michael strogoff-第20章

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which　increased　as　they　mounted　higher。　　With　these　different
noises　rose　the　shouts　of　the　iemschik；　sometimes　scolding；
sometimes　coaxing　his　poor　beasts；　who　were　suffering　more　from
the　oppression　of　the　air　than　the　roughness　of　the　roads。
Even　the　bells　on　the　shafts　could　no　longer　rouse　them；
and　they　stumbled　every　instant。

〃At　what　time　shall　we　reach　the　top　of　the　ridge？〃　asked　Michael
of　the　iemschik。

〃At　one　o'clock　in　the　morning　if　we　ever　get　there　at　all；〃
replied　he；　with　a　shake　of　his　head。

〃Why；　my　friend；　this　will　not　be　your　first　storm　in
the　mountains；　will　it？〃

〃No；　and　pray　God　it　may　not　be　my　last！〃

〃Are　you　afraid？〃

〃No；　I'm　not　afraid；　but　I　repeat　that　I　think　you　were
wrong　in　starting。〃

〃I　should　have　been　still　more　wrong　had　I　stayed。〃

〃Hold　up；　my　pigeons！〃　cried　the　iemschik；　it　was　his　business　to　obey；
not　to　question。

Just　then　a　distant　noise　was　heard；　shrill　whistling
through　the　atmosphere；　so　calm　a　minute　before。
By　the　light　of　a　dazzling　flash；　almost　immediately　followed
by　a　tremendous　clap　of　thunder；　Michael　could　see　huge　pines
on　a　high　peak；　bending　before　the　blast。　　The　wind　was　unchained；
but　as　yet　it　was　the　upper　air　alone　which　was　disturbed。
Successive　crashes　showed　that　many　of　the　trees　had　been　unable
to　resist　the　burst　of　the　hurricane。　　An　avalanche　of　shattered
trunks　swept　across　the　road　and　dashed　over　the　precipice
on　the　left；　two　hundred　feet　in　front　of　the　tarantass。

The　horses　stopped　short。

〃Get　up；　my　pretty　doves！〃　cried　the　iemschik；　adding　the　cracking
of　his　whip　to　the　rumbling　of　the　thunder。

Michael　took　Nadia's　hand。　　〃Are　you　asleep；　sister？〃

〃No；　brother。〃

〃Be　ready　for　anything；　here　comes　the　storm！〃

〃I　am　ready。〃

Michael　Strogoff　had　only　just　time　to　draw　the　leathern　curtains；
when　the　storm　was　upon　them。

The　iemschik　leapt　from　his　seat　and　seized　the　horses'
heads；　for　terrible　danger　threatened　the　whole　party。

The　tarantass　was　at　a　standstill　at　a　turning　of　the　road；
down　which　swept　the　hurricane；　it　was　absolutely　necessary
to　hold　the　animals'　heads　to　the　wind；　for　if　the　carriage
was　taken　broadside　it　must　infallibly　capsize　and　be
dashed　over　the　precipice。　　The　frightened　horses　reared；
and　their　driver　could　not　manage　to　quiet　them。　　His　friendly
expressions　had　been　succeeded　by　the　most　insulting　epithets。
Nothing　was　of　any　use。　　The　unfortunate　animals；　blinded　by
the　lightning；　terrified　by　the　incessant　peals　of　thunder；
threatened　every　instant　to　break　their　traces　and　flee。
The　iemschik　had　no　longer　any　control　over　his　team。

At　that　moment　Michael　Strogoff　threw　himself　from　the　tarantass
and　rushed　to　his　assistance。　　Endowed　with　more　than　common　strength；
he　managed；　though　not　without　difficulty；　to　master　the　horses。

The　storm　now　raged　with　redoubled　fury。　　A　perfect　avalanche　of　stones
and　trunks　of　trees　began　to　roll　down　the　slope　above　them。

〃We　cannot　stop　here；〃　said　Michael。

〃We　cannot　stop　anywhere；〃　returned　the　iemschik；　all　his　energies
apparently　overcome　by　terror。　　〃The　storm　will　soon　send　us
to　the　bottom　of　the　mountain；　and　that　by　the　shortest　way。〃

〃Take　you　that　horse；　coward；〃　returned　Michael；　〃I'll　look
after　this　one。〃

A　fresh　burst　of　the　storm　interrupted　him。　　The　driver　and　he　were
obliged　to　crouch　upon　the　ground　to　avoid　being　blown　down。
The　carriage；　notwithstanding　their　efforts　and　those　of　the　horses；
was　gradually　blown　back；　and　had　it　not　been　stopped　by　the　trunk
of　a　tree；　it　would　have　gone　over　the　edge　of　the　precipice。

〃Do　not　be　afraid；　Nadia！〃　cried　Michael　Strogoff。

〃I'm　not　afraid；〃　replied　the　young　Livonian；　her　voice　not　betraying
the　slightest　emotion。

The　rumbling　of　the　thunder　ceased　for　an　instant；　the　terrible
blast　had　swept　past　into　the　gorge　below。

〃Will　you　go　back？〃　said　the　iemschik。

〃No；　we　must　go　on！　　Once　past　this　turning；　we　shall　have　the　shelter
of　the　slope。〃

〃But　the　horses　won't　move！〃

〃Do　as　I　do；　and　drag　them　on。〃

〃The　storm　will　come　back！〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　obey？〃

〃Do　you　order　it？〃

〃The　Father　orders　it！〃　answered　Michael；　for　the　first　time　invoking
the　all…powerful　name　of　the　Emperor。

〃Forward；　my　swallows！〃　cried　the　iemschik；　seizing　one　horse；
while　Michael　did　the　same　to　the　other。

Thus　urged；　the　horses　began　to　struggle　onward。
They　could　no　longer　rear；　and　the　middle　horse　not　being
hampered　by　the　others；　could　keep　in　the　center　of　the　road。
It　was　with　the　greatest　difficulty　that　either　man　or　beasts
could　stand　against　the　wind；　and　for　every　three　steps　they　took
in　advance；　they　lost　one；　and　even　two；　by　being　forced　backwards。
They　slipped；　they　fell；　they　got　up　again。　　The　vehicle　ran
a　great　risk　of　being　smashed。　　If　the　hood　had　not　been
securely　fastened；　it　would　have　been　blown　away　long　before。
Michael　Strogoff　and　the　iemschik　took　more　than　two　hours
in　getting　up　this　bit　of　road；　only　half　a　verst　in　length；
so　directly　exposed　was　it　to　the　lashing　of　the　storm。
The　danger　was　not　only　from　the　wind　which　battered　against
the　travelers；　but　from　the　avalanche　of　stones　and　broken
trunks　which　were　hurtling　through　the　air。

Suddenly；　during　a　flash　of　lightning；　one　of　these　masses　was　seen
crashing　and　rolling　down　the　mountain　towards　the　tarantass。
The　iemschik　uttered　a　cry。

Michael　Strogoff　in　vain　brought　his　whip　down　on　the　team；
they　refused　to　move。

A　few　feet　farther　on；　and　the　mass　would　pass　behind　them！
Michael　saw　the　tarantass　struck；　his　companion　crushed；
he　saw　there　was　no　time　to　drag　her　from　the　vehicle。

Then；　possessed　in　this　hour　of　peril　with　superhuman　strength；
he　threw　himself　behind　it；　and　planting　his　feet　on　the　ground；
by　main　force　placed　it　out　of　danger。

The　enormous　mass　as　it　passed　grazed　his　chest；　taking　away　his　breath
as　though　it　had　been　a　cannon…ball；　then　crushing　to　powder　the　flints
on　the　road；　it　bounded　into　the　abyss　below。

〃Oh；　brother！〃　cried　Nadia；　who　had　seen　it　all　by　the　light
of　the　flashes。

〃Nadia！〃　replied　Michael；　〃fear　nothing！〃

〃It　is　not　on　my　own　account　that　I　fear！〃

〃God　is　with　us；　sister！〃

〃With　me　truly；　brother；　since　He　has　sent　thee　in　my　way！〃
murmured　the　young　girl。

The　impetus　the　tarantass　had　received　was　not　to　be　lost；　and　the　tired
horses　once　more　moved　forward。　　Dragged；　so　to　speak；　by　Michael　and
the　iemschik；　they　toiled　on　towards　a　narrow　pass；　lying　north　and　south；
where　they　would　be　protected　from　the　direct　sweep　of　the　tempest。
At　one　end　a　huge　rock　jutted　out；　round　the　summit　of　which　whirled
an　eddy。　　Behind　the　shelter　of　the　rock　there　was　a　comparative　calm；
yet　once　within　the　circumference　of　the　cyclone；　neither　man　nor　beast
could　resist　its　power。

Indeed；　some　firs　which　towered　above　this　protection　were　in　a　trice
shorn　of　their　tops；　as　though　a　gigantic　scythe　had　swept　across　them。
The　storm　was　now　at　its　height。　　The　lightning　filled　the　defile；
and　the　thunderclaps　had　become　one　continued　peal。　　The　ground；
struck　by　the　concussion；　trembled　as　though　the　whole　Ural　chain
was　shaken　to　its　foundations。

Happily；　the　tarantass　could　be　so　placed　that　the　storm　might　strike
it　obliquely。　　But　the　counter…currents；　directed　towards　it　by　the　slope；
could　not　be　so　well　avoided；　and　so　violent　were　they　that　every
instant　it　seemed　as　though　it　would　be　dashed　to　pieces。

Nadia　was　obliged　to　leave　her　seat；　and　Michael；　by　the　light
of　one　of　the　lanterns；　discovered　an　excavation　bearing　the　marks
of　a　miner's　pick；　where　the　young　girl　could　rest　in　safety　until
they　could　once　more　start。

Just　thenit　was　one　o'clock　in　the　morningthe　rain　began　to　fall
in　torrents；　and　this　in　addition　to　the　wind　and　lightning；
made　the　storm　truly　frightful。　　To　continue　the　journey　at　present
was　utterly　impossible。　　Besides；　having　reached　this　pass；
they　had　only　to　descend　the　slopes　of　the　Ural　Mountains；　and　to
descend　now；　with　the　road　torn　up　by　a　thousand　mountain　torrents；
in　these　eddies　of　wind　and　rain；　was　utter　madness。