第19章

“Ishallnotgoandseeher。“

“Youwillnotseeher？“

“No，Nadia，“saidMichael，hischestheavingashefelthecouldnotgoonreplyingtothegirl’squestions。

“Yousayno！Why，brother，ifyourmotherisstillatOmsk，forwhatreasoncouldyourefusetoseeher？“

“Forwhatreason，Nadia？Youaskmeforwhatreason，“exclaimedMichael，insochangedavoicethattheyounggirlstarted。“Forthesamereasonasthatwhichmademepatienteventocowardicewiththevillainwho——“

Hecouldnotfinishhissentence。

“Calmyourself，brother，“saidNadiainagentlevoice。

“Ionlyknowonething，orratherIdonotknowit，Ifeelit。

Itisthatallyourconductisnowdirectedbythesentimentofadutymoresacred——iftherecanbeone——thanthatwhichunitesthesontothemother。“

Nadiawassilent，andfromthatmomentavoidedeverysubjectwhichinanywaytouchedonMichael’speculiarsituation。

Hehadasecretmotivewhichshemustrespect。Sherespectedit。

Thenextday，July25th，atthreeo’clockinthemorning，thetarantassarrivedatTioukalmsk，havingaccomplishedadistanceofeightymilessinceithadcrossedtheIchim。Theyrapidlychangedhorses。

Here，however，forthefirsttime，theiemschikmadedifficultiesaboutstarting，declaringthatdetachmentsofTartarswererovingacrossthesteppe，andthattravelers，horses，andcarriageswouldbeafineprizeforthem。

OnlybydintofalargebribecouldMichaelgetovertheunwillingnessoftheiemschik，forinthisinstance，asinmanyothers，hedidnotwishtoshowhispodorojna。

Thelastukase，havingbeentransmittedbytelegraph，wasknownintheSiberianprovinces；andaRussianspeciallyexemptedfromobeyingthesewordswouldcertainlyhavedrawnpublicattentiontohimself——athingabovealltobeavoidedbytheCzar’scourier。

Astotheiemschik’shesitation，eithertherascaltradedonthetraveler’simpatienceorhereallyhadgoodreasontofear。

However，atlastthetarantassstarted，andmadesuchgoodwaythatbythreeintheafternoonithadreachedKoulatsinskoe，fiftymilesfartheron。AnhourafterthisitwasonthebanksoftheIrtych。Omskwasnowonlyfourteenmilesdistant。

TheIrtychisalargeriver，andoneoftheprincipalofthosewhichflowtowardsthenorthofAsia。RisingintheAltaiMountains，itflowsfromthesoutheasttothenorthwestandemptiesitselfintotheObi，afteracourseoffourthousandmiles。

Atthistimeofyear，whenalltheriversoftheSiberianbasinaremuchswollen，thewatersoftheIrtychwereveryhigh。

Inconsequencethecurrentwaschangedtoaregulartorrent，renderingthepassagedifficultenough。Aswimmercouldnothavecrossed，howeverpowerful；andeveninaferryboattherewouldbesomedanger。

ButMichaelandNadia，determinedtobraveallperilswhatevertheymightbe，didnotdreamofshrinkingfromthisone。

Michaelproposedtohisyoungcompanionthatheshouldcrossfirst，embarkingintheferryboatwiththetarantassandhorses，ashefearedthattheweightofthisloadwouldrenderitlesssafe。

AfterlandingthecarriagehewouldreturnandfetchNadia。

Thegirlrefused。Itwouldbethedelayofanhour，andshewouldnot，forhersafetyalone，bethecauseofit。

Theembarkationwasmadenotwithoutdifficulty，forthebankswerepartlyfloodedandtheboatcouldnotgetinnearenough。

However，afterhalfanhour’sexertion，theboatmengotthetarantassandthethreehorsesonboard。Thepassengersembarkedalso，andtheyshovedoff。

Forafewminutesallwentwell。Alittlewayuptheriverthecurrentwasbrokenbyalongpointprojectingfromthebank，andforminganeddyeasilycrossedbytheboat。Thetwoboatmenpropelledtheirbargewithlongpoles，whichtheyhandledcleverly；

butastheygainedthemiddleofthestreamitgrewdeeperanddeeper，untilatlasttheycouldonlyjustreachthebottom。

Theendsofthepoleswereonlyafootabovethewater，whichrenderedtheirusedifficult。MichaelandNadia，seatedinthesternoftheboat，andalwaysindreadofadelay，watchedtheboatmenwithsomeuneasiness。

“Lookout！“criedoneofthemtohiscomrade。

Theshoutwasoccasionedbythenewdirectiontheboatwasrapidlytaking。Ithadgotintothedirectcurrentandwasbeingsweptdowntheriver。Bydiligentuseofthepoles，puttingtheendsinaseriesofnotchescutbelowthegunwale，theboatmenmanagedtokeepthecraftagainstthestream，andslowlyurgeditinaslantingdirectiontowardstherightbank。

Theycalculatedonreachingitsomefiveorsixverstsbelowthelandingplace；but，afterall，thatwouldnotmattersolongasmenandbeastscoulddisembarkwithoutaccident。

Thetwostoutboatmen，stimulatedmoreoverbythepromiseofdoublefare，didnotdoubtofsucceedinginthisdifficultpassageoftheIrtych。

Buttheyreckonedwithoutanaccidentwhichtheywerepowerlesstoprevent，andneithertheirzealnortheirskill-fulnesscould，underthecircumstances，havedonemore。

Theboatwasinthemiddleofthecurrent，atnearlyequaldistancesfromeithershore，andbeingcarrieddownattherateoftwoverstsanhour，whenMichael，springingtohisfeet，benthisgazeuptheriver。

Severalboats，aidedbyoarsaswellasbythecurrent，werecomingswiftlydownuponthem。

Michael’sbrowcontracted，andacryescapedhim。

“Whatisthematter？“askedthegirl。

ButbeforeMichaelhadtimetoreplyoneoftheboatmenexclaimedinanaccentofterror:

“TheTartars！theTartars！“

Therewereindeedboatsfullofsoldiers，andinafewminutestheymustreachtheferryboat，itbeingtooheavilyladentoescapefromthem。

Theterrifiedboatmenutteredexclamationsofdespairanddroppedtheirpoles。

“Courage，myfriends！“criedMichael；“courage！Fiftyroublesforyouifwereachtherightbankbeforetheboatsovertakeus。“

Incitedbythesewords，theboatmenagainworkedmanfullybutitsoonbecomeevidentthattheycouldnotescapetheTartars。

Itwasscarcelyprobablethattheywouldpasswithoutattackingthem。

Onthecontrary，therewaseverythingtobefearedfromrobberssuchasthese。

“Donotbeafraid，Nadia，“saidMichael；“butbereadyforanything。“

“Iamready，“repliedNadia。

“EventoleapintothewaterwhenItellyou？“

“Wheneveryoutellme。“

“Haveconfidenceinme，Nadia。“

“Ihave，indeed！“

TheTartarboatswerenowonlyahundredfeetdistant。

TheycarriedadetachmentofBokhariansoldiers，ontheirwaytoreconnoiteraroundOmsk。

Theferryboatwasstilltwolengthsfromtheshore。

Theboatmenredoubledtheirefforts。Michaelhimselfseizedapoleandwieldeditwithsuperhumanstrength。

Ifhecouldlandthetarantassandhorses，anddashoffwiththem，therewassomechanceofescapingtheTartars，whowerenotmounted。

Butalltheireffortswereinvain。“Sarynnakitchou！“

shoutedthesoldiersfromthefirstboat。

MichaelrecognizedtheTartarwar-cry，whichisusuallyansweredbylyingflatontheground。Asneitherhenortheboatmenobeyedavolleywasletfly，andtwoofthehorsesweremortallywounded。

Atthenextmomentaviolentblowwasfelt。Theboatshadrunintotheferryboat。

“Come，Nadia！“criedMichael，readytojumpoverboard。

Thegirlwasabouttofollowhim，whenablowfromalancestruckhim，andhewasthrownintothewater。Thecurrentswepthimaway，hishandraisedforaninstantabovethewaves，andthenhedisappeared。

Nadiautteredacry，butbeforeshehadtimetothrowherselfafterhimshewasseizedanddraggedintooneoftheboats。

Theboatmenwerekilled，theferryboatlefttodriftaway，andtheTartarscontinuedtodescendtheIrtych。

OMSKistheofficialcapitalofWesternSiberia。Itisnotthemostimportantcityofthegovernmentofthatname，forTomskhasmoreinhabitantsandislarger。ButitisatOmskthattheGovernor-GeneralofthisthefirsthalfofAsiaticRussiaresides。

Omsk，properlysocalled，iscomposedoftwodistincttowns:

onewhichisexclusivelyinhabitedbytheauthoritiesandofficials；

theothermoreespeciallydevotedtotheSiberianmerchants，although，indeed，thetradeofthetownisofsmallimportance。

Thiscityhasabout12，000to13，000inhabitants。

Itisdefendedbywalls，butthesearemerelyofearth，andcouldaffordonlyinsufficientprotection。TheTartars，whowerewellawareofthisfact，consequentlytriedatthisperiodtocarryitbymainforce，andinthistheysucceeded，afteraninvestmentofafewdays。

ThegarrisonofOmsk，reducedtotwothousandmen，resistedvaliantly。

Butdrivenback，littlebylittle，fromthemercantileportionoftheplace，theywerecompelledtotakerefugeintheuppertown。

ItwastherethattheGovernor-General，hisofficers，andsoldiershadentrenchedthemselves。TheyhadmadetheupperquarterofOmskakindofcitadel，andhithertotheyheldoutwellinthisspeciesofimprovised“kreml，“butwithoutmuchhopeofthepromisedsuccor。

TheTartartroops，whoweredescendingtheIrtych，receivedeverydayfreshreinforcements，and，whatwasmoreserious，theywereledbyanofficer，atraitortohiscountry，butamanofmuchnote，andofanaudacityequaltoanyemergency。

ThismanwasColonelIvanOgareff。

IvanOgareff，terribleasanyofthemostsavageTartarchieftains，wasaneducatedsoldier。Possessingonhismother’ssidesomeMongolianblood，hedelightedindeceptivestrategyandambuscades，stoppingshortofnothingwhenhedesiredtofathomsomesecretortosetsometrap。Deceitfulbynature，hewillinglyhadrecoursetothevilesttrickery；lyingwhenoccasiondemanded，excellingintheadoptionofalldisguisesandineveryspeciesofdeception。

Further，hewascruel，andhadevenactedasanexecutioner。

Feofar-Khanpossessedinhimalieutenantwellcapableofsecondinghisdesignsinthissavagewar。

WhenMichaelStrogoffarrivedonthebanksoftheIrtych，IvanOgareffwasalreadymasterofOmsk，andwaspressingthesiegeoftheupperquarterofthetownallthemoreeagerlybecausehemusthastentoTomsk，wherethemainbodyoftheTartararmywasconcentrated。

Tomsk，infact，hadbeentakenbyFeofar-Khansomedayspreviously，anditwasthencethattheinvaders，mastersofCentralSiberia，weretomarchuponIrkutsk。

IrkutskwastherealobjectofIvanOgareff。TheplanofthetraitorwastoreachtheGrandDukeunderafalsename，togainhisconfidence，andtodeliverintoTartarhandsthetownandtheGrandDukehimself。

Withsuchatown，andsuchahostage，allAsiaticSiberiamustnecessarilyfallintothehandsoftheinvaders。NowitwasknownthattheCzarwasacquaintedwiththisconspiracy，andthatitwasforthepurposeofbafflingitthatacourierhadbeenintrustedwiththeimportantwarning。

Hence，therefore，theverystringentinstructionswhichhadbeengiventotheyoungcouriertopassincognitothroughtheinvadeddistrict。

Thismissionhehadsofarfaithfullyperformed，butnowcouldhecarryittoasuccessfulcompletion？

TheblowwhichhadstruckMichaelStrogoffwasnotmortal。

Byswimminginamannerbywhichhehadeffectuallyconcealedhimself，hehadreachedtherightbank，wherehefellexhaustedamongthebushes。

Whenherecoveredhissenses，hefoundhimselfinthecabinofamujik，whohadpickedhimupandcaredforhim。ForhowlongatimehadhebeentheguestofthisbraveSiberian？Hecouldnotguess。

Butwhenheopenedhiseyeshesawthehandsomebeardedfacebendingoverhim，andregardinghimwithpityingeyes。

“Donotspeak，littlefather，“saidthemujik，“Donotspeak！

Thouartstilltooweak。Iwilltelltheewherethouartandeverythingthathaspassed。“