michael strogoff-第54章

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that　their　unfortunate　companion　had　been　killed。

However；　when　they　went　to　his　assistance；　it　was　found　that　Michael；
having　been　able　to　throw　himself　out　of　the　saddle；　was　unhurt；
but　the　miserable　horse　had　two　legs　broken；　and　was　quite　useless。
He　was　left　there　to　die　without　being　put　out　of　his　suffering；
and　Michael；　fastened　to　a　Tartar's　saddle；　was　obliged　to　follow
the　detachment　on　foot。

Even　now；　not　a　protest；　not　a　complaint！　　He　marched　with
a　rapid　step；　scarcely　drawn　by　the　cord　which　tied　him。
He　was　still　〃the　Man　of　Iron；〃　of　whom　General　Kissoff　had
spoken　to　the　Czar！

The　next　day；　the　11th　of　September；　the　detachment　passed
through　the　village　of　Chibarlinskoe。　　Here　an　incident
occurred　which　had　serious　consequences。　　It　was　nightfall。
The　Tartar　horsemen；　having　halted；　were　more　or　less　intoxicated。
They　were　about　to　start。　　Nadia；　who　till　then；　by　a　miracle；
had　been　respectfully　treated　by　the　soldiers；　was　insulted
by　one　of　them。

Michael　could　not　see　the　insult；　nor　the　insulter；　but　Nicholas
saw　for　him。　　Then；　quietly；　without　thinking；　without　perhaps
knowing　what　he　was　doing；　Nicholas　walked　straight　up　to　the　man；
and；　before　the　latter　could　make　the　least　movement　to　stop　him；
had　seized　a　pistol　from　his　holster　and　discharged　it　full
at　his　breast。

The　officer　in　command　of　the　detachment　hastened　up　on　hearing
the　report。　　The　soldiers　would　have　cut　the　unfortunate　Nicholas
to　pieces；　but　at　a　sign　from　their　officer；　he　was　bound　instead；
placed　across　a　horse；　and　the　detachment　galloped　off。

The　rope　which　fastened　Michael；　gnawed　through　by　him；
broke　by　the　sudden　start　of　the　horse；　and　the　half…tipsy　rider
galloped　on　without　perceiving　that　his　prisoner　had　escaped。

Michael　and　Nadia　found　themselves　alone　on　the　road。


CHAPTER　IX　IN　THE　STEPPE

MICHAEL　STROGOFF　and　Nadia　were　once　more　as　free　as　they　had　been
in　the　journey　from　Perm　to　the　banks　of　the　Irtych。　　But　how
the　conditions　under　which　they　traveled　were　altered！
Then；　a　comfortable　tarantass；　fresh　horses；　well…kept　post…horses
assured　the　rapidity　of　their　journey。　　Now　they　were　on　foot；
it　was　utterly　impossible　to　procure　any　other　means　of　locomotion；
they　were　without　resources；　not　knowing　how　to　obtain　even　food；
and　they　had　still　nearly　three　hundred　miles　to　go！
Moreover；　Michael　could　now　only　see　with　Nadia's　eyes。

As　to　the　friend　whom　chance　had　given　them；　they　had　just
lost　him；　and　fearful　might　be　his　fate。　　Michael　had　thrown
himself　down　under　the　brushwood　at　the　side　of　the　road。
Nadia　stood　beside　him；　waiting　for　the　word　from　him　to
continue　the　march。

It　was　ten　o'clock。　The　sun　had　more　than　three　hours　before
disappeared　below　the　horizon。　　There　was　not　a　house　in　sight。
The　last　of　the　Tartars　was　lost　in　the　distance。
Michael　and　Nadia　were　quite　alone。

〃What　will　they　do　with　our　friend？〃　exclaimed　the　girl。
〃Poor　Nicholas！　　Our　meeting　will　have　been　fatal　to　him！〃
Michael　made　no　response。

〃Michael；〃　continued　Nadia；　〃do　you　not　know　that　he　defended　you
when　you　were　the　Tartars'　sport；　that　he　risked　his　life　for　me？〃

Michael　was　still　silent。　　Motionless；　his　face　buried　in　his　hands；
of　what　was　he　thinking？　　Perhaps；　although　he　did　not　answer；
he　heard　Nadia　speak。

Yes！　he　heard　her；　for　when　the　young　girl　added；　〃Where　shall
I　lead　you；　Michael？〃

〃To　Irkutsk！〃　he　replied。

〃By　the　highroad？〃

〃Yes；　Nadia。〃

Michael　was　still　the　same　man　who　had　sworn；　whatever　happened；
to　accomplish　his　object。　　To　follow　the　highroad；　was　certainly　to　go
the　shortest　way。　　If　the　vanguard　of　Feofar…Khan's　troops　appeared；
it　would　then　be　time　to　strike　across　the　country。

Nadia　took　Michael's　hand；　and　they　started。

The　next　morning；　the　13th　of　September；　twenty　versts　further；
they　made　a　short　halt　in　the　village　of　Joulounov…skoe。　It　was
burnt　and　deserted。　　All　night　Nadia　had　tried　to　see　if　the　body
of　Nicholas　had　not　been　left　on　the　road；　but　it　was　in　vain
that　she　looked　among　the　ruins；　and　searched　among　the　dead。
Was　he　reserved　for　some　cruel　torture　at　Irkutsk？

Nadia；　exhausted　with　hunger；　was　fortunate　enough　to　find　in　one
of　the　houses　a　quantity　of　dried　meat　and　〃soukharis；〃　pieces
of　bread；　which；　dried　by　evaporation；　preserve　their　nutritive
qualities　for　an　indefinite　time。

Michael　and　the　girl　loaded　themselves　with　as　much　as　they　could　carry。
They　had　thus　a　supply　of　food　for　several　days；　and　as　to　water；
there　would　be　no　want　of　that　in　a　district　rendered　fertile
by　the　numerous　little　affluents　of　the　Angara。

They　continued　their　journey。　　Michael　walked　with　a　firm　step；
and　only　slackened　his　pace　for　his　companion's　sake。
Nadia；　not　wishing　to　retard　him；　obliged　herself　to　walk。
Happily；　he　could　not　see　to　what　a　miserable　state　fatigue
had　reduced　her。

However；　Michael　guessed　it。　　〃You　are　quite　done　up；　poor　child；〃
he　said　sometimes。

〃No；〃　she　would　reply。

〃When　you　can　no　longer　walk；　I　will　carry　you。〃

〃Yes；　Michael。〃

During　this　day　they　came　to　the　little　river　Oka；　but　it　was　fordable；
and　they　had　no　difficulty　in　crossing。　　The　sky　was　cloudy
and　the　temperature　moderate。　　There　was　some　fear　that　the　rain
might　come　on；　which　would　much　have　increased　their　misery。
A　few　showers　fell；　but　they　did　not　last。

They　went　on　as　before；　hand　in　hand；　speaking　little；
Nadia　looking　about　on　every　side；　twice　a　day　they　halted。
Six　hours　of　the　night　were　given　to　sleep。　　In　a　few　huts　Nadia
again　found　a　little　mutton；　but；　contrary　to　Michael's　hopes；
there　was　not　a　single　beast　of　burden　in　the　country；
horses；　camelsall　had　been　either　killed　or　carried　off。
They　must　still　continue　to　plod　on　across　this　weary
steppe　on　foot。

The　third　Tartar　column；　on　its　way　to　Irkutsk；　had　left　plain　traces：
here　a　dead　horse；　there　an　abandoned　cart。　　The　bodies　of　unfortunate
Siberians　lay　along　the　road；　principally　at　the　entrances　to　villages。
Nadia；　overcoming　her　repugnance；　looked　at　all　these　corpses！

The　chief　danger　lay；　not　before；　but　behind。
The　advance　guard　of　the　Emir's　army；　commanded　by　Ivan　Ogareff；
might　at　any　moment　appear。　　The　boats　sent　down　the　lower
Yenisei　must　by　this　time　have　reached　Krasnoiarsk　and　been
made　use　of。　　The　road　was　therefore　open　to　the　invaders。
No　Russian　force　could　be　opposed　to　them　between　Krasnoiarsk
and　Lake　Baikal；　Michael　therefore　expected　before　long
the　appearance　of　the　Tartar　scouts。

At　each　halt；　Nadia　climbed　some　hill　and　looked　anxiously
to　the　Westward；　but　as　yet　no　cloud　of　dust　had　signaled
the　approach　of　a　troop　of　horse。

Then　the　march　was　resumed；　and　when　Michael　felt　that　he　was
dragging　poor　Nadia　forward　too　rapidly；　he　went　at　a　slower　pace。
They　spoke　little；　and　only　of　Nicholas。　　The　young　girl　recalled
all　that　this　companion　of　a　few　days　had　done　for　them。

In　answering；　Michael　tried　to　give　Nadia　some　hope　of　which　he　did
not　feel　a　spark　himself；　for　he　well　knew　that　the　unfortunate　fellow
would　not　escape　death。

One　day　Michael　said　to　the　girl；　〃You　never　speak　to　me
of　my　mother；　Nadia。〃

His　mother！　　Nadia　had　never　wished　to　do　so。　　Why　renew　his　grief？
Was　not　the　old　Siberian　dead？　　Had　not　her　son　given　the　last　kiss
to　her　corpse　stretched　on　the　plain　of　Tomsk？

〃Speak　to　me　of　her；　Nadia；〃　said　Michael。　　〃Speakyou　will　please　me。〃

And　then　Nadia　did　what　she　had　not　done　before。　　She　told　all
that　had　passed　between　Marfa　and　herself　since　their　meeting
at　Omsk；　where　they　had　seen　each　other　for　the　first　time。
She　said　how　an　inexplicable　instinct　had　led　her　towards　the　old
prisoner　without　knowing　who　she　was；　and　what　encouragement　she
had　received　in　return。　　At　that　time　Michael　Strogoff　had　been
to　her　but　Nicholas　Korpanoff。

〃Whom　I　ought　always　to　have　been；〃　replied　Michael；　his　brow　darkening。

Then　later　he　added；　〃I　have　broken　my　oath；　Nadia。　　I　had　sworn
not　to　see　my　mother！〃

〃But　you　did　not　try　to　see　her；　Michael；〃　replied　Nadia。　　〃Chance　alone
brought　you　into　her　presence。〃

〃I　had　sworn；　whatever　might