Previous  - next

of Krasnoiarsk. It is a boundless plain, a vast grassy desert;
earth and sky here form a circle as distinct as that traced
by a sweep of the compasses. The steppe presents nothing
to attract notice but the long line of the telegraph posts,
their wires vibrating in the breeze like the strings of a harp.
The road could be distinguished from the rest of the plain only by
the clouds of fine dust which rose under the wheels of the tarantass.
Had it not been for this white riband, which stretched away as far
as the eye could reach, the travelers might have thought themselves
in a desert.

Michael and his companions again pressed rapidly forward.
The horses, urged on by the iemschik, seemed to fly over the ground,
for there was not the slightest obstacle to impede them.
The tarantass was going straight for Ichim, where the two
correspondents intended to stop, if nothing happened to make
them alter their plans.

A hundred and twenty miles separated Novo-Saimsk from the town
of Ichim, and before eight o'clock the next evening the distance
could and should be accomplished if no time was lost.
In the opinion of the iemschiks, should the travelers not be
great lords or high functionaries, they were worthy of being so,
if it was only for their generosity in the matter of "na vodkou."

On the afternoon of the next day, the 23rd of July, the two carriages
were not more than thirty versts from Ichim. Suddenly Michael caught
sight of a carriage--scarcely visible among the clouds of dust--
preceding them along the road. As his horses were evidently less
fatigued than those of the other traveler, he would not be long
in overtaking it. This was neither a tarantass nor a telga,
but a post-berlin, which looked as if it had made a long journey.
The postillion was thrashing his horses with all his might,
and only kept them at a gallop by dint of abuse and blows.
The berlin had certainly not passed through Novo-Saimsk, and could
only have struck the Irkutsk road by some less frequented route
across the steppe.

Our travelers' first thought, on seeing this berlin, was to get in front
of it, and arrive first at the relay, so as to make sure of fresh horses.
They said a word to their iemschiks, who soon brought them up
with the berlin.

Michael Strogoff came up first. As he passed, a head was thrust
out of the window of the berlin.

He had not time to see what it was like, but as he dashed by he distinctly
heard this word, uttered in an imperious tone: "Stop!"

But they did not stop; on the contrary, the berlin was soon distanced
by the two tarantasses.

It now became a regular race; for the horses of the berlin--
no doubt excited by the sight and pace of the others--
recovered their strength and kept up for some minutes.
The three carriages were hidden in a cloud of dust.
From this cloud issued the cracking of whips mingled with excited
shouts and exclamations of anger.

Nevertheless, the advantage remained with Michael and his companions,

Previous  - next