The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1901-11-21

which SO clearly referred to him had
proceeded from this tawny group and
had been exchanged between the old
gypsy and the woman named Sangarre.
Michael involuntarily moved toward
the gangway as the Bohemian troop
was leaving the steamboat, not to re-
turn to it again.
The old Bohemian was there in a
humble attitude, little conformable
with the effrontery natural to his race.
One would have said that he was en-
deavoring rather to avoid attention
than to attract it. His battered hat,
Drowned by the suns Of every cline,
was pulled forward over his wrinkled
face. His arched back was bent under
an old cloak, wrapped closely round
him Notwithstanding the heat 1t would
have been difficult in this miserable
dress to judge of either his size or face.
Near him was the gypsy Sangarre, a
woman about thirty years old. She
was tall and well made, with olive
complexion, magnificent eyes and gold
en- hair, and carried herself to perfec-
ton.
Sangarre was regarding him with a
peculiar gaze, as if she wished to fix
his features indelibly in her memory.
1t was but for few moments when
Sangarre herself followed the old man
and his troop, who had already left the
vessel.
"That's a bold gypsy" said Michael
to himself. "Could she have recognized
me as the man whom she saw at Mini
Novgorod? These COMPOUNDED Zingaris
have the eyes of cat! They can see
in the dark, and that woman there
might we'll know
Michael Strogoff was on the point Of
following Sangarre and the gypsy band,
but he stopped.
"No," thought he; mo unguarded pro-
ceedings. If I were to stop that old
fortune teller and his companions, my
incognito would run risk of being dis
covered. Besides, now they have land
ed, before they can pass the frontier l
shall be already beyond the Ural. l
know that they may take the route
from Kasan to Ichim, but that affords
no resources to travellers, and, besides,
tarantass drawn by four good Sibe-
rian horses will always 60 faster than
a gypsy cart"
By this time the old man and San
gaNe had disappeared in the crowd.
An hour afterward the bell rang on
board the Caucasus, calling the new
passengers and recalling the former
ones. 1t was now Z o'clock in the
morning. The requisite fuel had been
received on board, and about 10 o'clock
in the morningsthe young Livonian,
leaving her cabin, appeared on deck.
Michael Strogoff went forward and
took her hand.
"Look, sister, said he, leading her to
the bows Of the Caucasus.
The view was indeed we'll worth ex-
aiming.
The Caucasus had just then reached
the confluence of the Volga and the
Kama. There she would leave the for
mer river after having descended it for
more than 400 versts to ascend the lat
ter for AGO versts.
The Kama was here very wide, and
it's wooded banks were lovely. A few
white sails enlivened the sparkling wa
ter. The horizon was closed by a line
of hills covered with aspens, alders
and sometimes large oaks.
But these beauties of nature could
not distract the thoughts Of the young
Livonian even for an instant. She had
1off hnr in 0f hnv ri
and soon, turning to him, said:
"At what distance are we from Mos
COW"
"Nine hundred versts," answered Mi
chael.
"Nine hundred out Of seven thou
sandv'
The bell now announced the break
fast hour. Nadia followed Michael
Strogoff to the restaurant. She ate lit
tie, as a poor girl whose means are
small would do. Michael Strogoff
thought it best to content himself with
the fare which satisfied his companion,
and in less than twenty minutes Mi
chael Strogoff and Nadia returned on
deck. There they seated themselves in
the stern, and without other preamble
Nadia, lowering her voice so as to be
heard by him alone, began:
Brother, am the daughter Of an ex-
lie. My name is Nadia Fedor. My
mother died at Riga scarcely month
ago, and am going to Irkutsk to re-
Join my father and share his exile"
II, too, am going to Trkutsk," answer
ed Michael, land shall thank heaven
If it enables me to give Nadia Fedor
safe into her fathers hands"
"Thank you, brother" replied Nadia.
Michael Strogoff then added that he
had obtained a special podorojha for
Siberia and that the Russian authori-
ties could in no way hinder him.
Nadia asked nothing more. She saw:
In this fortunate meeting with Michael
q means only of accelerating her jour
ney to her father.
II had" said she, "a permit which
authorized me to 60 to Irkutsk, but the
order of the governor Of Mini Novgo-
rod annulled that, and but for you,