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This was said in a very angry tone, but was suddenly interrupted by a burst of
laughter from his companion, who exclaimed, "Well! this is a good joke, I must
say."
"You venture to laugh!" said the Briton angrily.
"Certainly, my dear confrere, and that most heartily. 'Pon my word I never saw
anything to come up to it."
Just then a crashing clap of thunder reechoed through the defile, and then
died away among the distant peaks. When the sound of the last growl had
ceased, the merry voice went on: "Yes, it undoubtedly is a good joke. This
machine certainly never came from France."
"Nor from England," replied the other.
On the road, by the light of the flashes, Michael saw, twenty yards from him,
two travelers, seated side by side in a most peculiar vehicle, the wheels of
which were deeply imbedded in the ruts formed in the road.
He approached them, the one grinning from ear to ear, and the other gloomily
contemplating his situation, and recognized them as the two reporters who had
been his companions on board the Caucasus.
"Goodmorning to you, sir," cried the Frenchman. "Delighted to see you here.
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Let me introduce you to my intimate enemy, Mr. Blount."
The English reporter bowed, and was about to introduce in his turn his
companion, Alcide Jolivet, in accordance with the rules of society, when
Michael interrupted him.
Michael Strogoff
CHAPTER XI TRAVELERS IN DISTRESS
52
"Perfectly unnecessary, sir; we already know each other, for we traveled
together on the Volga."
"Ah, yes! exactly so! Mr."
"Nicholas Korpanoff, merchant, of Irkutsk. But may I know what has happened
which, though a misfortune to your companion, amuses you so much?"
"Certainly, Mr. Korpanoff," replied Alcide. "Fancy! our driver has gone off
with the front part of this confounded carriage, and left us quietly seated in
the back part! So here we are in the worse half of a telga; no driver, no
horses. Is it not a joke?"
"No joke at all," said the Englishman.
"Indeed it is, my dear fellow. You do not know how to look at the bright side
of things."
"How, pray, are we to go on?" asked Blount.
"That is the easiest thing in the world," replied Alcide. "Go and harness
yourself to what remains of our cart;
I will take the reins, and call you my little pigeon, like a true iemschik,
and you will trot off like a real posthorse."
"Mr. Jolivet," replied the Englishman, "this joking is going too far, it
passes all limits and"
"Now do be quiet, my dear sir. When you are done up, I will take your place;
and call me a brokenwinded snail and fainthearted tortoise if I don't take you
over the ground at a rattling pace."
Alcide said all this with such perfect goodhumor that Michael could not help
smiling. "Gentlemen," said he, "here is a better plan. We have now reached the
highest ridge of the Ural chain, and thus have merely to descend the slopes of
the mountain. My carriage is close by, only two hundred yards behind. I will
lend you one of my horses, harness it to the remains of the telga, and
tomorhow, if no accident befalls us, we will arrive together at Ekaterenburg."
"That, Mr. Korpanoff," said Alcide, "is indeed a generous proposal."
"Indeed, sir," replied Michael, "I would willingly offer you places in my
tarantass, but it will only hold two, and my sister and I already fill it."
"Really, sir," answered Alcide, "with your horse and our demitelga we will go
to the world's end."
"Sir," said Harry Blount, "we most willingly accept your kind offer. And, as
to that iemschik"
"Oh! I assure you that you are not the first travelers who have met with a
similar misfortune," replied
Michael.
"But why should not our driver come back? He knows perfectly well that he has
left us behind, wretch that he is!"
"He! He never suspected such a thing."
"What! the fellow not know that he was leaving the better half of his telga
behind?"
Michael Strogoff
CHAPTER XI TRAVELERS IN DISTRESS
53
"Not a bit, and in all good faith is driving the fore part into Ekaterenburg."
"Did I not tell you that it was a good joke, confrere?" cried Alcide.
"Then, gentlemen, if you will follow me," said Michael, "we will return to my
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carriage, and"
"But the telga," observed the Englishman.
"There is not the slightest fear that it will fly away, my dear Blount!"
exclaimed Alcide; "it has taken such good root in the ground, that if it were
left here until next spring it would begin to bud."
"Come then, gentlemen," said Michael Strogoff, "and we will bring up the
tarantass."
The Frenchman and the Englishman, descending from their seats, no longer the
hinder one, since the front had taken its departure, followed Michael.
Walking along, Alcide Jolivet chattered away as usual, with his invariable
goodhumor. "Faith, Mr.
Korpanoff," said he, "you have indeed got us out of a bad scrape."
"I have only done, sir," replied Michael, "what anyone would have done in my
place."
"Well, sir, you have done us a good turn, and if you are going farther we may
possibly meet again, and"
Alcide Jolivet did not put any direct question to Michael as to where he was
going, but the latter, not wishing it to be suspected that he had anything to
conceal, at once replied, "I am bound for Omsk, gentlemen."
"Mr. Blount and I," replied Alcide, "go where danger is certainly to be found,
and without doubt news also."
"To the invaded provinces?" asked Michael with some earnestness.
"Exactly so, Mr. Korpanoff; and we may possibly meet there."
"Indeed, sir," replied Michael, "I have little love for cannonballs or lance
points, and am by nature too great a lover of peace to venture where fighting
is going on."
"I am sorry, sir, extremely sorry; we must only regret that we shall separate
so soon! But on leaving
Ekaterenburg it may be our fortunate fate to travel together, if only for a
few days?"
"Do you go on to Omsk?" asked Michael, after a moment's reflection.
"We know nothing as yet," replied Alcide; "but we shall certainly go as far as
Ishim, and once there, our movements must depend on circumstances."
"Well then, gentlemen," said Michael, "we will be fellowtravelers as far as
Ishim."
Michael would certainly have preferred to travel alone, but he could not,
without appearing at least singular, seek to separate himself from the two
reporters, who were taking the same road that he was. Besides, since
Alcide and his companion intended to make some stay at Ishim, he thought it
rather convenient than otherwise to make that part of the journey in their
company.
Then in an indifferent tone he asked, "Do you know, with any certainty, where
this Tartar invasion is?"
Michael Strogoff
CHAPTER XI TRAVELERS IN DISTRESS
54
"Indeed, sir," replied Alcide, "we only know what they said at Perm.
FeofarKhan's Tartars have invaded the whole province of Semipolatinsk, and for
some days, by forced marches, have been descending the Irtish.
You must hurry if you wish to get to Omsk before them."
"Indeed I must," replied Michael.
"It is reported also that Colonel Ogareff has succeeded in passing the
frontier in disguise, and that he will not be slow in joining the Tartar chief
in the revolted country."
"But how do they know it?" asked Michael, whom this news, more or less true,
so directly concerned.
"Oh! as these things are always known," replied Alcide; "it is in the air."
"Then have you really reason to think that Colonel Ogareff is in Siberia?"
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"I myself have heard it said that he was to take the road from Kasan to
Ekaterenburg."
"Ah! you know that, Mr. Jolivet?" said Harry Blount, roused from his silence.
"I knew it," replied Alcide.
"And do you know that he went disguised as a gypsy!" asked Blount.
"As a gypsy!" exclaimed Michael, almost involuntarily, and he suddenly
remembered the look of the old
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