Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-01-14
THE COURIER {
::is
OF THE CAR 4
BY Jules Verne



was great Mt meeting Nadia on that
raft 1t was without limits when they
perceived Michael Strogoff. whom they
could not believe to be still alive. MI
chael Strogoff had not moved at their
| rpproach.
Alcide Jollvet had turned himself to-
ward the yours girl.
"Gentlemcn. he does not see you,
said the young girl. THE Tartars have
burned out his eyes! My poor brother
is blind!
A deep feeling Of pity was pictured
on the face of Alcide Jolivet and his
| companion.
An instant afterward both Of them,
seated near Michael Strogoff. warmly
shook his hands and waited for him to
speak.
"Gentlemen," said Michael Strogoh
IN a low voice. you must not know
who am nor what came to do In ST.
IBERIA. beg you to respect my secret.
Do you promise me-"
ION my honor" answered Alcide Joli-
vet.
ION my faith as gentleman" added
/ Harry Blount.
Every well. gentlemen"
Can we be of any use to you?" ask
ed Harry Blount. would you wish
us to help you to accomplish your
task?"
Il prefer to act alone" said Michael
Strogoff.
But those scoundrels have burned
out your sight" said Alcide Jolivet.
81 have \ ada. and her eyes suffice"
Half an hour later the raft, after
having left the little port Of Livenitch-
naia, was fairly in the river. 1t was b
o'clock in the evening. Night was fast
coming on. 1t would be very dark and
very cold also. for the temperature was
already below zero.
Alcide Jolivet and Harry Blount. al
though they had promised Michael
Strogoff to keep his secret, yet did not
leave his side. They spoke In a low
voice, and the blind man, putting what
he already knew to what they now told
him. was enabled to form an exact idea
Of the state Of affairs.
He was certain that the Tartars were
actually investing Irkutsk and that the
three columns had already formed a
junction. One could not therefore doubt
that the emir and Ivan Ogaref were
before the capital.
But why that haste to arrive there
of the courier Of the car. now that the
emperor's letter could no longer be re-
mitted by him to the grand duke, and
he did not even know its contents? AL
eide Jolivet and Harry Blount could
no more understand than could Nadia.
Besides. they had not spoken OF the
past up to the moment when Alc'de
Jollvet thought 1t his duty to say TO
Michael Strogoff:
I'VE almost owe you some excuses
for not having shaken hands with you
before our separation at the posthouse
of Ichim."
mo; you had right to believe me
| coward"
"Anyhow," added Alcide Jolivet, you
have splend:dly whipped that villain
and he will carry the marks OF 1t long
time"
mo, not long time." simply answer
ed Michael Strogoff.
In half an hour after the departure
from Livcnitchnala Alcide Jolivet ana
Harry Blount had heard all the details
Of the cruel trials through which MI
chael Strogoff and his companion had
successfully passed. They could not
but openly admire an energy which the
devotedness of the young girl alone
had been able to equal. And OF MI
chael Strogoff they had formed the
very same opinion which had been SO
| well expressed by the czar at Moscow
"In truth. he Is man!'
| At 8 o'clock at night, as the aspect
of the sky had forewarned them. an ex'
| cessive darkness enveloped all the
country. The moon. being new. would
not rise above the horizon. From the
| middle Of the river the banks were Visi'
BILE. The cliffs at not great helgh'
were blended with those heavy CLOUDS
which they displaced with difficulty
At intervals a breeze would come from
the east and seem to expire In that mar
row valley of the Angara.
The old mariner, lying down on the
fore part of the raft near his men, oc
cupied himself altogether In turning
aside from the Ice blocks, a maneuvel
which he executed without making any
noise.
This drifting of the Ice, after all, was
a favorable circumstance as long as II
did not oppose an insurmountable oD
stacle In the passage Of the raft; fol
indeed this apparatus alone on the fret
waters of the river would have run the
risk Of being perceived even through
the thick shade, whereas 1t was now
confounded with these moving masses
of all sizes and all shapes, and the dir
produced by the grating Of the blocks
drowned all other suspicious noise.
There was very keen frost. Tht
fugitives suffered dreadfully from 1t
not having any other shelter but some
branches Of the birch tree. They press
ed close to each other In order 70 better
support the low temperature, which
during that night had reached 10 de
grees below zero.
Michael Strogoff and Nadia. lyint
down at the back part Of the raft. en-
dured without complaint this addition
al suffering. For man who was reck
oning soon to attain his end Michae
Strogofr seemed singularly calm. BE
sides, In the most grave situations hi
energy had never abandoned him. Al
ready he looked forward to the momen
when at last 1t. would be permitted hin
to think of his mother. Of Nadia, O
himself. He only feared one last ant
| .,,l ohonoa II ruao 1aot tho rN II RlOIll(