michael strogoff-第57章

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An　old　Baikal　boatman　took　command　of　the　raft。
He　was　a　man　of　sixty…five；　browned　by　the　sun；　and　lake　breezes。
A　thick　white　beard　flowed　over　his　chest；　a　fur　cap　covered
his　head；　his　aspect　was　grave　and　austere。　　His　large
great…coat；　fastened　in　at　the　waist；　reached　down　to　his　heels。
This　taciturn　old　fellow　was　seated　in　the　stern；　and　issued
his　commands　by　gestures。　　Besides；　the　chief　work　consisted
in　keeping　the　raft　in　the　current；　which　ran　along　the　shore；
without　drifting　out　into　the　open。

It　has　been　already　said　that　Russians　of　all　conditions　had　found
a　place　on　the　raft。　　Indeed；　to　the　poor　moujiks；　the　women；
old　men；　and　children；　were　joined　two　or　three　pilgrims；
surprised　on　their　journey　by　the　invasion；　a　few　monks；　and　a　priest。
The　pilgrims　carried　a　staff；　a　gourd　hung　at　the　belt；　and　they
chanted　psalms　in　a　plaintive　voice：　　one　came　from　the　Ukraine；
another　from　the　Yellow　sea；　and　a　third　from　the　Finland　provinces。
This　last；　who　was　an　aged　man；　carried　at　his　waist　a　little
padlocked　collecting…box；　as　if　it　had　been　hung　at　a　church　door。
Of　all　that　he　collected　during　his　long　and　fatiguing　pilgrimage；
nothing　was　for　himself；　he　did　not　even　possess　the　key　of　the　box；
which　would　only　be　opened　on　his　return。

The　monks　came　from　the　North　of　the　Empire。　　Three　months　before
they　had　left　the　town　of　Archangel。　　They　had　visited　the　sacred
islands　near　the　coast　of　Carelia；　the　convent　of　Solovetsk；
the　convent　of　Troitsa；　those　of　Saint　Antony　and　Saint　Theodosia；
at　Kiev；　that　of　Kazan；　as　well　as　the　church　of　the　Old　Believers；
and　they　were　now　on　their　way　to　Irkutsk；　wearing　the　robe；
the　cowl；　and　the　clothes　of　serge。

As　to　the　papa；　or　priest；　he　was　a　plain　village　pastor；　one　of　the　six
hundred　thousand　popular　pastors　which　the　Russian　Empire　contains。
He　was　clothed　as　miserably　as　the　moujiks；　not　being　above
them　in　social　position；　in　fact；　laboring　like　a　peasant
on　his　plot　of　ground；　baptis…ing；　marrying；　burying。　　He　had
been　able　to　protect　his　wife　and　children　from　the　brutality
of　the　Tartars　by　sending　them　away　into　the　Northern　provinces。
He　himself　had　stayed　in　his　parish　up　to　the　last　moment；
then　he　was　obliged　to　fly；　and；　the　Irkutsk　road　being　stopped；
had　come　to　Lake　Baikal。

These　priests；　grouped　in　the　forward　part　of　the　raft；
prayed　at　regular　intervals；　raising　their　voices　in　the
silent　night；　and　at　the　end　of　each　sentence　of　their　prayer；
the　〃Slava　Bogu；〃　Glory　to　God！　issued　from　their　lips。

No　incident　took　place　during　the　night。　　Nadia　remained　in　a　sort
of　stupor；　and　Michael　watched　beside　her；　sleep　only　overtook
him　at　long　intervals；　and　even　then　his　brain　did　not　rest。
At　break　of　day；　the　raft；　delayed　by　a　strong　breeze；
which　counteracted　the　course　of　the　current；　was　still　forty　versts
from　the　mouth　of　the　Angara。　　It　seemed　probable　that　the　fugitives
could　not　reach　it　before　three　or　four　o'clock　in　the　evening。
This　did　not　trouble　them；　on　the　contrary；　for　they　would　then
descend　the　river　during　the　night；　and　the　darkness　would
also　favor　their　entrance　into　Irkutsk。

The　only　anxiety　exhibited　at　times　by　the　old　boatman　was
concerning　the　formation　of　ice　on　the　surface　of　the　water。
The　night　had　been　excessively　cold；　pieces　of　ice　could　be　seen
drifting　towards　the　West。　　Nothing　was　to　be　dreaded　from　these；
since　they　could　not　drift　into　the　Angara；　having　already
passed　the　mouth；　but　pieces　from　the　Eastern　end　of　the　lake
might　be　drawn　by　the　current　between　the　banks　of　the　river；
this　would　cause　difficulty；　possibly　delay；　and　perhaps　even
an　insurmountable　obstacle　which　would　stop　the　raft。

Michael　therefore　took　immense　interest　in　ascertaining　what　was　the　state
of　the　lake；　and　whether　any　large　number　of　ice　blocks　appeared。
Nadia　being　now　awake；　he　questioned　her　often；　and　she　gave　him
an　account　of　all　that　was　going　on。

Whilst　the　blocks　were　thus　drifting；　curious　phenomena　were
taking　place　on　the　surface　of　the　Baikal。　　Magnificent　jets；
from　springs　of　boiling　water；　shot　up　from　some　of　those　artesian
wells　which　Nature　has　bored　in　the　very　bed　of　the　lake。
These　jets　rose　to　a　great　height　and　spread　out　in　vapor；
which　was　illuminated　by　the　solar　rays；　and　almost　immediately
condensed　by　the　cold。　　This　curious　sight　would　have　assuredly
amazed　a　tourist　traveling　in　peaceful　times　on　this　Siberian　sea。

At　four　in　the　evening；　the　mouth　of　the　Angara　was　signaled
by　the　old　boatman；　between　the　high　granite　rocks　of　the　shore。
On　the　right　bank　could　be　seen　the　little　port　of　Livenitchnaia；
its　church；　and　its　few　houses　built　on　the　bank。　　But　the　serious
thing　was　that　the　ice　blocks　from　the　East　were　already　drifting
between　the　banks　of　the　Angara；　and　consequently　were　descending
towards　Irkutsk。　　However；　their　number　was　not　yet　great　enough
to　obstruct　the　course　of　the　raft；　nor　the　cold　great　enough
to　increase　their　number。

The　raft　arrived　at　the　little　port　and　there　stopped。　　The　old　boatman
wished　to　put　into　harbor　for　an　hour；　in　order　to　make　some　repairs。
The　trunks　threatened　to　separate；　and　it　was　important　to　fasten　them
more　securely　together　to　resist　the　rapid　current　of　the　Angara。

The　old　boatman　did　not　expect　to　receive　any　fresh　fugitives
at　Livenitchnaia；　and　yet；　the　moment　the　raft　touched；
two　passengers；　issuing　from　a　deserted　house；　ran　as　fast
as　they　could　towards　the　beach。

Nadia　seated　on　the　raft；　was　abstractedly　gazing　at　the　shore。
A　cry　was　about　to　escape　her。　　She　seized　Michael's　hand；
who　at　that　moment　raised　his　head。

〃What　is　the　matter；　Nadia？〃　he　asked。

〃Our　two　traveling　companions；　Michael。〃

〃The　Frenchman　and　the　Englishman　whom　we　met　in　the　defiles
of　the　Ural？〃

〃Yes。〃

Michael　started；　for　the　strict　incognito　which　he　wished
to　keep　ran　a　risk　of　being　betrayed。　　Indeed；　it　was　no　longer
as　Nicholas　Korpanoff　that　Jolivet　and　Blount　would　now　see　him；
but　as　the　true　Michael　Strogoff；　Courier　of　the　Czar。　　The　two
correspondents　had　already　met　him　twice　since　their　separation
at　the　Ichim　post…housethe　first　time　at　the　Zabediero　camp；
when　he　laid　open　Ivan　Ogareff's　face　with　the　knout；　the　second
time　at　Tomsk；　when　he　was　condemned　by　the　Emir。　　They　therefore
knew　who　he　was　and　what　depended　on　him。

Michael　Strogoff　rapidly　made　up　his　mind。　　〃Nadia；〃　said　he；
〃when　they　step　on　board；　ask　them　to　come　to　me！〃

It　was；　in　fact；　Blount　and　Jolivet；　whom　the　course　of　events
had　brought　to　the　port　of　Livenitchnaia；　as　it　had　brought
Michael　Strogoff。　　As　we　know；　after　having　been　present
at　the　entry　of　the　Tartars　into　Tomsk；　they　had　departed
before　the　savage　execution　which　terminated　the　fete。
They　had　therefore　never　suspected　that　their　former　traveling
companion　had　not　been　put　to　death；　but　blinded　by　order
of　the　Emir。

Having　procured　horses　they　had　left　Tomsk　the　same　evening；
with　the　fixed　determination　of　henceforward　dating　their　letters
from　the　Russian　camp　of　Eastern　Siberia。　　They　proceeded
by　forced　marches　towards　Irkutsk。　　They　hoped　to　distance
Feofar…Khan；　and　would　certainly　have　done　so；　had　it　not　been
for　the　unexpected　apparition　of　the　third　column；　come　from
the　South；　up　the　valley　of　the　Yenisei。　　They　had　been　cut　off；
as　had　been　Michael；　before　being　able　even　to　reach　the　Dinka；
and　had　been　obliged　to　go　back　to　Lake　Baikal。

They　had　been　in　the　place　for　three　days　in　much　perplexity；
when　the　raft　arrived。　　The　fugitives'　plan　was　explained　to　them。
There　was　certainly　a　chance　that　they　might　be　able　to　pass　under
cover　of　the　night；　and　penetrate　into　Irkutsk。　　They　resolved
to　make　the　attempt。

Alcide　directly　communicated　with　the　old　boatman；　and　asked　a　passage
for　himself　and　his　companion；　offering　to　pay　anything　he　demanded；
whatever　it　might　be。

〃No　one　pays　here；〃　replied　the　old　man　gravely；　〃every　one　risks
his　life；　that　is　all！〃

The　two　correspondents　came　on　board；　and　Nadia　saw　them　take
their　places　in　the　forepart　of　the　raft。　　Harry　Blount　was　still
the　reserved　Engli