michael strogoff-第22章

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〃But　the　telga；〃　observed　the　Englishman。

〃There　is　not　the　slightest　fear　that　it　will　fly　away；　my　dear　Blount！〃
exclaimed　Alcide；　〃it　has　taken　such　good　root　in　the　ground；
that　if　it　were　left　here　until　next　spring　it　would　begin　to　bud。〃

〃Come　then；　gentlemen；〃　said　Michael　Strogoff；　〃and　we　will　bring
up　the　tarantass。〃

The　Frenchman　and　the　Englishman；　descending　from　their　seats；　no　longer
the　hinder　one；　since　the　front　had　taken　its　departure；　followed　Michael。

Walking　along；　Alcide　Jolivet　chattered　away　as　usual；
with　his　invariable　good…humor。　〃Faith；　Mr。　Korpanoff；〃
said　he；　〃you　have　indeed　got　us　out　of　a　bad　scrape。〃

〃I　have　only　done；　sir；〃　replied　Michael；　〃what　anyone　would
have　done　in　my　place。〃

〃Well；　sir；　you　have　done　us　a　good　turn；　and　if　you　are　going
farther　we　may　possibly　meet　again；　and〃

Alcide　Jolivet　did　not　put　any　direct　question　to　Michael
as　to　where　he　was　going；　but　the　latter；　not　wishing　it　to　be
suspected　that　he　had　anything　to　conceal；　at　once　replied；
〃I　am　bound　for　Omsk；　gentlemen。〃

〃Mr。　Blount　and　I；〃　replied　Alcide；　〃go　where　danger　is　certainly
to　be　found；　and　without　doubt　news　also。〃

〃To　the　invaded　provinces？〃　asked　Michael　with　some　earnestness。

〃Exactly　so；　Mr。　Korpanoff；　and　we　may　possibly　meet　there。〃

〃Indeed；　sir；〃　replied　Michael；　〃I　have　little　love　for　cannon…balls
or　lance　points；　and　am　by　nature　too　great　a　lover　of　peace　to　venture
where　fighting　is　going　on。〃

〃I　am　sorry；　sir；　extremely　sorry；　we　must　only　regret　that　we　shall
separate　so　soon！　　But　on　leaving　Ekaterenburg　it　may　be　our　fortunate
fate　to　travel　together；　if　only　for　a　few　days？〃

〃Do　you　go　on　to　Omsk？〃　asked　Michael；　after　a　moment's　reflection。

〃We　know　nothing　as　yet；〃　replied　Alcide；　〃but　we　shall
certainly　go　as　far　as　Ishim；　and　once　there；　our　movements
must　depend　on　circumstances。〃

〃Well　then；　gentlemen；〃　said　Michael；　〃we　will　be　fellow…travelers
as　far　as　Ishim。〃

Michael　would　certainly　have　preferred　to　travel　alone；　but　he　could　not；
without　appearing　at　least　singular；　seek　to　separate　himself
from　the　two　reporters；　who　were　taking　the　same　road　that　he　was。
Besides；　since　Alcide　and　his　companion　intended　to　make　some　stay
at　Ishim；　he　thought　it　rather　convenient　than　otherwise　to　make
that　part　of　the　journey　in　their　company。

Then　in　an　indifferent　tone　he　asked；　〃Do　you　know；　with　any　certainty；
where　this　Tartar　invasion　is？〃

〃Indeed；　sir；〃　replied　Alcide；　〃we　only　know　what　they　said
at　Perm。　　Feofar…Khan's　Tartars　have　invaded　the　whole　province
of　Semipolatinsk；　and　for　some　days；　by　forced　marches；
have　been　descending　the　Irtish。　　You　must　hurry　if　you　wish
to　get　to　Omsk　before　them。〃

〃Indeed　I　must；〃　replied　Michael。

〃It　is　reported　also　that　Colonel　Ogareff　has　succeeded　in　passing
the　frontier　in　disguise；　and　that　he　will　not　be　slow　in　joining
the　Tartar　chief　in　the　revolted　country。〃

〃But　how　do　they　know　it？〃　asked　Michael；　whom　this　news；
more　or　less　true；　so　directly　concerned。

〃Oh！　as　these　things　are　always　known；〃　replied　Alcide；
〃it　is　in　the　air。〃

〃Then　have　you　really　reason　to　think　that　Colonel　Ogareff
is　in　Siberia？〃

〃I　myself　have　heard　it　said　that　he　was　to　take　the　road
from　Kasan　to　Ekaterenburg。〃

〃Ah！　you　know　that；　Mr。　Jolivet？〃　said　Harry　Blount；
roused　from　his　silence。

〃I　knew　it；〃　replied　Alcide。

〃And　do　you　know　that　he　went　disguised　as　a　gypsy！〃　asked　Blount。

〃As　a　gypsy！〃　exclaimed　Michael；　almost　involuntarily；　and　he　suddenly
remembered　the　look　of　the　old　Bohemian　at　Nijni…Novgorod；　his　voyage
on　board　the　Caucasus；　and　his　disembarking　at　Kasan。

〃Just　well　enough　to　make　a　few　remarks　on　the　subject　in　a　letter
to　my　cousin；〃　replied　Alcide；　smiling。

〃You　lost　no　time　at　Kasan；〃　dryly　observed　the　Englishman。

〃No；　my　dear　fellow！　and　while　the　Caucasus　was　laying　in　her　supply
of　fuel；　I　was　employed　in　obtaining　a　store　of　information。〃

Michael　no　longer　listened　to　the　repartee　which　Harry　Blount
and　Alcide　exchanged。　　He　was　thinking　of　the　gypsy　troupe；
of　the　old　Tsigane；　whose　face　he　had　not　been　able　to　see；
and　of　the　strange　woman　who　accompanied　him；　and　then　of　the
peculiar　glance　which　she　had　cast　at　him。　　Suddenly；　close　by
he　heard　a　pistol…shot。

〃Ah！　forward；　sirs！〃　cried　he。

〃Hullo！〃　said　Alcide　to　himself；　〃this　quiet　merchant　who　always
avoids　bullets　is　in　a　great　hurry　to　go　where　they　are　flying
about　just　now！〃

Quickly　followed　by　Harry　Blount；　who　was　not　a　man　to　be　behind
in　danger；　he　dashed　after　Michael。　　In　another　instant　the　three
were　opposite　the　projecting　rock　which　protected　the　tarantass
at　the　turning　of　the　road。

The　clump　of　pines　struck　by　the　lightning　was　still　burning。
There　was　no　one　to　be　seen。　　However；　Michael　was　not　mistaken。
Suddenly　a　dreadful　growling　was　heard；　and　then　another　report。

〃A　bear；〃　cried　Michael；　who　could　not　mistake　the　growling。
〃Nadia；　Nadia！〃　　And　drawing　his　cutlass　from　his　belt；
Michael　bounded　round　the　buttress　behind　which　the　young　girl
had　promised　to　wait。

The　pines；　completely　enveloped　in　flames；　threw　a　wild　glare
on　the　scene。　　As　Michael　reached　the　tarantass；　a　huge　animal
retreated　towards　him。

It　was　a　monstrous　bear。　　The　tempest　had　driven　it　from　the　woods；　and　it
had　come　to　seek　refuge　in　this　cave；　doubtless　its　habitual　retreat；
which　Nadia　then　occupied。

Two　of　the　horses；　terrified　at　the　presence　of　the　enormous　creature；
breaking　their　traces；　had　escaped；　and　the　iemschik；　thinking　only
of　his　beasts；　leaving　Nadia　face　to　face　with　the　bear；　had　gone
in　pursuit　of　them。

But　the　brave　girl　had　not　lost　her　presence　of　mind。
The　animal；　which　had　not　at　first　seen　her；　was　attacking
the　remaining　horse。　　Nadia；　leaving　the　shelter　in　which　she
had　been　crouching；　had　run　to　the　carriage；　taken　one　of
Michael's　revolvers；　and；　advancing　resolutely　towards　the　bear；
had　fired　close　to　it。

The　animal；　slightly　wounded　in　the　shoulder；　turned　on　the　girl；
who　rushed　for　protection　behind　the　tarantass；　but　then；
seeing　that　the　horse　was　attempting　to　break　its　traces；
and　knowing　that　if　it　did　so；　and　the　others　were　not　recovered；
their　journey　could　not　be　continued；　with　the　most　perfect
coolness　she　again　approached　the　bear；　and；　as　it　raised　its　paws
to　strike　her　down；　gave　it　the　contents　of　the　second　barrel。

This　was　the　report　which　Michael　had　just　heard。　　In　an　instant　he　was
on　the　spot。　　Another　bound　and　he　was　between　the　bear　and　the　girl。
His　arm　made　one　movement　upwards；　and　the　enormous　beast；
ripped　up　by　that　terrible　knife；　fell　to　the　ground　a　lifeless　mass。
He　had　executed　in　splendid　style　the　famous　blow　of　the　Siberian　hunters；
who　endeavor　not　to　damage　the　precious　fur　of　the　bear；　which　fetches
a　high　price。

〃You　are　not　wounded；　sister？〃　said　Michael；　springing　to　the　side
of　the　young　girl。

〃No；　brother；〃　replied　Nadia。

At　that　moment　the　two　journalists　came　up。　　Alcide　seized
the　horse's　head；　and；　in　an　instant；　his　strong　wrist　mastered　it。
His　companion　and　he　had　seen　Michael's　rapid　stroke。
〃Bravo！〃　cried　Alcide；　〃for　a　simple　merchant；　Mr。　Korpanoff；
you　handle　the　hunter's　knife　in　a　most　masterly　fashion。〃

〃Most　masterly；　indeed；〃　added　Blount。

〃In　Siberia；〃　replied　Michael；　〃we　are　obliged　to　do　a
little　of　everything。〃

Alcide　regarded　him　attentively。　　Seen　in　the　bright　glare；
his　knife　dripping　with　blood；　his　tall　figure；　his　foot　firm
on　the　huge　carcass；　he　was　indeed　worth　looking　at。

〃A　formidable　fellow；〃　said　Alcide　to　himself。
Then　advancing　respectfully；　he　saluted　the　young　girl。

Nadia　bowed　slightly。

Alcide　turned　towards　his　companion。　　〃The　sister　worthy　of　the　brother！〃
said　he。　　〃Now；　were　I　a　bear；　I　should　not　meddle　with　two　so　brave
and　so　charming。〃

Harry　Blount；　perfectly　upright；　stood；　hat　in　hand；　at　some　distance。
His　companion's　easy　manners　only　increased　his　usual　stiffness。

At　that　moment　the　iemschik；　who　had　succeeded　in　recapturing　his
two　horses；　reappeared。　　He　cast　a　regretful　glance　at　the　magnificen