CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1903-03-26

.-cu my honor. answered Aicidr 4oh-
vet.
-on my faith ~ g nricman." added
Harry Rlounr
VERY oe.l. gt'n;hnlen."
can we b.. + amy use - your ask
ed Harry BIoua world you wish
US TO help you to accomplish your
tasky
II prefer to act a'one" said Michael
strogor-
But those scoundrels have burned
out your sight" said Alclde Joliyet.
Il nave Nadia. and her eyes suffice.
Half an hour later the raft. after
having left the little port OF Liyeniich-
nnia. was fairly in the river. Ii was
o'clock in the evening. Night was fast
coming on. II would be very dark and
very cold also. for the temperature was
already below zero.
Alclde Jolivet and Harry Biount- al
though they had promised Michael
Strogon TO keep his secret. yet d,d not
leave his side. They spoke in low
voice. and the blind man. putting what
be already knew TO what they now told
him. WIS ena bled TO form an exact idea
of the state OF affairs.
He was certain thai the Tartars werr
actually investing lrkutsk and that the
three columns had already formed
junction Ouc could not therefore doubt
that the emir and Ivan Ogaren were
before the capital
But why thai haste TO arrive there
OF the courier OF the car. now that the
empcror's letter could no longer be ne
mit,ed by him TO the grand duke. and
he did not even know It's cont-ntsf Al
eide Joliyet and Harry Blount could
no more understand than could Nadia
Besides. they had not spoken Of the
past up to the moment when Alcide
JoIiyet thought II his duty TO say TO
Michael Stroyon;
I'VE almost owe you some excuses
for not aviug shaken hands with you
before our separation at the postbouse
of Ichim-
mo: you had right TO believe me
coward
Anyhow added Aicide IoiIvet. you
have spiend!dly whipped that villain.
and he will carry the marks OF IL . hong
time
-So moi a long lime simpiy answer
ID Nis,,a.i Stroyosf
In nalf an hour after the depa RI lir,
from I.iy.uitchuaia Aicidie Jol!vet aud
Harry BIount had heard all the details
of the cruel trials through which Mi
chael StrogofY and his companion had
succrssivcIy passed. They could not
hui openly admire an energy which the
deyoi,,ipess of the young girl alone
had been able to equai And OF MI
chasl Strogoff they had formed the
very sam. opinion which had been 80
well expressed by the car at Moscow
.tn truth. h. is 3 manT'
At 4 O'Clock At uight. as the aspect
OF the sky had forewarned them. an ex-
c,.ssiv. darkness envelopsd all the
country Th. moon. being new. would
not rise above the horizon From the
middle of the river the banks were visi-
bile. Tn. cliffs at not a great height
were blended with those heavy clouds
which they displaced with difficulty
AT Intervals a brseze 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. n maneuver
which he executed without making any
noIse.
This drifting OF the ice. after all. was
n favorable. circumstance as long as It
did no, oppos. an insurmounlable oh.
s,acle In tb,. passage OF the raft: for
indeed this apparatus alone on the free
waters of the river would have run the
risk OF being perceived even through
the thick shade. whereas IL was now
confounded with these moving masses
OF all sizes aud all shapes. and the din
produced by the grating OF the blocks
drowned all other suspicious noise.