CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1903-02-26

nor the oiLrr could depart I9e horse
walked for tbrrr hours and y, rest
ed for one. aud this day and night.
During the haiis the horse pasrured.
the travellers Of the kibitka ate In com
pauy with the faithful Serko. The ki-
bitka was provisioned for at least
twenty persons. and Nicholas had gen
erousIy placed the reserved food at the
disposal OF his two guests. whom he
believed TO be- brother and sister.
on the :s,22d OF August the kibitka
reached the town OF Atchinsk. which
was $50 versts from ToInsk- A hun
dred and twenty versts still separated
IL from Krasnoiarsk- No incident had
marked this journey. During the six
days they bad been together Nicholas.
Michael Sirogon and Nadia had re-
manned just the same. the one In his
unalterabie 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 kibitkn was only half verst from
Krasnoiarsk. One could see on the
right and left the numerous wooden
crosses which are erected along the
road ut the approaches to the town. 1t
was o'clock at night
The kibitka bad stopped
Where are we. sistery' asked MI
chael Strogon-
"a little over 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
cutsred the principal street.
Krasnoiarsk was deserted, There was
not any longer an Athepian in this
Athens of the North" as 1t is called
by Nine. de Bourboulon. Not one OF
those equipages, so splendidly rugged
out. ratified along the handsome wide
streets Not a foot passenger trod the
sidewalks that skir:ed those magnifi-
cent houses of wood. palatial in their
grandeur.
Not living soul remained In kras-
noiarsk.
Michael Strogoff. Nadia and Nicholas
had not to search long fdt 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 his
sharc. Then. after having knelt be-
fore a modest picture OF the Panaghia
that was hanging on the wall and
which the last aame Of lamp still Lit
up, Nicholas and the young girl fell
asleep. while Michael Strogoff remain
cd awake. his anxiety driving away
all sleep.
The next day. 2Gth OF August. before
dnybreak the kibitka was traversing
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-
lieye 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 aud no means OF immediate COM
munlcation between the two hanks OF
the Yenlsei: hence delay of some days
until n bridge OF boats. difficult to con-
struct. should open a passage to them.
For the first time since the unlucky
meeting with Ivan Ogarefs at Omsk
the courier Of the cxar felt himself less
uneasy aud could hope that no new
obstacle would arise TO the accomplish
ment OF his plans.
The kIbltka- after having proceeded
about ffteen versts toward the south