The Iola register., 1902-01-31


young girl that, rocked by the monoto-
nous motion of the kibitka, she soon |
fell into a sleep that resembled an utter |
prostration. Michael Strogoff and Mich
oas made a bed for her on the birch |
leaves as well as they were able. The
compassionate young man was much |
moved, and If tear did not escape the
eyes of Michael Strogoff in truth 1t
was because the redhot iron had burn
ed them dry.
"She is pretty" said Nicholas.
"Yes," answered Michael Strogoff.
"These darllngs would be strong, for
they are courageous, but they are real
ly only weak. Do you come n great
distancep
"From a great distance"
"Poor young folksl 1t must have
hurt you much when they burned your
eyes"
every much" said Michael Strogon,
turning as though he could see Nicho-
las.
"Did you not cryF"
"Yes."
81 also should have cried. To think
that one can never see again those he
loves! Anyhow they see you. That Is
perhaps some consolation"
"Ycs, perhaps. Tell me, friend" de-
manded Michael Strogoff, "have you
never seen me anywhere before to-
dayT
"You. my good man? No, never"
cit is because the sound Of your voice
| is not unknown to me-"
"Do you seer said Nicholas, smlnng.
"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 Knlyvan" said Michael Stro-
goff. "Well then it is there that l met
YOU You were at the telegraph Of
fice?"
"That may be-" answered Nicholas.
81 lived there was employed as tele-
graph operator"
"And you remained at your post to
the last momentY"
"Eh! 1t is especially at that moment
one ought to be there"
"It was the day when an Englishman
and n Frenchman, rubles In their
hands, disputed the turn at your wick
ct, and when the Englishman telegraph
ed the first verses of the Bible?"
"That, my good man, is possible. but
| do not remember It,"
, "Whati You do not remember itT"
al never read the dispatches which l
, 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 q gait from which neither the one
S nor the other could depart. The horse
! walked for three hours and then rest
ed for one, and this day and night
4 During the halts the horse pastured
1 the travellers of the kibitka ate In com
t pany with the faithful Serko. The XII
!. bitka was provsioned for at least
s twenty persons, and Nicholas had gen
erously placed the reserved food at the
- disposal of his two guests, whom he
2 believed to be brother and sister
> On the 22d of August the kibitlia
reached the town OF Atchinsk, which
: was $50 versts from Tomsk. A hun
dred and twenty versts still separated
?. 1t from Krasnolarsk. No incident haf
q marked this journey. During the siI
days they had been together Nicholas
Michael Strogoff and Nadia had re
mained just the same, the one in hi
unalterable calmness, the other TIVE
e anxious and looking forward to tn,
moment when their companion woul(
!. separate from them.
n On the evening of the 25th of Angus
the klbitka was only half verst from
: Krasnoarsk. One could see on tn
q right and left the numerous woodel
crosses which are erected along tn
,s road at the approaches to the town. |
h. was o'clock at night.
,r The klbltka had stopped.
,r "Where are we, sister?" asked MI
m chael Strogoff.
id "a little over n half verst from tn
first houses" answered Nadia.
Of HAS the town, then, gone to sleep
" No noise strikes upon my ear"
Ten minutes aftcrward the kibitk
a entered the principal street
Krasnoiarsk was deserted! There wa
is not any longer an Athenian in thi
ut "Athens of the North" as it is calle
by Nine. de Bourboulon. Not one G
lr those equipages, so splendidly rigge
k. out, ratified along the handsome wild
tn streets. Not foot passenger trod til
lg sidewalks that sklrted those magnii
er cent houses of wood, palatial in the
to grandeur!
IT. Not living soul remained in Kra'
noiarsk.
2" Michael Strogoff, Nadia and NicholG