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whatever might be the difficulties of a journey across the steppe without a
beaten path, he ought not to risk capture a second time by the Tartars. He was
just proposing to Nicholas to leave the road, when a shot was heard on their
right. A ball whistled, and the horse of the kibitka fell dead, shot through
the head.
Michael Strogoff
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CHAPTER VIII A HARE CROSSES THE ROAD
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A dozen horsemen dashed forward, and the kibitka was surrounded. Before they
knew where they were, Michael, Nadia, and Nicholas were prisoners, and were
being dragged rapidly towards NijniOudinsk.
Michael, in this second attack, had lost none of his presence of mind. Being
unable to see his enemies, he had not thought of defending himself. Even had
he possessed the use of his eyes, he would not have attempted it.
The consequences would have been his death and that of his companions. But,
though he could not see, he could listen and understand what was said.
From their language he found that these soldiers were Tartars, and from their
words, that they preceded the invading army.
In short, what Michael learnt from the talk at the present moment, as well as
from the scraps of conversation he overheard later, was this. These men were
not under the direct orders of the Emir, who was now detained beyond the
Yenisei. They made part of a third column chiefly composed of Tartars from the
khanats of
Khokland and Koondooz, with which Feofar's army was to affect a junction in
the neighborhood of Irkutsk.
By Ogareff's advice, in order to assure the success of the invasion in the
Eastern provinces, this column had skirted the base of the Altai Mountains.
Pillaging and ravaging, it had reached the upper course of the
Yenisei. There, guessing what had been done at Krasnoiarsk by order of the
Czar, and to facilitate the passage of the river to the Emir's troops, this
column had launched a flotilla of boats, which would enable Feofar to cross
and r sum the road to Irkutsk. Having done this, it had descended the valley
of the Yenisei and struck the road on a level with Alsalevsk. From this little
town began the frightful course of ruin which forms the chief part of Tartar
warfare. NijniOudinsk had shared the common fate, and the Tartars, to the
number of fifty thousand, had now quitted it to take up a position before
Irkutsk. Before long, they would be reinforced by the Emir's troops.
Such was the state of affairs at this date, most serious for this isolated
part of Eastern Siberia, and for the comparatively few defenders of its
capital.
It can be imagined with what thoughts Michael's mind was now occupied! Who
could have been astonished had he, in his present situation, lost all hope and
all courage? Nothing of the sort, however; his lips muttered no other words
than these: "I will get there!"
Half an hour after the attack of the Tartar horsemen, Michael Strogoff, Nadia,
and Nicholas entered
NijniOudinsk. The faithful dog followed them, though at a distance. They could
not stay in the town, as it was in flames, and about to be left by the last of
the marauders. The prisoners were therefore thrown on horses and hurried away;
Nicholas resigned as usual, Nadia, her faith in Michael unshaken, and Michael
himself, apparently indifferent, but ready to seize any opportunity of
escaping.
The Tartars were not long in perceiving that one of their prisoners was blind,
and their natural barbarity led them to make game of their unfortunate victim.
They were traveling fast. Michael's horse, having no one to guide him, often
started aside, and so made confusion among the ranks. This drew on his rider
such abuse and brutality as wrung Nadia's heart, and filled Nicholas with
indignation. But what could they do? They could not speak the Tartar language,
and their assistance was mercilessly refused. Soon it occurred to these men,
in a refinement of cruelty, to exchange the horse Michael was riding for one
which was blind. The motive of the change was explained by a remark which
Michael overheard, "Perhaps that Russian can see, after all!"
Michael was placed on this horse, and the reins ironically put into his hand.
Then, by dint of lashing, throwing stones, and shouting, the animal was urged
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into a gallop. The horse, not being guided by his rider, blind as himself,
sometimes ran into a tree, sometimes went quite off the road in consequence,
collisions and falls, which might have been extremely dangerous.
Michael Strogoff
CHAPTER VIII A HARE CROSSES THE ROAD
134
Michael did not complain. Not a murmur escaped him. When his horse fell, he
waited until it got up. It was, indeed, soon assisted up, and the cruel fun
continued. At sight of this wicked treatment, Nicholas could not contain
himself; he endeavored to go to his friend's aid. He was prevented, and
treated brutally.
This game would have been prolonged, to the Tartars' great amusement, had not
a serious accident put an end to it. On the 10th of September the blind horse
ran away, and made straight for a pit, some thirty or forty feet deep, at the
side of the road.
Nicholas tried to go after him. He was held back. The horse, having no guide,
fell with his rider to the bottom. Nicholas and Nadia uttered a piercing cry!
They believed that their unfortunate companion had been killed.
However, when they went to his assistance, it was found that Michael, having
been able to throw himself out of the saddle, was unhurt, but the miserable
horse had two legs broken, and was quite useless. He was left there to die
without being put out of his suffering, and Michael, fastened to a Tartar's
saddle, was obliged to follow the detachment on foot.
Even now, not a protest, not a complaint! He marched with a rapid step,
scarcely drawn by the cord which tied him. He was still "the Man of Iron," of
whom General Kissoff had spoken to the Czar!
The next day, the 11th of September, the detachment passed through the village
of Chibarlinskoe. Here an incident occurred which had serious consequences. It
was nightfall. The Tartar horsemen, having halted, were more or less
intoxicated. They were about to start. Nadia, who till then, by a miracle, had
been respectfully treated by the soldiers, was insulted by one of them.
Michael could not see the insult, nor the insulter, but Nicholas saw for him.
Then, quietly, without thinking, without perhaps knowing what he was doing,
Nicholas walked straight up to the man, and, before the latter could make the
least movement to stop him, had seized a pistol from his holster and
discharged it full at his breast.
The officer in command of the detachment hastened up on hearing the report.
The soldiers would have cut the unfortunate Nicholas to pieces, but at a sign
from their officer, he was bound instead, placed across a horse, and the
detachment galloped off.
The rope which fastened Michael, gnawed through by him, broke by the sudden
start of the horse, and the halftipsy rider galloped on without perceiving
that his prisoner had escaped.
Michael and Nadia found themselves alone on the road.
CHAPTER IX IN THE STEPPE
MICHAEL STROGOFF and Nadia were once more as free as they had been in the
journey from Perm to the banks of the Irtych. But how the conditions under
which they traveled were altered! Then, a comfortable tarantass, fresh horses,
wellkept posthorses assured the rapidity of their journey. Now they were on
foot; it was utterly impossible to procure any other means of locomotion, they
were without resources, not knowing how to obtain even food, and they had
still nearly three hundred miles to go! Moreover, Michael could now only see
with Nadia's eyes.
As to the friend whom chance had given them, they had just lost him, and
fearful might be his fate. Michael had thrown himself down under the brushwood [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]