatter。HereandtheresomevillagesalreadydesertedindicatedtheapproachoftheTartarhordes。

Theinhabitants，havingdrivenofftheirflocksofsheep，theircamels，andtheirhorses，weretakingrefugeintheplainsofthenorth。

SometribesofthewanderingKirghiz，whoremainedfaithful，hadtransportedtheirtentsbeyondtheIrtych，toescapethedepredationsoftheinvaders。

Happily，posttravelingwasasyetuninterrupted；andtelegraphiccommunicationcouldstillbeeffectedbetweenplacesconnectedwiththewire。Ateachrelayhorsesweretobehadontheusualconditions。

Ateachtelegraphicstationtheclerkstransmittedmessagesdeliveredtothem，delayingforStatedispatchesalone。

Thusfar，then，Michael’sjourneyhadbeenaccomplishedsatisfactorily。

ThecourieroftheCzarhadinnowaybeenimpeded；and，ifhecouldonlygetontoKrasnoiarsk，whichseemedthefarthestpointattainedbyFeofar-Khan’sTartars，heknewthathecouldarriveatIrkutsk，beforethem。ThedayafterthetwocarriageshadleftEkaterenburgtheyreachedthesmalltownofToulouguiskatseveno’clockinthemorning，havingcoveredtwohundredandtwentyversts，noeventworthyofmentionhavingoccurred。Thesameevening，the22dofJuly，theyarrivedatTioumen。

Tioumen，whosepopulationisusuallytenthousandinhabitants，thencontaineddoublethatnumber。This，thefirstindustrialtownestablishedbytheRussiansinSiberia，inwhichmaybeseenafinemetal-refiningfactoryandabellfoundry，hadneverbeforepresentedsuchananimatedappearance。

Thecorrespondentsimmediatelywentoffafternews。

ThatbroughtbySiberianfugitivesfromtheseatofwarwasfarfromreassuring。Theysaid，amongstotherthings，thatFeofar-Khan’sarmywasrapidlyapproachingthevalleyoftheIchim，andtheyconfirmedthereportthattheTartarchiefwassoontobejoinedbyColonelOgareff，ifhehadnotbeensoalready。HencetheconclusionwasthatoperationswouldbepushedinEasternSiberiawiththegreatestactivity。

However，theloyalCossacksofthegovernmentofTobolskwereadvancingbyforcedmarchestowardsTomsk，inthehopeofcuttingofftheTartarcolumns。

AtmidnightthetownofNovo-Saimskwasreached；andthetravelersnowleftbehindthemthecountrybrokenbytree-coveredhills，thelastremainsoftheUrals。

HerebegantheregularSiberiansteppewhichextendstotheneighborhoodofKrasnoiarsk。Itisaboundlessplain，avastgrassydesert；

earthandskyhereformacircleasdistinctasthattracedbyasweepofthecompasses。Thesteppepresentsnothingtoattractnoticebutthelonglineofthetelegraphposts，theirwiresvibratinginthebreezelikethestringsofaharp。

Theroadcouldbedistinguishedfromtherestoftheplainonlybythecloudsoffinedustwhichroseunderthewheelsofthetarantass。

Haditnotbeenforthiswhiteriband，whichstretchedawayasfarastheeyecouldreach，thetravelersmighthavethoughtthemselvesinadesert。

Michaelandhiscompanionsagainpressedrapidlyforward。

Thehorses，urgedonbytheiemschik，seemedtoflyovertheground，fortherewasnottheslightestobstacletoimpedethem。

ThetarantasswasgoingstraightforIchim，wherethetwocorrespondentsintendedtostop，ifnothinghappenedtomakethemaltertheirplans。

AhundredandtwentymilesseparatedNovo-SaimskfromthetownofIchim，andbeforeeighto’clockthenexteveningthedistancecouldandshouldbeaccomplishedifnotimewaslost。

Intheopinionoftheiemschiks，shouldthetravelersnotbegreatlordsorhighfunctionaries，theywereworthyofbeingso，ifitwasonlyfortheirgenerosityinthematterof“navodkou。“

Ontheafternoonofthenextday，the23rdofJuly，thetwocarriageswerenotmorethanthirtyverstsfromIchim。SuddenlyMichaelcaughtsightofacarriage——scarcelyvisibleamongthecloudsofdust——

precedingthemalongtheroad。Ashishorseswereevidentlylessfatiguedthanthoseoftheothertraveler，hewouldnotbelonginovertakingit。Thiswasneitheratarantassnoratelga，butapost-berlin，whichlookedasifithadmadealongjourney。

Thepostillionwasthrashinghishorseswithallhismight，andonlykeptthematagallopbydintofabuseandblows。

TheberlinhadcertainlynotpassedthroughNovo-Saimsk，andcouldonlyhavestrucktheIrkutskroadbysomelessfrequentedrouteacrossthesteppe。

Ourtravelers’firstthought，onseeingthisberlin，wastogetinfrontofit，andarrivefirstattherelay，soastomakesureoffreshhorses。

Theysaidawordtotheiriemschiks，whosoonbroughtthemupwiththeberlin。

MichaelStrogoffcameupfirst。Ashepassed，aheadwasthrustoutofthewindowoftheberlin。

Hehadnottimetoseewhatitwaslike，butashedashedbyhedistinctlyheardthisword，utteredinanimperioustone:“Stop！“

Buttheydidnotstop；onthecontrary，theberlinwassoondistancedbythetwotarantasses。

Itnowbecamearegularrace；forthehorsesoftheberlin——

nodoubtexcitedbythesightandpaceoftheothers——

recoveredtheirstrengthandkeptupforsomeminutes。

Thethreecarriageswerehiddeninacloudofdust。

Fromthiscloudissuedthecrackingofwhipsmingledwithexcitedshoutsandexclamationsofanger。

Nevertheless，theadvantageremainedwithMichaelandhiscompanions，whichmightbeveryimportanttothemiftherelaywaspoorlyprovidedwithhorses。Twocarriageswereperhapsmorethanthepostmastercouldprovidefor，atleastinashortspaceoftime。

Halfanhouraftertheberlinwasleftfarbehind，lookingonlyaspeckonthehorizonofthesteppe。

Itwaseighto’clockintheeveningwhenthetwocarriagesreachedIchim。Thenewswasworseandworsewithregardtotheinvasion。ThetownitselfwasmenacedbytheTartarvanguard；

andtwodaysbeforetheauthoritieshadbeenobligedtoretreattoTobolsk。TherewasnotanofficernorasoldierleftinIchim。

Onarrivingattherelay，MichaelStrogoffimmediatelyaskedforhorses。Hehadbeenfortunateindistancingtheberlin。

Onlythreehorseswerefittobeharnessed。Theothershadjustcomeinwornoutfromalongstage。

AsthetwocorrespondentsintendedtostopatIchim，theyhadnottotroublethemselvestofindtransport，andhadtheircarriageputaway。

IntenminutesMichaelwastoldthathistarantasswasreadytostart。

“Good，“saidhe。

Thenturningtothetworeporters:“Well，gentlemen，thetimeiscomeforustoseparate。“

“What，Mr。Korpanoff，“saidAlcideJolivet，“shallyounotstopevenforanhouratIchim？“

“No，sir；andIalsowishtoleavethepost-housebeforethearrivaloftheberlinwhichwedistanced。“

“Areyouafraidthatthetravelerwilldisputethehorseswithyou？“

“Iparticularlywishtoavoidanydifficulty。“

“Then，Mr。Korpanoff，“saidJolivet，“itonlyremainsforustothankyouoncemorefortheserviceyourenderedus，andthepleasurewehavehadintravelingwithyou。“

“ItispossiblethatweshallmeetyouagaininafewdaysatOmsk，“addedBlount。

“Itispossible，“answeredMichael，“sinceIamgoingstraightthere。“

“Well，Iwishyouasafejourney，Mr。Korpanoff，“saidAlcide，“andHeavenpreserveyoufromtelgas。“

ThetworeportersheldouttheirhandstoMichaelwiththeintentionofcordiallyshakinghis，whenthesoundofacarriagewasheardoutside。

Almostimmediatelythedoorwasflungopenandamanappeared。

Itwasthetraveleroftheberlin，amilitary-lookingman，apparentlyaboutfortyyearsofage，tall，robustinfigure，broad-shouldered，withastrongly-sethead，andthickmus-tachesmeetingredwhiskers。Heworeaplainuniform。

Acavalrysaberhungathisside，andinhishandheheldashort-handledwhip。

“Horses，“hedemanded，withtheairofamanaccustomedtocommand。

“Ihavenomoredisposablehorses，“answeredthepostmaster，bowing。

“Imusthavesomethismoment。“

“Itisimpossible。“

“WhatarethosehorseswhichhavejustbeenharnessedtothetarantassIsawatthedoor？“

“Theybelongtothistraveler，“answeredthepostmaster，pointingtoMichaelStrogoff。

“Takethemout！“saidthetravelerinatonewhichadmittedofnoreply。

Michaelthenadvanced。

“Thesehorsesareengagedbyme，“hesaid。

“Whatdoesthatmatter？Imusthavethem。Come，bequick；

Ihavenotimetolose。“

“Ihavenotimetoloseeither，“repliedMichael，restraininghimselfwithdifficulty。