Michael Strogoff; Or, The Courier of the Czar

  CHAPTER XIII DUTY BEFORE EVERYTHING

  NADIA, with the clear perception of a right-minded woman, guessed thatsome secret motive directed all Michael Strogoff's actions; that he,for a reason unknown to her, did not belong to himself; and that inthis instance especially he had heroically sacrificed to duty even hisresentment at the gross injury he had received.

  Nadia, therefore, asked no explanation from Michael. Had not the handwhich she had extended to him already replied to all that he might havebeen able to tell her?

  Michael remained silent all the evening. The postmaster not being ableto supply them with fresh horses until the next morning, a whole nightmust be passed at the house. Nadia could profit by it to take some rest,and a room was therefore prepared for her.

  The young girl would no doubt have preferred not to leave her companion,but she felt that he would rather be alone, and she made ready to go toher room.

  Just as she was about to retire she could not refrain from going up toMichael to say good-night.

  "Brother," she whispered. But he checked her with a gesture. The girlsighed and left the room.

  Michael Strogoff did not lie down. He could not have slept even for anhour. The place on which he had been struck by the brutal traveler feltlike a burn.

  "For my country and the Father," he muttered as he ended his eveningprayer.

  He especially felt a great wish to know who was the man who had struckhim, whence he came, and where he was going. As to his face, thefeatures of it were so deeply engraven on his memory that he had no fearof ever forgetting them.

  Michael Strogoff at last asked for the postmaster. The latter,a Siberian of the old type, came directly, and looking rathercontemptuously at the young man, waited to be questioned.

  "You belong to the country?" asked Michael.

  "Yes."

  "Do you know that man who took my horses?"

  "No."

  "Had you never seen him before?"

  "Never."

  "Who do you think he was?"

  "A man who knows how to make himself obeyed."

  Michael fixed his piercing gaze upon the Siberian, but the other did notquail before it.

  "Do you dare to judge me?" exclaimed Michael.

  "Yes," answered the Siberian, "there are some things even a plainmerchant cannot receive without returning."

  "Blows?"

  "Blows, young man. I am of an age and strength to tell you so."

  Michael went up to the postmaster and laid his two powerful hands on hisshoulders.

  Then in a peculiarly calm tone, "Be off, my friend," said he: "be off! Icould kill you."

  The postmaster understood. "I like him better for that," he muttered andretired without another word.

  At eight o'clock the next morning, the 24th of July, three strong horseswere harnessed to the tarantass. Michael Strogoff and Nadia took theirplaces, and Ichim, with its disagreeable remembrances, was soon left farbehind.

  At the different relays at which they stopped during the day Strogoffascertained that the berlin still preceded them on the road to Irkutsk,and that the traveler, as hurried as they were, never lost a minute inpursuing his way across the steppe.

  At four o'clock in the evening they reached Abatskaia, fifty milesfarther on, where the Ichim, one of the principal affluents of theIrtych, had to be crossed. This passage was rather more difficult thanthat of the Tobol. Indeed the current of the Ichim was very rapid justat that place. During the Siberian winter, the rivers being all frozento a thickness of several feet, they are easily practicable, and thetraveler even crosses them without being aware of the fact, for theirbeds have disappeared under the snowy sheet spread uniformly over thesteppe; but in summer the difficulties of crossing are sometimes great.

  In fact, two hours were taken up in making the passage of the Ichim,which much exasperated Michael, especially as the boatmen gave themalarming news of the Tartar invasion. Some of Feofar-Khan's scouts hadalready appeared on both banks of the lower Ichim, in the southern partsof the government of Tobolsk. Omsk was threatened. They spoke of anengagement which had taken place between the Siberian and Tartar troopson the frontier of the great Kirghese horde--an engagement not to theadvantage of the Russians, who were weak in numbers. The troops hadretreated thence, and in consequence there had been a general emigrationof all the peasants of the province. The boatmen spoke of horribleatrocities committed by the invaders--pillage, theft, incendiarism,murder. Such was the system of Tartar warfare.

  The people all fled before Feofar-Khan. Michael Strogoff's great fearwas lest, in the depopulation of the towns, he should be unable toobtain the means of transport. He was therefore extremely anxious toreach Omsk. Perhaps there they would get the start of the Tartar scouts,who were coming down the valley of the Irtych, and would find the roadopen to Irkutsk.

  Just at the place where the tarantass crossed the river ended what iscalled, in military language, the "Ichim chain"--a chain of towers, orlittle wooden forts, extending from the southern frontier of Siberiafor a distance of nearly four hundred versts. Formerly these forts wereoccupied by detachments of Cossacks, and they protected the countryagainst the Kirghese, as well as against the Tartars. But since theMuscovite Government had believed these hordes reduced to absolutesubmission, they had been abandoned, and now could not be used; just atthe time when they were needed. Many of these forts had been reduced toashes; and the boatmen even pointed out the smoke to Michael, risingin the southern horizon, and showing the approach of the Tartaradvance-guard.

  As soon as the ferryboat landed the tarantass on the right bank of theIchim, the journey across the steppe was resumed with all speed. MichaelStrogoff remained very silent. He was, however, always attentive toNadia, helping her to bear the fatigue of this long journey withoutbreak or rest; but the girl never complained. She longed to give wingsto the horses. Something told her that her companion was even moreanxious than herself to reach Irkutsk; and how many versts were stillbetween!

  It also occurred to her that if Omsk was entered by the Tartars,Michael's mother, who lived there, would be in danger, and that this wassufficient to explain her son's impatience to get to her.

  Nadia at last spoke to him of old Marfa, and of how unprotected shewould be in the midst of all these events.

  "Have you received any news of your mother since the beginning of theinvasion?" she asked.

  "None, Nadia. The last letter my mother wrote to me contained good news.Marfa is a brave and energetic Siberian woman. Notwithstanding her age,she has preserved all her moral strength. She knows how to suffer."

  "I shall see her, brother," said Nadia quickly. "Since you give me thename of sister, I am Marfa's daughter."

  And as Michael did not answer she added:

  "Perhaps your mother has been able to leave Omsk?"

  "It is possible, Nadia," replied Michael; "and I hope she may havereached Tobolsk. Marfa hates the Tartars. She knows the steppe, andwould have no fear in just taking her staff and going down the banks ofthe Irtych. There is not a spot in all the province unknown to her. Manytimes has she traveled all over the country with my father; and manytimes I myself, when a mere child, have accompanied them across theSiberian desert. Yes, Nadia, I trust that my mother has left Omsk."

  "And when shall you see her?"

  "I shall see her--on my return."

  "If, however, your mother is still at Omsk, you will be able to spare anhour to go to her?"

  "I shall not go and see her."

  "You will not see her?"

  "No, Nadia," said Michael, his chest heaving as he felt he could not goon replying to the girl's questions.

  "You say no! Why, brother, if your mother is still at Omsk, for whatreason could you refuse to see her?"

  "For what reason, Nadia? You ask me for what reason," exclaimed Michael,in so changed a voice that the young girl started. "For the same reasonas that which made me patient even to cowardice with the villain who--"He could not finish his sentence.

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nbsp; "Calm yourself, brother," said Nadia in a gentle voice. "I only knowone thing, or rather I do not know it, I feel it. It is that all yourconduct is now directed by the sentiment of a duty more sacred--if therecan be one--than that which unites the son to the mother."

  Nadia was silent, and from that moment avoided every subject which inany way touched on Michael's peculiar situation. He had a secret motivewhich she must respect. She respected it.

  The next day, July 25th, at three o'clock in the morning, the tarantassarrived at Tioukalmsk, having accomplished a distance of eighty milessince it had crossed the Ichim. They rapidly changed horses. Here,however, for the first time, the iemschik made difficulties aboutstarting, declaring that detachments of Tartars were roving across thesteppe, and that travelers, horses, and carriages would be a fine prizefor them.

  Only by dint of a large bribe could Michael get over the unwillingnessof the iemschik, for in this instance, as in many others, he did notwish to show his podorojna. The last ukase, having been transmitted bytelegraph, was known in the Siberian provinces; and a Russian speciallyexempted from obeying these words would certainly have drawn publicattention to himself--a thing above all to be avoided by the Czar'scourier. As to the iemschik's hesitation, either the rascal traded onthe traveler's impatience or he really had good reason to fear.

  However, at last the tarantass started, and made such good way that bythree in the afternoon it had reached Koulatsinskoe, fifty miles fartheron. An hour after this it was on the banks of the Irtych. Omsk was nowonly fourteen miles distant.

  The Irtych is a large river, and one of the principal of those whichflow towards the north of Asia. Rising in the Altai Mountains, it flowsfrom the southeast to the northwest and empties itself into the Obi,after a course of four thousand miles.

  At this time of year, when all the rivers of the Siberian basin are muchswollen, the waters of the Irtych were very high. In consequencethe current was changed to a regular torrent, rendering the passagedifficult enough. A swimmer could not have crossed, however powerful;and even in a ferryboat there would be some danger.

  But Michael and Nadia, determined to brave all perils whatever theymight be, did not dream of shrinking from this one. Michael proposedto his young companion that he should cross first, embarking in theferryboat with the tarantass and horses, as he feared that the weight ofthis load would render it less safe. After landing the carriage he wouldreturn and fetch Nadia.

  The girl refused. It would be the delay of an hour, and she would not,for her safety alone, be the cause of it.

  The embarkation was made not without difficulty, for the banks werepartly flooded and the boat could not get in near enough. However, afterhalf an hour's exertion, the boatmen got the tarantass and the threehorses on board. The passengers embarked also, and they shoved off.

  For a few minutes all went well. A little way up the river the currentwas broken by a long point projecting from the bank, and forming an eddyeasily crossed by the boat. The two boatmen propelled their barge withlong poles, which they handled cleverly; but as they gained the middleof the stream it grew deeper and deeper, until at last they could onlyjust reach the bottom. The ends of the poles were only a foot above thewater, which rendered their use difficult. Michael and Nadia, seatedin the stern of the boat, and always in dread of a delay, watched theboatmen with some uneasiness.

  "Look out!" cried one of them to his comrade.

  The shout was occasioned by the new direction the boat was rapidlytaking. It had got into the direct current and was being swept down theriver. By diligent use of the poles, putting the ends in a series ofnotches cut below the gunwale, the boatmen managed to keep the craftagainst the stream, and slowly urged it in a slanting direction towardsthe right bank.

  They calculated on reaching it some five or six versts below the landingplace; but, after all, that would not matter so long as men and beastscould disembark without accident. The two stout boatmen, stimulatedmoreover by the promise of double fare, did not doubt of succeeding inthis difficult passage of the Irtych.

  But they reckoned without an accident which they were powerless toprevent, and neither their zeal nor their skill-fulness could, under thecircumstances, have done more.

  The boat was in the middle of the current, at nearly equal distancesfrom either shore, and being carried down at the rate of two versts anhour, when Michael, springing to his feet, bent his gaze up the river.

  Several boats, aided by oars as well as by the current, were comingswiftly down upon them.

  Michael's brow contracted, and a cry escaped him.

  "What is the matter?" asked the girl.

  But before Michael had time to reply one of the boatmen exclaimed in anaccent of terror:

  "The Tartars! the Tartars!"

  There were indeed boats full of soldiers, and in a few minutes they mustreach the ferryboat, it being too heavily laden to escape from them.

  The terrified boatmen uttered exclamations of despair and dropped theirpoles.

  "Courage, my friends!" cried Michael; "courage! Fifty roubles for you ifwe reach the right bank before the boats overtake us."

  Incited by these words, the boatmen again worked manfully but it soonbecome evident that they could not escape the Tartars.

  It was scarcely probable that they would pass without attacking them.On the contrary, there was everything to be feared from robbers such asthese.

  "Do not be afraid, Nadia," said Michael; "but be ready for anything."

  "I am ready," replied Nadia.

  "Even to leap into the water when I tell you?"

  "Whenever you tell me."

  "Have confidence in me, Nadia."

  "I have, indeed!"

  The Tartar boats were now only a hundred feet distant. They carried adetachment of Bokharian soldiers, on their way to reconnoiter aroundOmsk.

  The ferryboat was still two lengths from the shore. The boatmenredoubled their efforts. Michael himself seized a pole and wielded itwith superhuman strength. If he could land the tarantass and horses, anddash off with them, there was some chance of escaping the Tartars, whowere not mounted.

  But all their efforts were in vain. "Saryn na kitchou!" shouted thesoldiers from the first boat.

  Michael recognized the Tartar war-cry, which is usually answered bylying flat on the ground. As neither he nor the boatmen obeyed a volleywas let fly, and two of the horses were mortally wounded.

  At the next moment a violent blow was felt. The boats had run into theferryboat.

  "Come, Nadia!" cried Michael, ready to jump overboard.

  The girl was about to follow him, when a blow from a lance struck him,and he was thrown into the water. The current swept him away, his handraised for an instant above the waves, and then he disappeared.

  Nadia uttered a cry, but before she had time to throw herself afterhim she was seized and dragged into one of the boats. The boatmen werekilled, the ferryboat left to drift away, and the Tartars continued todescend the Irtych.