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

"Come, Nadia" answered Michael,
"and make what use you Ike CT your
brother Nicholas kolpanof." And he
led the girl to the cabin engaged for
her off the saloon
Michael StYogof' returned On deck,
and, eager for any Iews which might
bear on his journey. he mingled In the
groups of passengers, though without
taking any part in the conversation.
Should he by any chance be questioned
and obliged to reply be would announce
himself as the merchant Nicholas KOr-
panoff, going back to the frontier In the
Caucasus, for he did not wish it to be
suspected that a special permission au-
thorized him to travel to Siberia.
The young Llvohian did not come to
dinner. She was asleep in her cabin,
and Michael did not like to awaken
her.
Between IL and 2, the moon being
new, it was almost dark. Nearly all
the passengers were then asleep on the
deck, and the silence was disturbed
only by the noise of the paddles strik-
ing the water at regular Intervals.
Anxiety kept Michael StroCoff awake.
He walked up and down. but always
in the stern of the steamer. Once,
however, he happened to pass the en-
CINE room. He then found himself in
the part reserved for second and third
class passengers.
He stopped. Voices appeared to come
from group Of passengers enveloped
in cloaks and wraps, so that it was i'm
possible to recognize them in the dark.
But it sometimes happened that when
the steamers chimney sent forth a
plume of ruddy flames among the vol
umes of smoke the sparks seemed to
fall among the group as though thou
sands Of spangles had been suddenly
Illuminated. Michael was about to
step up the ladder when a few words
reached his ear, distinctly uttered in
that strange tongue which he had heard
during the night at the fair.
Instinctively he stopped to listen.
Protected by the shadow Of the fore
castle, he could not be perceived him
self. AS to seeing the passengers who
were talking, that was impossible. He
was obliged to confine himself to listen
ing.
The first words exchanged were of
no importance-to him at least-but
they allowed him to recognize the
voices Of the man and woman whom he
had heard at Mini Novgorod. This, of
course, made him redouble his atten.
ton. It was, indeed, not at all i'm
possible that the gypsies, a scrap of
whose conversation he had overheard,
now banished with all their fellows,
should be on board the Caucasus.
And it was we'll for him that he lis
tened, for he distinctly heard this ques-
ton and answer made in the Tartar
idiom:
ut is said that courier has set out
from Moscow for Irkutsk."
"It is so said, Sangarrep but either
this courier will arrive too late, or he
will not arrive at ALL"
Michael Strogoff started involuntarily
at this reply which concerned him so
directly. He tried to see if the man
and woman who had Just spoken were
really those whom he suspected, but
the shadow was too deep, and he could
not succeed.
In a few moments Michael Strogoff
had regained the stern of the vessel
without having been perceived, and,
taking seat by himself, he buried his
face in his hands. 1t might have been
supposed that he was asleep.
He was not asleep, however, and did
not even think of sleeping. He was re-
flecting on this, not without a lively
apprehension: "Who is it knows of my
departure and who can have any inter-
est in knowing it?"