michael strogoff-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　eastern　frontier　of　Siberia；　the　dispatch　service　was　performed
by　couriers；　those　who　traveled　the　most　rapidly　taking　eighteen
days　to　get　from　Moscow　to　Irkutsk。　　But　this　was　the　exception；
and　the　journey　through　Asiatic　Russia　usually　occupied　from　four
to　five　weeks；　even　though　every　available　means　of　transport
was　placed　at　the　disposal　of　the　Czar's　messengers。

Michael　Strogoff　was　a　man　who　feared　neither　frost　nor　snow。
He　would　have　preferred　traveling　during　the　severe　winter　season；
in　order　that　he　might　perform　the　whole　distance　by　sleighs。
At　that　period　of　the　year　the　difficulties　which　all　other　means
of　locomotion　present　are　greatly　diminished；　the　wide　steppes
being　leveled　by　snow；　while　there　are　no　rivers　to　cross；
but　simply　sheets　of　glass；　over　which　the　sleigh　glides
rapidly　and　easily。

Perhaps　certain　natural　phenomena　are　most　to　be　feared　at　that　time；
such　as　long…continuing　and　dense　fogs；　excessive　cold；　fearfully　heavy
snow…storms；　which　sometimes　envelop　whole　caravans　and　cause
their　destruction。　　Hungry　wolves　also　roam　over　the　plain　in　thousands。
But　it　would　have　been　better　for　Michael　Strogoff　to　face　these　risks；
for　during　the　winter　the　Tartar　invaders　would　have　been　stationed
in　the　towns；　any　movement　of　their　troops　would　have　been　impracticable；
and　he　could　consequently　have　more　easily　performed　his　journey。
But　it　was　not　in　his　power　to　choose　either　weather　or　time。
Whatever　the　circumstances；　he　must　accept　them　and　set　out。

Such　were　the　difficulties　which　Michael　Strogoff　boldly　confronted
and　prepared　to　encounter。

In　the　first　place；　he　must　not　travel　as　a　courier　of　the　Czar
usually　would。　　No　one　must　even　suspect　what　he　really　was。
Spies　swarm　in　a　rebellious　country；　let　him　be　recognized；
and　his　mission　would　be　in　danger。　　Also；　while　supplying　him
with　a　large　sum　of　money；　which　was　sufficient　for　his　journey；
and　would　facilitate　it　in　some　measure；　General　Kissoff
had　not　given　him　any　document　notifying　that　he　was　on
the　Emperor's　service；　which　is　the　Sesame　par　excellence。
He　contented　himself　with　furnishing　him　with　a　〃podorojna。〃

This　podorojna　was　made　out　in　the　name　of　Nicholas　Korpanoff；　merchant；
living　at　Irkutsk。　　It　authorized　Nicholas　Korpanoff　to　be　accompanied
by　one　or　more　persons；　and；　moreover；　it　was；　by　special　notification；
made　available　in　the　event　of　the　Muscovite　government　forbidding
natives　of　any　other　countries　to　leave　Russia。

The　podorojna　is　simply　a　permission　to　take　post…horses；
but　Michael　Strogoff　was　not　to　use　it　unless　he　was　sure　that
by　so　doing　he　would　not　excite　suspicion　as　to　his　mission；
that　is　to　say；　whilst　he　was　on　European　territory。
The　consequence　was　that　in　Siberia；　whilst　traversing
the　insurgent　provinces；　he　would　have　no　power　over　the　relays；
either　in　the　choice　of　horses　in　preference　to　others；
or　in　demanding　conveyances　for　his　personal　use；　neither　was
Michael　Strogoff　to　forget　that　he　was　no　longer　a　courier；
but　a　plain　merchant；　Nicholas　Korpanoff；　traveling　from　Moscow
to　Irkutsk；　and；　as　such　exposed　to　all　the　impediments
of　an　ordinary　journey。

To　pass　unknown；　more　or　less　rapidly；　but　to　pass　somehow；
such　were　the　directions　he　had　received。

Thirty　years　previously；　the　escort　of　a　traveler　of　rank　consisted
of　not　less　than　two　hundred　mounted　Cossacks；　two　hundred　foot…soldiers；
twenty…five　Baskir　horsemen；　three　hundred　camels；　four　hundred　horses；
twenty…five　wagons；　two　portable　boats；　and　two　pieces　of　cannon。
All　this　was　requisite　for　a　journey　in　Siberia。

Michael　Strogoff；　however；　had　neither　cannon；　nor　horsemen；
nor　foot…soldiers；　nor　beasts　of　burden。　　He　would　travel
in　a　carriage　or　on　horseback；　when　he　could；　on　foot；
when　he　could　not。

There　would　be　no　difficulty　in　getting　over　the　first　thousand　miles；
the　distance　between　Moscow　and　the　Russian　frontier。
Railroads；　post…carriages；　steamboats；　relays　of　horses；
were　at　everyone's　disposal；　and　consequently　at　the　disposal
of　the　courier　of　the　Czar。

Accordingly；　on　the　morning　of　the　16th　of　July；　having　doffed
his　uniform；　with　a　knapsack　on　his　back；　dressed　in　the　simple
Russian　costumetightly…fitting　tunic；　the　traditional　belt　of
the　Moujik；　wide　trousers；　gartered　at　the　knees；　and　high　boots
Michael　Strogoff　arrived　at　the　station　in　time　for　the　first　train。
He　carried　no　arms；　openly　at　least；　but　under　his　belt　was
hidden　a　revolver　and　in　his　pocket；　one　of　those　large　knives；
resembling　both　a　cutlass　and　a　yataghan；　with　which　a　Siberian
hunter　can　so　neatly　disembowel　a　bear；　without　injuring
its　precious　fur。

A　crowd　of　travelers　had　collected　at　the　Moscow　station。
The　stations　on　the　Russian　railroads　are　much　used　as　places
for　meeting；　not　only　by　those　who　are　about　to　proceed
by　the　train；　but　by　friends　who　come　to　see　them　off。
The　station　resembles；　from　the　variety　of　characters　assembled；
a　small　news　exchange。

The　train　in　which　Michael　took　his　place　was　to　set　him　down　at
Nijni…Novgorod。　There　terminated　at　that　time；　the　iron　road　which；
uniting　Moscow　and　St。　Petersburg；　has　since　been　continued
to　the　Russian　frontier。　　It　was　a　journey　of　under　three
hundred　miles；　and　the　train　would　accomplish　it　in　ten　hours。
Once　arrived　at　Nijni…Novgorod；　Strogoff　would　either　take
the　land　route　or　the　steamer　on　the　Volga；　so　as　to　reach
the　Ural　Mountains　as　soon　as　possible。

Michael　Strogoff　ensconced　himself　in　his　corner；　like　a　worthy
citizen　whose　affairs　go　well　with　him；　and　who　endeavors　to　kill
time　by　sleep。　　Nevertheless；　as　he　was　not　alone　in　his　compartment；
he　slept　with　one　eye　open；　and　listened　with　both　his　ears。

In　fact；　rumor　of　the　rising　of　the　Kirghiz　hordes；　and　of　the　Tartar
invasion　had　transpired　in　some　degree。　　The　occupants　of　the　carriage；
whom　chance　had　made　his　traveling　companions；　discussed　the　subject；
though　with　that　caution　which　has　become　habitual　among　Russians；
who　know　that　spies　are　ever　on　the　watch　for　any　treasonable　expressions
which　may　be　uttered。

These　travelers；　as　well　as　the　large　number　of　persons
in　the　train；　were　merchants　on　their　way　to　the　celebrated
fair　of　Nijni…Novgorod；a　very　mixed　assembly；　composed　of
Jews；　Turks；　Cossacks；　Russians；　Georgians；　Kalmucks；　and　others；
but　nearly　all　speaking　the　national　tongue。

They　discussed　the　pros　and　cons　of　the　serious　events　which
were　taking　place　beyond　the　Ural；　and　those　merchants　seemed
to　fear　lest　the　government　should　be　led　to　take　certain
restrictive　measures；　especially　in　the　provinces　bordering　on
the　frontiermeasures　from　which　trade　would　certainly　suffer。
They　apparently　thought　only　of　the　struggle　from　the　single
point　of　view　of　their　threatened　interests。　　The　presence
of　a　private　soldier；　clad　in　his　uniformand　the　importance
of　a　uniform　in　Russia　is　greatwould　have　certainly　been　enough
to　restrain　the　merchants'　tongues。　　But　in　the　compartment　occupied
by　Michael　Strogoff；　there　was　no　one　who　seemed　a　military　man；
and　the　Czar's　courier　was　not　the　person　to　betray　himself。
He　listened；　then。

〃They　say　that　caravan　teas　are　up；〃　remarked　a　Persian；
known　by　his　cap　of　Astrakhan　fur；　and　his　ample　brown　robe；
worn　threadbare　by　use。

〃Oh；　there's　no　fear　of　teas　falling；〃　answered　an　old　Jew
of　sullen　aspect。　　〃Those　in　the　market　at　Nijni…Novgorod　will
be　easily　cleared　off　by　the　West；　but；　unfortunately；　it　won't
be　the　same　with　Bokhara　carpets。〃

〃What！　are　you　expecting　goods　from　Bokhara？〃　asked　the　Persian。

〃No；　but　from　Samarcand；　and　that　is　even　more　exposed。
The　idea　of　reckoning　on　the　exports　of　a　country　in　which　the　khans
are　in　a　state　of　revolt　from　Khiva　to　the　Chinese　frontier！〃

〃Well；〃　replied　the　Persian；　〃if　the　carpets　do　not　arrive；
the　drafts　will　not　arrive　either；　I　suppose。〃

〃And　the　profits；　Father　Abraham！〃　exclaimed　the　little　Jew；
〃do　you　reckon　them　as　nothing？〃

〃You　are　right；〃　said　another；　〃goods　from　Central　Asia　run　a　great
risk　in　the　market；　and　it　will　be　the　same　with　the　tallow　and　shawls
from　the　East。〃

〃Why；　look