Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-11-09
THE COURIER OF THE CZAR.
Az JULES VERNE.


and soon. turning to him, said:
"At what distance are we from Mos
cew?"
"Nine hundred versts," answered MI
chael.
"Nine hundred out of seven thou.
sandw
The bell now announced the break
fast hour. Nadia followed Michael
Strogoff to the restaurant. She ate lit.
tie. as poor girl whose means arc
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 a month
ago. and I am going to lrkutsk to re-
join my father and share his exile"
81, too, am going to Irkutsk." answer
ed Michael, "and I 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 podorojna 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.
81 had" said she, 81 permit which
authorized me to 60 to Irkutsk, but the
order of the governor Of Mini Novgo-
rod annulled that. and but for you,
brother, L should have been unable to
leave the town, and without doubt l
should have perished."
"And dared you alone, Nadia," said
Michael, attempt to cross the steppes
Of Siberian"
"The Tartar invasion was not known
when I left Riga" replied the young
girl. 1T was only at Moscow that /
learned that news"
"And Notwithstanding that you con-
tinued your journeyT
1T was my duty"
This word showed the character OF
the courageous girl.
She then spoke Of her father, Wassill
Fedor. He was q much esteemed ply.
sician at Riga, but his connection with
some secret society having been as
serted he received orders to start for
Irkutsk, and the police who brought
the order conducted him without delay
beyond the frontier Wassili Fedor had
but time to embrace his sick wife and
his daughter, so soon to be left alone,
when. shedding bitter tears, he was
led away.
A year and q half after her husbands
departure Nine. Fedor died in the arms
Of her daughter, who was thus left
alone and almost penniless. Nadia Fe-
dor then asked and easily obtained
from the Russian government an au-
thorization to join her father at 1r-
kutsk. She wrote and told him she
was starting. She had barely enough
money for this long journey, and yet
she did not hesitate to undertake 1t.
She would do what she could. God
would do the rest.
The next day, the 10Th Of July, the
Caucasus reached Perm, the last place
at which she touched on the Kama.
The government of which Perm Is
the capital is one Of the largest in the
Russian empire and. extending over the
Ural mountains. encrOaches on Sibe-
rian territory. Marble Quarries, mines
of salt. platinum. gold and coal are
worked here on large scale. Although
Perm by it's situation has become an
important town, it Is ny no means at
tractive. being extremely muddy and
dirty and possessing no resources. This
want of comfort is Of no consequence
to those going from Russia to Siberia,
for they come from the more civilized
districts and are supplied with all nee
essaries, but to those arriving from the
countries of central Asia, after a long
and fatiguing journey, it would no
doubt be more satisfactory If the first
European town Of the empire, situated
on the Asiatic frontier. were better sup.
piled with stores.
At Perm the travellers sell their vehi-
cles, more or less damaged by the long
Journey across the plains Of Siberia.
There, too. those passing from Europe
to Asia purchase carriages during the
summer and sleighs in the winter sea-
son before starting for several
months journey through the stcppcs.
Michael Strogoff had already sketch
ed out his programme. 40 now he had
only to execute it.
A vehicle carrying the mail usually
runs across the Ural mountains, but
at the present time this, Of course, was
discontinued. Even if 1t had not been
so, Michael Strogoff would not have
taken it, as he wished to travel as fast
as possible without depending on any
one. He wisely preferred to buy q car
riage and journey by stages, stimulat'
Ing the zeal of the positions by tips.
Unfortunately. in consequence OF the
measures taken against foreigners OF
Asiatic origin. large number of trav'
elcrs had already left Perm, and there
fore conveyances were extremely rare
Michael was obliged to content himself
with what had been rejected by others
AS to horses, as long as the czar's cou'
rier was not in Siberia he could exhibit
his podorojna without danger. and the
postmasters would give him the prefer