Morris tribune., 1902-02-01

r 1AAS y cdllUOdJS were the Ola bOlemIal
and the woman who had played til,
spy on him. With them and no doub
under their direction landed abou
twenty dancers and singers from fif
teen to twenty years of age, wrapped
in old cloaks, which covered their span
gied dresses. These dresses, just theI
glancing in the first rays of the sun, re
minded Michael of the curious appear
ance which he had observed during the
night. It must have been the glitter
OF those spangles in the bright flames
Issuing suddenly from the steamboat
funnel which had attracted his atten-
tion: ..-,s...- ..,s.,--.~.-.
Evidently said Michael to himself
this troop of Zingari, after remain
Ing below all day, crouched under the
forecastle during the night. Were these
gypsies trying to show themselves as
little as possible? Such is not accord
Ing to the usual custom Of their race
Michael Stfogoff no longer doubted
that the expressions he had heard
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 inyoluntarily moved toward
the gangWay as the Bohemian troop
was leaving the steamboat, not to re-
turn to it gain. .,,.-sssss. .s@x.sss
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 we'll made. with olive
complexion, magnificent eyes and gold
en- hair and carried herself to perfec.
tion
peculiar gaze, as if she wished to fix
his features tndelibly in her memory.
It was but for few moments when
Sangarre herself followed the old man
and his troop, who had already left the
vessel.
"That's bold gypsy" said Michael
to himself. "Could she have recognized
me as the man whom she saw at Mini
These COMPOUNDED Zingaris
have the eyes Of cat! They can see
N the dark, and that woman there
night well know
Michael Strogof was on the point Of
following Sangarre and the gypsy band,
1ut he stopped.
mo" thought he; mo unguarded pro-
,eedings. If were to stop that old
ortune teller and his companions, my
would run risk Of being dis
'overed Besides, now they have land
d, before they can pass the frontier |
hall be already beyond the Ural..
now that they may take the route
rom Kasan to Ichim, but that affords
10 resources to travellers, and, besides,
tarantass drawn by four good Sibe- I
ian horses will always go faster than
gypsy cart
By this time the old man and San
ARE had disappeared in the crowd.
An hour afterward the bell rang on
oard the Caucasus, calling the new
assengers and recalling the former
nes. 1t was now o'clock in the
lorning. The requisite fuel had been
eceived on board, and about 10 o'clock
i the morning the young Liyonian,
eaving her cabin, appeared ON deck.
Iichael Strogoff went forward and
ook her hand.
Look, sister, said he, leading her to
ne bows of the Caucasus. i
The view was indeed well worth ex-
mining.
The Caucasus had just then reached
lie confluence of the Volga and the
anna. There she would leave the for
er river after having descended it for
ore than 400 yersts to ascend the lat
r for $50 versts.
The Kama was here very wide, and /
8 wooded banks were lovely. A few
hite sails enlivened the sparkling wa
r. The horizon was closed by Q line
hills covered with aspens, a1ders
Id sometimes large oaks.
But these beauties of nature could I
It distract the thoughts Of the young 4
woman even for an instant. She had t
# her hand in that of her companion \
I'd soon, turning to him, said: {
AT what distance are we from Mos. l
W?'
Nine hundred versts," answered Mi. t
ael. t
Nine hundred out of seven thou a
ndv' I
The bell now announced the break 6
st hour. Nadia followed Michael s
rogof to the restaurant She ate lit l
J. as a poor girl whose means are z
lall would do. Michael strogof
ought it best to content himself with u
3 fare which satisfied his companion, Z
d in less than twenty minutes Mi g
ael Strogof and Nadia returned on =
ok. There they seated themselves in "
\ SfopT, and xuifboIIf otlls,i, Y11eo M I1In 6t