michael strogoff-第40章

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〃Well；　Jolivet；　what　do　you　think　of　Colonel　Ivan　Ogareff；
general…in…chief　of　the　Tartar　troops？〃　asked　Blount。

〃I　think；　my　dear　friend；〃　replied　Alcide；　smiling；　〃that　the　housch…begui
made　a　very　graceful　gesture　when　he　gave　the　order　for　our　heads
to　be　cut　off。〃

Whatever　was　the　motive　which　led　Ogareff　to　act　thus　in　regard
to　the　two　correspondents；　they　were　free　and　could　rove　at　their
pleasure　over　the　scene　of　war。　　Their　intention　was　not　to　leave　it。
The　sort　of　antipathy　which　formerly　they　had　entertained　for　each
other　had　given　place　to　a　sincere　friendship。　　Circumstances　having
brought　them　together；　they　no　longer　thought　of　separating。
The　petty　questions　of　rivalry　were　forever　extinguished。
Harry　Blount　could　never　forget　what　he　owed　his　companion；
who；　on　the　other　hand；　never　tried　to　remind　him　of　it。
This　friendship　too　assisted　the　reporting　operations；　and　was
thus　to　the　advantage　of　their　readers。

〃And　now；〃　asked　Blount；　〃what　shall　we　do　with　our　liberty？〃

〃Take　advantage　of　it；　of　course；〃　replied　Alcide；　〃and　go　quietly
to　Tomsk　to　see　what　is　going　on　there。〃

〃Until　the　timevery　near；　I　hopewhen　we　may　rejoin
some　Russian　regiment？〃

〃As　you　say；　my　dear　Blount；　it　won't　do　to　Tartarise　ourselves
too　much。　　The　best　side　is　that　of　the　most　civilized　army；
and　it　is　evident　that　the　people　of　Central　Asia　will　have
everything　to　lose　and　absolutely　nothing　to　gain　from
this　invasion；　while　the　Russians　will　soon　repulse　them。
It　is　only　a　matter　of　time。〃

The　arrival　of　Ivan　Ogareff；　which　had　given　Jolivet　and　Blount　their
liberty；　was　to　Michael　Strogoff；　on　the　contrary；　a　serious　danger。
Should　chance　bring　the　Czar's　courier　into　Ogareff's　presence；　the　latter
could　not　fail　to　recognize　in　him　the　traveler　whom　he　had　so　brutally
treated　at　the　Ichim　post…house；　and　although　Michael　had　not　replied
to　the　insult　as　he　would　have　done　under　any　other　circumstances；
attention　would　be　drawn　to　him；　and　at　once　the　accomplishment　of　his
plans　would　be　rendered　more　difficult。

This　was　the　unpleasant　side　of　the　business。　　A　favorable
result　of　his　arrival；　however；　was　the　order　which　was　given
to　raise　the　camp　that　very　day；　and　remove　the　headquarters
to　Tomsk。　　This　was　the　accomplishment　of　Michael's　most
fervent　desire。　　His　intention；　as　has　been　said；　was　to　reach
Tomsk　concealed　amongst　the　other　prisoners；　that　is　to　say；
without　any　risk　of　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　scouts
who　swarmed　about　the　approaches　to　this　important　town。
However；　in　consequence　of　the　arrival　of　Ivan　Ogareff；
he　questioned　whether　it　would　not　be　better　to　give　up　his
first　plan　and　attempt　to　escape　during　the　journey。

Michael　would；　no　doubt；　have　kept　to　the　latter　plan　had　he　not　learnt
that　Feofar…Khan　and　Ogareff　had　already　set　out　for　the　town　with
some　thousands　of　horsemen。　　〃I　will　wait；　then；〃　said　he　to　himself；
〃at　least；　unless　some　exceptional　opportunity　for　escape　occurs。
The　adverse　chances　are　numerous　on　this　side　of　Tomsk；　while　beyond
I　shall　in　a　few　hours　have　passed　the　most　advanced　Tartar　posts
to　the　east。　　Still　three　days　of　patience；　and　may　God　aid　me！〃

It　was　indeed　a　journey　of　three　days　which　the　prisoners；　under　the　guard
of　a　numerous　detachment　of　Tartars；　were　to　make　across　the　steppe。
A　hundred　and　fifty　versts　lay　between　the　camp　and　the　town
an　easy　march　for　the　Emir's　soldiers；　who　wanted　for　nothing；
but　a　wretched　journey　for　these　people；　enfeebled　by　privations。
More　than　one　corpse　would　show　the　road　they　had　traversed。

It　was　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　on　the　12th　of　August；
under　a　hot　sun　and　cloudless　sky；　that　the　toptschi…baschi
gave　the　order　to　start。

Alcide　and　Blount；　having　bought　horses；　had　already　taken　the　road
to　Tomsk；　where　events　were　to　reunite　the　principal　personages
of　this　story。

Amongst　the　prisoners　brought　by　Ivan　Ogareff　to　the　Tartar　camp
was　an　old　woman；　whose　taciturnity　seemed　to　keep　her　apart　from
all　those　who　shared　her　fate。　　Not　a　murmur　issued　from　her　lips。
She　was　like　a　statue　of　grief。　　This　woman　was　more　strictly
guarded　than　anyone　else；　and；　without　her　appearing　to　notice；
was　constantly　watched　by　the　Tsigane　Sangarre。　　Notwithstanding　her
age　she　was　compelled　to　follow　the　convoy　of　prisoners　on　foot；
without　any　alleviation　of　her　suffering。

However；　a　kind　Providence　had　placed　near　her　a　courageous；
kind…hearted　being　to　comfort　and　assist　her。　　Amongst　her　companions
in　misfortune　a　young　girl；　remarkable　for　beauty　and　taciturnity；
seemed　to　have　given　herself　the　task　of　watching　over　her。
No　words　had　been　exchanged　between　the　two　captives；　but　the　girl
was　always　at　the　old　woman's　side　when　help　was　useful。
At　first　the　mute　assistance　of　the　stranger　was　accepted　with
some　mistrust。　　Gradually；　however；　the　young　girl's　clear　glance；
her　reserve；　and　the　mysterious　sympathy　which　draws　together
those　who　are　in　misfortune；　thawed　Marfa　Strogoff's　coldness。

Nadiafor　it　was　shewas　thus　able；　without　knowing　it；　to　render
to　the　mother　those　attentions　which　she　had　herself　received
from　the　son。　　Her　instinctive　kindness　had　doubly　inspired　her。
In　devoting　herself　to　her　service；　Nadia　secured　to　her　youth
and　beauty　the　protection　afforded　by　the　age　of　the　old　prisoner。

On　the　crowd　of　unhappy　people；　embittered　by　sufferings；
this　silent　pairone　seeming　to　be　the　grandmother；　the　other
the　grand…daughterimposed　a　sort　of　respect。

After　being　carried　off　by　the　Tartar　scouts　on　the　Irtych；　Nadia　had　been
taken　to　Omsk。　　Kept　prisoner　in　the　town；　she　shared　the　fate　of　all
those　captured　by　Ivan　Ogareff；　and　consequently　that　of　Marfa　Strogoff。

If　Nadia　had　been　less　energetic；　she　would　have　succumbed　to　this
double　blow。　　The　interruption　to　her　journey；　the　death　of　Michael；
made　her　both　desperate　and　excited。　　Divided；　perhaps　forever；
from　her　father；　after　so　many　happy　efforts　had　brought　her
near　him；　and；　to　crown　her　grief；　separated　from　the　intrepid
companion　whom　God　seemed　to　have　placed　in　her　way　to　lead　her。
The　image　of　Michael　Strogoff；　struck　before　her　eyes　with
a　lance　and　disappearing　beneath　the　waters　of　the　Irtych；
never　left　her　thoughts。

Could　such　a　man　have　died　thus？　　For　whom　was　God　reserving　His
miracles　if　this　good　man；　whom　a　noble　object　was　urging　onwards；
had　been　allowed　to　perish　so　miserably？　　Then　anger　would
prevail　over　grief。　　The　scene　of　the　affront　so　strangely　borne
by　her　companion　at　the　Ichim　relay　returned　to　her　memory。
Her　blood　boiled　at　the　recollection。

〃Who　will　avenge　him　who　can　no　longer　avenge　himself？〃　she　said。

And　in　her　heart；　she　cried；　〃May　it　be　I！〃　　If　before　his　death
Michael　had　confided　his　secret　to　her；　woman；　aye　girl　though
she　was；　she　might　have　been　able　to　carry　to　a　successful
conclusion　the　interrupted　task　of　that　brother　whom　God　had
so　soon　taken　from　her。

Absorbed　in　these　thoughts；　it　can　be　understood　how　Nadia
could　remain　insensible　to　the　miseries　even　of　her　captivity。
Thus　chance　had　united　her　to　Marfa　Strogoff　without　her　having
the　least　suspicion　of　who　she　was。　　How　could　she　imagine　that
this　old　woman；　a　prisoner　like　herself；　was　the　mother　of　him；
whom　she　only　knew　as　the　merchant　Nicholas　Korpanoff？　　And　on
the　other　hand；　how　could　Marfa　guess　that　a　bond　of　gratitude
connected　this　young　stranger　with　her　son？

The　thing　that　first　struck　Nadia　in　Marfa　Strogoff　was
the　similarity　in　the　way　in　which　each　bore　her　hard　fate。
This　stoicism　of　the　old　woman　under　the　daily　hardships；
this　contempt　of　bodily　suffering；　could　only　be　caused　by　a　moral
grief　equal　to　her　own。　　So　Nadia　thought；　and　she　was　not　mistaken。
It　was　an　instinctive　sympathy　for　that　part　of　her　misery
which　Marfa　did　not　show　which　first　drew　Nadia　towards　her。
This　way　of　bearing　her　sorrow　went　to　the　proud　heart　of
the　young　girl。　　She　did　not　offer　her　services；　she　gave　them。
Marfa　had　neither　to　refuse　nor　accept　them。　　In　the　difficult
parts　of　the　journey；　the　girl　was　there　to　support　her。
When　the　provisions　were　given