michael strogoff-第15章

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〃On　the　contrary；　I　shall　pass　you。〃

〃We　shall　see　that；　when　we　are　at　the　seat　of　war；
but　till　then；　why；　let　us　be　traveling　companions。
Later；　we　shall　have　both　time　and　occasion　to　be　rivals。〃

〃Enemies。〃

〃Enemies；　if　you　like。　　There　is　a　precision　in　your　words；
my　dear　fellow；　particularly　agreeable　to　me。　　One　may　always
know　what　one　has　to　look　for；　with　you。〃

〃What　is　the　harm？〃

〃No　harm　at　all。　　So；　in　my　turn；　I　will　ask　your　permission　to　state
our　respective　situations。〃

〃State　away。〃

〃You　are　going　to　Permlike　me？〃

〃Like　you。〃

〃And　probably　you　will　go　from　Perm　to　Ekaterenburg；　since　that　is
the　best　and　safest　route　by　which　to　cross　the　Ural　Mountains？〃

〃Probably。〃

〃Once　past　the　frontier；　we　shall　be　in　Siberia；　that　is　to　say
in　the　midst　of　the　invasion。〃

〃We　shall　be　there。〃

〃Well！　then；　and　only　then；　will　be　the　time　to　say；　Each　for　himself；
and　God　for〃

〃For　me。〃

〃For　you；　all　by　yourself！　　Very　well！　　But　since　we　have　a　week
of　neutral　days　before　us；　and　since　it　is　very　certain　that　news
will　not　shower　down　upon　us　on　the　way；　let　us　be　friends　until
we　become　rivals　again。〃

〃Enemies。〃

〃Yes；　that's　right；　enemies。　　But　till　then；　let　us　act　together；
and　not　try　and　ruin　each　other。　　All　the　same；　I　promise　you
to　keep　to　myself　all　that　I　can　see〃

〃And　I；　all　that　I　can　hear。〃

〃Is　that　agreed？〃

〃It　is　agreed。〃

〃Your　hand？〃

〃Here　it　is。〃　　And　the　hand　of　the　first　speaker；　that　is　to　say；
five　wide…open　fingers；　vigorously　shook　the　two　fingers　coolly
extended　by　the　other。

〃By　the　bye；〃　said　the　first；　〃I　was　able　this　morning　to　telegraph
the　very　words　of　the　order　to　my　cousin　at　seventeen　minutes　past　ten。〃

〃And　I　sent　it　to　the　Daily　Telegraph　at　thirteen　minutes　past　ten。〃

〃Bravo；　Mr。　Blount！〃

〃Very　good；　M。　Jolivet。〃

〃I　will　try　and　match　that！〃

〃It　will　be　difficult。〃

〃I　can　try；　however。〃

So　saying；　the　French　correspondent　familiarly　saluted
the　Englishman；　who　bowed　stiffly。　　The　governor's　proclamation
did　not　concern　these　two　news…hunters；　as　they　were　neither
Russians　nor　foreigners　of　Asiatic　origin。　　However；　being　urged
by　the　same　instinct；　they　had　left　Nijni…Novgorod　together。
It　was　natural　that　they　should　take　the　same　means　of　transport；
and　that　they　should　follow　the　same　route　to　the　Siberian　steppes。
Traveling　companions；　whether　enemies　or　friends；　they　had
a　week　to　pass　together　before　〃the　hunt　would　be　open。〃
And　then　success　to　the　most　expert！　　Alcide　Jolivet　had　made
the　first　advances；　and　Harry　Blount　had　accepted　them　though
he　had　done　so　coldly。

That　very　day　at　dinner　the　Frenchman　open　as　ever　and　even
too　loquacious；　the　Englishman　still　silent　and　grave；　were　seen
hobnobbing　at　the　same　table；　drinking　genuine　Cliquot；　at　six　roubles
the　bottle；　made　from　the　fresh　sap　of　the　birch…trees　of　the　country。
On　hearing　them　chatting　away　together；　Michael　Strogoff　said　to　himself：
〃Those　are　inquisitive　and　indiscreet　fellows　whom　I　shall　probably
meet　again　on　the　way。　　It　will　be　prudent　for　me　to　keep　them
at　a　distance。〃

The　young　Livonian　did　not　come　to　dinner。　　She　was　asleep　in　her　cabin；
and　Michael　did　not　like　to　awaken　her。　　It　was　evening　before　she
reappeared　on　the　deck　of　the　Caucasus。　　The　long　twilight　imparted
a　coolness　to　the　atmosphere　eagerly　enjoyed　by　the　passengers
after　the　stifling　heat　of　the　day。　　As　the　evening　advanced；
the　greater　number　never　even　thought　of　going　into　the　saloon。
Stretched　on　the　benches；　they　inhaled　with　delight　the　slight
breeze　caused　by　the　speed　of　the　steamer。　　At　this　time　of　year；
and　under　this　latitude；　the　sky　scarcely　darkened　between　sunset
and　dawn；　and　left　the　steersman　light　enough　to　guide　his　steamer
among　the　numerous　vessels　going　up　or　down　the　Volga。

Between　eleven　and　two；　however；　the　moon　being　new；　it　was　almost　dark。
Nearly　all　the　passengers　were　then　asleep　on　the　deck；　and　the　silence
was　disturbed　only　by　the　noise　of　the　paddles　striking　the　water
at　regular　intervals。　　Anxiety　kept　Michael　Strogoff　awake。
He　walked　up　and　down；　but　always　in　the　stern　of　the　steamer。
Once；　however；　he　happened　to　pass　the　engine…room。　He　then　found
himself　in　the　part　reserved　for　second　and　third…class　passengers。

There；　everyone　was　lying　asleep；　not　only　on　the　benches；
but　also　on　the　bales；　packages；　and　even　the　deck　itself。
Some　care　was　necessary　not　to　tread　on　the　sleepers；　who　were
lying　about　everywhere。　　They　were　chiefly　mujiks；　accustomed　to
hard　couches；　and　quite　satisfied　with　the　planks　of　the　deck。
But　no　doubt　they　would；　all　the　same；　have　soundly　abused
the　clumsy　fellow　who　roused　them　with　an　accidental　kick。

Michael　Strogoff　took　care；　therefore；　not　to　disturb　anyone。
By　going　thus　to　the　end　of　the　boat；　he　had　no　other　idea
but　that　of　striving　against　sleep　by　a　rather　longer　walk。
He　reached　the　forward　deck；　and　was　already　climbing
the　forecastle　ladder；　when　he　heard　someone　speaking　near　him。
He　stopped。　　The　voices　appeared　to　come　from　a　group　of
passengers　enveloped　in　cloaks　and　wraps。　　It　was　impossible
to　recognize　them　in　the　dark；　though　it　sometimes　happened　that；
when　the　steamer's　chimney　sent　forth　a　plume　of　ruddy　flames；
the　sparks　seemed　to　fall　amongst　the　group　as　though　thousands
of　spangles　had　been　suddenly　illuminated。

Michael　was　about　to　step　up　the　ladder；　when　a　few　words　reached　his　ear；
uttered　in　that　strange　tongue　which　he　had　heard　during　the　night
at　the　fair。　　Instinctively　he　stopped　to　listen。　　Protected　by
the　shadow　of　the　forecastle；　he　could　not　be　perceived　himself。
As　to　seeing　the　passengers　who　were　talking；　that　was　impossible。
He　must　confine　himself　to　listening。

The　first　words　exchanged　were　of　no　importanceto　him　at　leastbut　they
allowed　him　to　recognize　the　voices　of　the　man　and　woman　whom　he　had　heard
at　Nijni…Novgorod。　This；　of　course；　made　him　redouble　his　attention。
It　was；　indeed；　not　at　all　impossible　that　these　same　Tsiganes；
now　banished；　should　be　on　board　the　Caucasus。

And　it　was　well　for　him　that　he　listened；　for　he　distinctly
heard　this　question　and　answer　made　in　the　Tartar　idiom：
〃It　is　said　that　a　courier　has　set　out　from　Moscow　for　Irkutsk。〃

〃It　is　so　said；　Sangarre；　but　either　this　courier　will　arrive　too　late；
or　he　will　not　arrive　at　all。〃

Michael　Strogoff　started　involuntarily　at　this　reply；
which　concerned　him　so　directly。　　He　tried　to　see　if　the　man
and　woman　who　had　just　spoken　were　really　those　whom　he　suspected；
but　he　could　not　succeed。

In　a　few　moments　Michael　Strogoff　had　regained　the　stern　of　the　vessel
without　having　been　perceived；　and；　taking　a　seat　by　himself；
he　buried　his　face　in　his　hands。　　It　might　have　been　supposed
that　he　was　asleep。

He　was　not　asleep；　however；　and　did　not　even　think　of　sleeping。
He　was　reflecting；　not　without　a　lively　apprehension：
〃Who　is　it　knows　of　my　departure；　and　who　can　have　any　interest
in　knowing　it？〃


CHAPTER　VIII　GOING　UP　THE　KAMA

THE　next　day；　the　18th　of　July；　at　twenty　minutes　to　seven　in　the　morning；
the　Caucasus　reached　the　Kasan　quay；　seven　versts　from　the　town。

Kasan　is　situated　at　the　confluence　of　the　Volga
and　Kasanka。　　It　is　an　important　chief　town　of　the　government；
and　a　Greek　archbishopric；　as　well　as　the　seat　of　a　university。
The　varied　population　preserves　an　Asiatic　character。
Although　the　town　was　so　far　from　the　landing…place；　a　large
crowd　was　collected　on　the　quay。　　They　had　come　for　news。
The　governor　of　the　province　had　published　an　order　identical
with　that　of　Nijni…Novgorod。　Police　officers　and　a　few　Cossacks　kept
order　among　the　crowd；　and　cleared　the　way　both　for　the　passengers
who　were　disembarking　and　also　for　those　who　were　embarking　on
board　the　Caucasus；　minutely　examining　both　classes　of　travelers。
The　one　were　the　Asiatics　who　were　being　expelled；　the　other；
mujiks　stopping　at　Kasan。

Michael　Strogoff　unconcernedly　watched　the　bustle　which　occurs　at
all　quays　on　the　arrival　of　a　steam　vessel。　　The　Caucasus　would　stay
for　an　hour　to　renew　her　fuel。　　Michael　did　not　even