The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-04-19
ever forgetting them.


"You belong to the country aske'
Michael.
Eyes"
do you know that man who tool
my horses?"
"No."
"Had you never seen him before"
"Never."
"Who do you think he WASP"
"a man who knows how to max
himself obeyed."
Michael fixed his piercing gaze upol
the Siberian, but the other did no
quail before 1t.
"Do you dare to judge me" exclaim
ed Michael
EYES," answered the Siberian, 'fo
there are some things that even plail
merchant cannot receive without re
turning"
"Blows?"
"Blows, young man. am OF an ag'
and strength to tell you So"
Michael went up to the postmaste
and laid his two powerful hands on hi
shoulders.
| Then in a peculiarly calm tone HI
said:
"Be off, my friend; be off! I coulC
kill you"
The postmaster understood this time
81 like him better for that" he nut
tered as he retired without adding an
other word.
At o'clock the next morning, thu
Oath of July, three strong horses were
harnessed to the tarantass. Michae
and Nadia took their places, and Ichim
with it's disagreeable remembrances
was soon left far behind.
The next day, July %, at 3 O'clock il
the morning. the tarantass arrived a
the posthouse in Tioukalmsk, having
accomplished a distance of 100 verst:
since it had crossed the Ichim.
They rapidly changed horses. Here
however, for the first time the driver
made difficulties about starting, declar
ing that detachments of Tartars were
rowing across the steppe and that trav
elers. horses and carriages would be 9
fine prize fo such robbers.
Only by dint of a large bride could
Michael get over the unwillingness OF
the driver, for in this instance, as il
many others, he did not wish to show
his podorojna. The last ukase, having
been transmitted by telegraph, was
known In the Siberian provinces, and q
Russian specially exempted from obey
Ing these orders would certainly have
drawn public attention to himself, a
thing above all to be avoided by the
cars courier AS to the drivers hest.
tation, either the rascal traded on the
travellers Impotence or he really had
good reason to fear some misfortune.
However, at last the tarantass start
ed and made such good way that by 8
in the afternoon it had reached Kou-
latsinskoe, eighty versts farther on.
An hour after this it was on the banks
of the Irish. Omsk was now only
twenty versts distant.
The Irish is a large river and one of
the principal Of those which flow to-
ward the north of Asia. Rising in the
Atai mountains, it flows from the
southeast to the northwest and emp
ties itself into the Obi after a course of
nearly 1000 versts.
At this time of year, when all the
rivers of the Siberian basin are much
swollen, the waters of the Irish were
very high. In consequence the current
was changed to a regular torrent, rem
dering the passage difficult enough. A
swimmer could not have crossed, how
ever powerful a one he might be, and
even in a ferryboat there would be
some danger.
But Michael and Nadia, determined
to brave all perils whatever they might
be, did not dream Of shrinking from
this one.
However, Michael proposed to his
young companion that he should eros.
first, embarking in the ferryboat with
the tarantass and horses, as he feared
that the weight of this load would rem
der 1t less safe. After landing the car
riage on the opposite bank he would
return and fetch Nadia.
The girl refused. 1t would be ii
delay of an hour, and she would moi
for her safety alone be the cause of It,
The embarkation was made not with
out difficulty, for the banks were partly
flooded and the boat could not get in
near enough.
However, after half an hours exer
ton the boatmen got the tarantass an
the three horses on board. Michael.
Nadia and the driver embarked also.
and they showed off.
For few minutes all went well. A
little way up the river the current was
broken by long point projecting from
the bank and formed an eddy easily
by the boat. The two boatmen
their barge with long poles,
which they handled cleverly, but as
they gained the middle of the stream
1t grew deeper and deeper until at las
they could only just reach the bottom.
The ends of the poles were only a foot
above the water, which rendered their
use difficult and insufficient. Michael
and Nadin, seated in the stern of the
boat and always in dread of a DELAY.
watched the boatmen with some nm
easiness.
Look outp' cried one of them to his
The shout was occasioned by the new