Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-01-07
! THE COURIER {
! OF THE CAR 1
BY Jules Verne
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eyes"
every much" said Michael Strogof,
turning as though he could see Nicho.
las.
Did You not cry%
"Yes."
81 also should have cried. To think
that one can never see again those he
loves! Anyhow they see you. That ia
perhaps some consolation"
"Yes. perhaps. Tell me, friend" de-
manded Michael Strogoff, "have you
never seen me anywhere before to.
dayT
"You. my good man2 No, never"
at is because the sound Of your voice
Is not unknown to me-"
"Do you seeY' said Nicholas, smiling.
He knows the sound Of my voice.
Perhaps you ask me this to learn
whence come. Oh. am going to
tell you. am coming from Kalyvan."
"From Kalyvan" said Michael Stro-
goff. "Well, then 1t Is there that ! met
you. You were at the telegraph Of
fice?"
'That may be-" answered Nicholas.
II lived there. was employed as tele-
graph operator"
"And you remained at your post to
the last moment?'
"Eh! 1t is especially at that moment
one ought to be there"
at was the day when an Englishman
and q Frenchman, rubles In their
hands, disputed the turn at your wick
ct, and when the Englishman telegraph
ed the first verses Of the BibleT
"That. nay good man. is possible. but
| do not remember IL.
"What! You do not remember it?'
81 never read the dispatches which /
transmit. My duty being to forget
| them. the shortest way Is to be igno.
rant Of them"
This answer was characteristic OF
Nicholas PigassOf.
However. the kibitka kept on Its easy
course, which Michael Strogof would
have liked to render more rapid, but
Nicholas and his horse were accustom'
ed to gait from which neither the one
nor the other could depart. The horse
walked for three hours and then rest
ed for one. and this day and night.
During the halts the horse pastured,
the travellers Of the kibitka ate In COM
pany with the faithful Serko. The ki-
bitka was provisioned for at least
twenty persons, and Nicholas had gen.
erously placed the reserved food at the
disposal Of his two guests, whom he
believed to be brother and sister.
On the 22d of August the kibitka
reached the town Of Atchinsk. which
was $50 versts from Tomsk. A hun.
dred and twenty versts still separated
II from Krasnoiarsk. No incident had
marked this journey. During the SIX
days they had been together Nicholas
Michael Strogoff and Nadia had re-
malned just the same. the one In bis
unalterable calmness. the other two
anxious and looking forward to the
moment when their companion would
separate from them.
On the evening Of the 25th Of August
the kibitka was only half verst from
Krasnoiarsk. One could see on the
right and left the numerous wooden
crosses which are erected along the
road at the approaches to the town. II
was Z o'clock at night
The kibitka had stopped.
"Where are we. sisterT asked MI
chael Strogoff.
"a little over a half verst from the
first houses" answered Nadia.
"Has the town. then, gone to sleepl
No noise strikes upon my ear"
Ten minutes afterward the kibitka
entered the principal street.
Krasnolarsk was deserted! There was
not any longer an Athenlan In this
"Athens of the North" as 1t Is called
by Nine. de Bourboulon. Not one OF
those eQuipages. SO splendidly rigged
out, ratified along the handsome wide
streets. Not foot passenger trod the
sidewalks that sklrted those magnii'
cent houses of wood. palatial In their
grandeur!
Not q living soul remained In Kras-
noiarsk.
Michael Strogof, Nadia and Nicholas
had not to search long for a place In
which to rest, The first house OF which
they tried the door was empty. as were
all the rest. They found nothing there
but a heap of leaves. For want OF
something better, the horse had to be
content with this meager food. As for
the provisions of the kibitka, they were
not exhausted, and each one took bis
share. Then, after having knelt be-
fore modest picture Of the Panaghia
that was hanging on the wall and
which the last fame Of lamp still LII
up, Nicholas and the young girl fell
asleep, while Michael Strogof remain.
| ed awake. his anxiety driving away
all sleep.
The next day, 26th Of August, before
daybreak the kibitka was traversinR
| the park of birch trees to reach the
banks Of the Yenisei. which was cross.
ed by the little party on an improvised
raft.
Michael strogon could at length be-
| lieve that the route was free as far as
Irkutsk. He had outstripped the Tar
| tars, and when the soldiers Of the emir
should arrive at Krasnoiarsk they
would only find an abandoned town
| there and no means Of immediate COM
| municatiOn between the two banks OF
the Yenisei; hence delay of some days
until bridge Of boats. difficult to con-
struct. should open a passage to them.
For the first time sluce the unlucky
| meeting with Ivan Ogaref at Omsk
| the courier Of the car felt himself less
uneasy and could hope that no new
| obstacle would arise to the accomplish
ment Of his plans.
The kibitka, after having proceeded
about fifteen versts toward the south
east, came to and retook the long high
road across the steppe.
On the 18th Of August the traveller
| had passed the town of Balaisk, which
was eighty versts from Krasnoiarsk,
and by the 10th that Of Ribinsk. forty
vsrsts from Balaisk.
The next day, after travelling more
than thirty-dve versts. they arrived at
Kamsk. a more considerable town: wa
tered by the river Of the same name,
q small afiuent Of the Yenisei, which
| descends from the mountains Of s.