michael strogoff-第31章

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to　inure　themselves。

Michael　Strogoff's　horse；　stung　by　these　venomous　insects；　sprang　forward
as　if　the　rowels　of　a　thousand　spurs　had　pierced　his　flanks。
Mad　with　rage；　he　tore　along　over　verst　after　verst　with　the　speed
of　an　express　train；　lashing　his　sides　with　his　tail；　seeking　by
the　rapidity　of　his　pace　an　alleviation　of　his　torture。

It　required　as　good　a　horseman　as　Michael　Strogoff　not　to　be　thrown
by　the　plungings　of　his　horse；　and　the　sudden　stops　and　bounds
which　he　made　to　escape　from　the　stings　of　his　persecutors。
Having　become　insensible；　so　to　speak；　to　physical　suffering；
possessed　only　with　the　one　desire　to　arrive　at　his　destination
at　whatever　cost；　he　saw　during　this　mad　race　only　one　thing
that　the　road　flew　rapidly　behind　him。

Who　would　have　thought　that　this　district　of　the　Baraba；　so　unhealthy
during　the　summer；　could　have　afforded　an　asylum　for　human　beings？
Yet　it　did　so。　　Several　Siberian　hamlets　appeared　from　time
to　time　among　the　giant　canes。　　Men；　women；　children；　and　old　men；
clad　in　the　skins　of　beasts；　their　faces　covered　with　hardened
blisters　of　skin；　pastured　their　poor　herds　of　sheep。
In　order　to　preserve　the　animals　from　the　attack　of　the　insects；
they　drove　them　to　the　leeward　of　fires　of　green　wood；　which　were
kept　burning　night　and　day；　and　the　pungent　smoke　of　which　floated
over　the　vast　swamp。

When　Michael　Strogoff　perceived　that　his　horse；　tired　out；　was　on
the　point　of　succumbing；　he　halted　at　one　of　these　wretched　hamlets；
and　there；　forgetting　his　own　fatigue；　he　himself　rubbed　the　wounds
of　the　poor　animal　with　hot　grease　according　to　the　Siberian　custom；
then　he　gave　him　a　good　feed；　and　it　was　only　after　he　had　well　groomed
and　provided　for　him　that　he　thought　of　himself；　and　recruited　his
strength　by　a　hasty　meal　of　bread　and　meat　and　a　glass　of　kwass。
One　hour　afterwards；　or　at　the　most　two；　he　resumed　with　all　speed
the　interminable　road　to　Irkutsk。

On　the　30th　of　July；　at　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　Michael　Strogoff；
insensible　of　every　fatigue；　arrived　at　Elamsk。　　There　it
became　necessary　to　give　a　night's　rest　to　his　horse。
The　brave　animal　could　no　longer　have　continued　the　journey。
At　Elamsk；　as　indeed　elsewhere；　there　existed　no　means　of　transport；
for　the　same　reasons　as　at　the　previous　villages；　neither　carriages
nor　horses　were　to　be　had。

Michael　Strogoff　resigned　himself　therefore　to　pass　the　night　at　Elamsk；
to　give　his　horse　twelve　hours'　rest。　　He　recalled　the　instructions　which
had　been　given　to　him　at　Moscowto　cross　Siberia　incognito；　to　arrive
at　Irkutsk；　but　not　to　sacrifice　success　to　the　rapidity　of　the　journey；
and　consequently　it　was　necessary　that　he　should　husband　the　sole　means
of　transport　which　remained　to　him。

On　the　morrow；　Michael　Strogoff　left　Elamsk　at　the　moment　when
the　first　Tartar　scouts　were　signaled　ten　versts　behind　upon　the　road
to　the　Baraba；　and　he　plunged　again　into　the　swampy　region。
The　road　was　level；　which　made　it　easy；　but　very　tortuous；
and　therefore　long。　　It　was　impossible；　moreover；　to　leave　it；
and　to　strike　a　straight　line　across　that　impassable　network
of　pools　and　bogs。

On　the　next　day；　the　1st　of　August；　eighty　miles　farther；
Michael　Strogoff　arrived　at　midday　at　the　town　of　Spaskoe；
and　at　two　o'clock　he　halted　at　Pokrowskoe。　　His　horse；
jaded　since　his　departure　from　Elamsk；　could　not　have　taken
a　single　step　more。

There　Michael　Strogoff　was　again　compelled　to　lose；　for　necessary　rest；
the　end　of　that　day　and　the　entire　night；　but　starting　again　on
the　following　morning；　and　still　traversing　the　semi…inundated　soil；
on　the　2nd　of　August；　at　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　after　a　stage
of　fifty　miles　he　reached　Kamsk。

The　country　had　changed。　　This　little　village　of　Kamsk　lies；
like　an　island；　habitable　and　healthy；　in　the　midst　of　the
uninhabitable　district。　　It　is　situated　in　the　very　center
of　the　Baraba。　　The　emigration　caused　by　the　Tartar　invasion　had
not　yet　depopulated　this　little　town　of　Kamsk。　　Its　inhabitants
probably　fancied　themselves　safe　in　the　center　of　the　Baraba；
whence　at　least　they　thought　they　would　have　time　to　flee
if　they　were　directly　menaced。

Michael　Strogoff；　although　exceedingly　anxious　for　news；
could　ascertain　nothing　at　this　place。　　It　would　have　been
rather　to　him　that　the　Governor　would　have　addressed　himself
had　he　known　who　the　pretended　merchant　of　Irkutsk　really　was。
Kamsk；　in　fact；　by　its　very　situation　seemed　to　be　outside
the　Siberian　world　and　the　grave　events　which　troubled　it。

Besides；　Michael　Strogoff　showed　himself　little；　if　at　all。
To　be　unperceived　was　not　now　enough　for　him：　　he　would　have
wished　to　be　invisible。　　The　experience　of　the　past　made　him
more　and　more　circumspect　in　the　present　and　the　future。
Therefore　he　secluded　himself；　and　not　caring　to　traverse
the　streets　of　the　village；　he　would　not　even　leave　the　inn
at　which　he　had　halted。

As　for　his　horse；　he　did　not　even　think　of　exchanging　him　for
another　animal。　　He　had　become　accustomed　to　this　brave　creature。
He　knew　to　what　extent　he　could　rely　upon　him。　　In　buying　him　at　Omsk
he　had　been　lucky；　and　in　taking　him　to　the　postmaster　the　generous
mujik　had　rendered　him　a　great　service。　　Besides；　if　Michael　Strogoff
had　already　become　attached　to　his　horse；　the　horse　himself　seemed
to　become　inured；　by　degrees；　to　the　fatigue　of　such　a　journey；
and　provided　that　he　got　several　hours　of　repose　daily；　his　rider
might　hope　that　he　would　carry　him　beyond　the　invaded　provinces。

So；　during　the　evening　and　night　of　the　2nd　of　August；　Michael　Strogoff
remained　confined　to　his　inn；　at　the　entrance　of　the　town；　which　was
little　frequented　and　out　of　the　way　of　the　importunate　and　curious。

Exhausted　with　fatigue；　he　went　to　bed　after　having　seen　that　his　horse
lacked　nothing；　but　his　sleep　was　broken。　　What　he　had　seen　since　his
departure　from　Moscow　showed　him　the　importance　of　his　mission。
The　rising　was　an　extremely　serious　one；　and　the　treachery
of　Ogareff　made　it　still　more　formidable。　　And　when　his　eyes　fell
upon　the　letter　bearing　upon　it　the　authority　of　the　imperial　seal
the　letter　which；　no　doubt；　contained　the　remedy　for　so　many　evils；
the　safety　of　all　this　war…ravaged　countryMichael　Strogoff　felt　within
himself　a　fierce　desire　to　dash　on　across　the　steppe；　to　accomplish
the　distance　which　separated　him　from　Irkutsk　as　the　crow　would　fly　it；
to　be　an　eagle　that　he　might　overtop　all　obstacles；　to　be　a　hurricane
that　he　might　sweep　through　the　air　at　a　hundred　versts　an　hour；
and　to　be　at　last　face　to　face　with　the　Grand　Duke；　and　to　exclaim：
〃Your　highness；　from　his　Majesty　the　Czar！〃

On　the　next　morning　at　six　o'clock；　Michael　Strogoff　started　off　again。
Thanks　to　his　extreme　prudence　this　part　of　the　journey　was　signalized
by　no　incident　whatever。　　At　Oubinsk　he　gave　his　horse　a　whole
night's　rest；　for　he　wished　on　the　next　day　to　accomplish　the　hundred
versts　which　lie　between　Oubinsk　and　Ikoulskoe　without　halting。
He　started　therefore　at　dawn；　but　unfortunately　the　Baraba　proved
more　detestable　than　ever。

In　fact；　between　Oubinsk　and　Kamakore　the　very　heavy　rains
of　some　previous　weeks　were　retained　by　this　shallow　depression
as　in　a　water…tight　bowl。　　There　was；　for　a　long　distance；　no　break
in　the　succession　of　swamps；　pools；　and　lakes。　　One　of　these　lakes
large　enough　to　warrant　its　geographical　nomenclatureTchang；　Chinese
in　name；　had　to　be　coasted　for　more　than　twenty　versts；　and　this
with　the　greatest　difficulty。　　Hence　certain　delays　occurred；
which　all　the　impatience　of　Michael　Strogoff　could　not　avoid。
He　had　been　well　advised　in　not　taking　a　carriage　at　Kamsk；
for　his　horse　passed　places　which　would　have　been　impracticable
for　a　conveyance　on　wheels。

In　the　evening；　at　nine　o'clock；　Michael　Strogoff　arrived
at　Ikoulskoe；　and　halted　there　over　night。　　In　this　remote
village　of　the　Baraba　news　of　the　war　was　utterly　wanting。
From　its　situation；　this　part　of　the　province；　lying　in　the　fork
formed　by　the　two　Tartar　columns　which　had　bifurcated；
one　upon　Omsk　and　the　other　upon　Tomsk；　had　hitherto　escaped
the　horrors　of　the　invasion。

Bu