THEdistancebetweenMoscowandIrkutsk，abouttobetraversedbyMichaelStrogoff，wasthreethousandfourhundredmiles。
BeforethetelegraphwireextendedfromtheUralMountainstotheeasternfrontierofSiberia，thedispatchservicewasperformedbycouriers，thosewhotraveledthemostrapidlytakingeighteendaystogetfromMoscowtoIrkutsk。Butthiswastheexception，andthejourneythroughAsiaticRussiausuallyoccupiedfromfourtofiveweeks，eventhougheveryavailablemeansoftransportwasplacedatthedisposaloftheCzar’smessengers。
MichaelStrogoffwasamanwhofearedneitherfrostnorsnow。
Hewouldhavepreferredtravelingduringtheseverewinterseason，inorderthathemightperformthewholedistancebysleighs。
Atthatperiodoftheyearthedifficultieswhichallothermeansoflocomotionpresentaregreatlydiminished，thewidesteppesbeingleveledbysnow，whiletherearenoriverstocross，butsimplysheetsofglass，overwhichthesleighglidesrapidlyandeasily。
Perhapscertainnaturalphenomenaaremosttobefearedatthattime，suchaslong-continuinganddensefogs，excessivecold，fearfullyheavysnow-storms，whichsometimesenvelopwholecaravansandcausetheirdestruction。Hungrywolvesalsoroamovertheplaininthousands。
ButitwouldhavebeenbetterforMichaelStrogofftofacetheserisks；
forduringthewintertheTartarinvaderswouldhavebeenstationedinthetowns，anymovementoftheirtroopswouldhavebeenimpracticable，andhecouldconsequentlyhavemoreeasilyperformedhisjourney。
Butitwasnotinhispowertochooseeitherweatherortime。
Whateverthecircumstances，hemustacceptthemandsetout。
SuchwerethedifficultieswhichMichaelStrogoffboldlyconfrontedandpreparedtoencounter。
Inthefirstplace，hemustnottravelasacourieroftheCzarusuallywould。Noonemustevensuspectwhathereallywas。
Spiesswarminarebelliouscountry；lethimberecognized，andhismissionwouldbeindanger。Also，whilesupplyinghimwithalargesumofmoney，whichwassufficientforhisjourney，andwouldfacilitateitinsomemeasure，GeneralKissoffhadnotgivenhimanydocumentnotifyingthathewasontheEmperor’sservice，whichistheSesameparexcellence。
Hecontentedhimselfwithfurnishinghimwitha“podorojna。“
ThispodorojnawasmadeoutinthenameofNicholasKorpanoff，merchant，livingatIrkutsk。ItauthorizedNicholasKorpanofftobeaccompaniedbyoneormorepersons，and，moreover，itwas，byspecialnotification，madeavailableintheeventoftheMuscovitegovernmentforbiddingnativesofanyothercountriestoleaveRussia。
Thepodorojnaissimplyapermissiontotakepost-horses；
butMichaelStrogoffwasnottouseitunlesshewassurethatbysodoinghewouldnotexcitesuspicionastohismission，thatistosay，whilsthewasonEuropeanterritory。
TheconsequencewasthatinSiberia，whilsttraversingtheinsurgentprovinces，hewouldhavenopowerovertherelays，eitherinthechoiceofhorsesinpreferencetoothers，orindemandingconveyancesforhispersonaluse；neitherwasMichaelStrogofftoforgetthathewasnolongeracourier，butaplainmerchant，NicholasKorpanoff，travelingfromMoscowtoIrkutsk，and，assuchexposedtoalltheimpedimentsofanordinaryjourney。
Topassunknown，moreorlessrapidly，buttopasssomehow，suchwerethedirectionshehadreceived。
Thirtyyearspreviously，theescortofatravelerofrankconsistedofnotlessthantwohundredmountedCossacks，twohundredfoot-soldiers，twenty-fiveBaskirhorsemen，threehundredcamels，fourhundredhorses，twenty-fivewagons，twoportableboats，andtwopiecesofcannon。
AllthiswasrequisiteforajourneyinSiberia。
MichaelStrogoff，however，hadneithercannon，norhorsemen，norfoot-soldiers，norbeastsofburden。Hewouldtravelinacarriageoronhorseback，whenhecould；onfoot，whenhecouldnot。
Therewouldbenodifficultyingettingoverthefirstthousandmiles，thedistancebetweenMoscowandtheRussianfrontier。
Railroads，post-carriages，steamboats，relaysofhorses，wereateveryone’sdisposal，andconsequentlyatthedisposalofthecourieroftheCzar。
Accordingly，onthemorningofthe16thofJuly，havingdoffedhisuniform，withaknapsackonhisback，dressedinthesimpleRussiancostume——tightly-fittingtunic，thetraditionalbeltoftheMoujik，widetrousers，garteredattheknees，andhighboots——
MichaelStrogoffarrivedatthestationintimeforthefirsttrain。
Hecarriednoarms，openlyatleast，butunderhisbeltwashiddenarevolverandinhispocket，oneofthoselargeknives，resemblingbothacutlassandayataghan，withwhichaSiberianhuntercansoneatlydisembowelabear，withoutinjuringitspreciousfur。
AcrowdoftravelershadcollectedattheMoscowstation。
ThestationsontheRussianrailroadsaremuchusedasplacesformeeting，notonlybythosewhoareabouttoproceedbythetrain，butbyfriendswhocometoseethemoff。
Thestationresembles，fromthevarietyofcharactersassembled，asmallnewsexchange。
ThetraininwhichMichaeltookhisplacewastosethimdownatNijni-Novgorod。Thereterminatedatthattime，theironroadwhich，unitingMoscowandSt。Petersburg，hassincebeencontinuedtotheRussianfrontier。Itwasajourneyofunderthreehundredmiles，andthetrainwouldaccomplishitintenhours。
OncearrivedatNijni-Novgorod，StrogoffwouldeithertakethelandrouteorthesteamerontheVolga，soastoreachtheUralMountainsassoonaspossible。
MichaelStrogoffensconcedhimselfinhiscorner，likeaworthycitizenwhoseaffairsgowellwithhim，andwhoendeavorstokilltimebysleep。Nevertheless，ashewasnotaloneinhiscompartment，hesleptwithoneeyeopen，andlistenedwithbothhisears。
Infact，rumoroftherisingoftheKirghizhordes，andoftheTartarinvasionhadtranspiredinsomedegree。Theoccupantsofthecarriage，whomchancehadmadehistravelingcompanions，discussedthesubject，thoughwiththatcautionwhichhasbecomehabitualamongRussians，whoknowthatspiesareeveronthewatchforanytreasonableexpressionswhichmaybeuttered。
Thesetravelers，aswellasthelargenumberofpersonsinthetrain，weremerchantsontheirwaytothecelebratedfairofNijni-Novgorod；——averymixedassembly，composedofJews，Turks，Cossacks，Russians，Georgians，Kalmucks，andothers，butnearlyallspeakingthenationaltongue。
TheydiscussedtheprosandconsoftheseriouseventswhichweretakingplacebeyondtheUral，andthosemerchantsseemedtofearlestthegovernmentshouldbeledtotakecertainrestrictivemeasures，especiallyintheprovincesborderingonthefrontier——measuresfromwhichtradewouldcertainlysuffer。
Theyapparentlythoughtonlyofthestrugglefromthesinglepointofviewoftheirthreatenedinterests。Thepresenceofaprivatesoldier，cladinhisuniform——andtheimportanceofauniforminRussiaisgreat——wouldhavecertainlybeenenoughtorestrainthemerchants’tongues。ButinthecompartmentoccupiedbyMichaelStrogoff，therewasnoonewhoseemedamilitaryman，andtheCzar’scourierwasnotthepersontobetrayhimself。
Helistened，then。
“Theysaythatcaravanteasareup，“remarkedaPersian，knownbyhiscapofAstrakhanfur，andhisamplebrownrobe，wornthreadbarebyuse。
“Oh，there’snofearofteasfalling，“answeredanoldJewofsullenaspect。“ThoseinthemarketatNijni-NovgorodwillbeeasilyclearedoffbytheWest；but，unfortunately，itwon’tbethesamewithBokharacarpets。“
“What！areyouexpectinggoodsfromBokhara？“askedthePersian。
“No，butfromSamarcand，andthatisevenmoreexposed。
TheideaofreckoningontheexportsofacountryinwhichthekhansareinastateofrevoltfromKhivatotheChinesefrontier！“
“Well，“repliedthePersian，“ifthecarpetsdonotarrive，thedraftswillnotarriveeither，Isuppose。“
“Andtheprofits，FatherAbraham！“exclaimedthelittleJew，“doyoureckonthemasnothing？“
“Youareright，“saidanother；“goodsfromCentralAsiarunagreatriskinthemarket，anditwillbethesamewiththetallowandshawlsfromtheEast。“
“Why，lookout，littlefather，“saidaRussiantraveler，inabanteringtone；“you’llgreaseyourshawlsterriblyifyoumixthemupwithyourtallow。“
“Thatamusesyou，“sharplyansweredthemerchant，whohadlittlerelishforthatsortofjoke。
“Well，ifyoutearyourhair，orifyouthrowashesonyourhead，“
repliedthetraveler，“willthatchangethecourseofevents？
No；nomorethanthecourseoftheExchange。“
“Onecaneasilyseethatyouarenotamerchant，“observedthelittleJew。
“Faith，no，worthysonofAbraham！Isellneitherhops，noreider-down，norhoney，norwax，norhemp-seed，norsaltmeat，norcaviare，norwood，norwool，norribbons，nor，hemp，norflax，normorocco，norfurs。“
“Butdoyoubuythem？“askedthePersian，interruptingthetraveler’slist。
“AslittleasIcan，andonlyformyownprivateuse，“
answeredtheother，withawink。
“He’sawag，“saidtheJewtothePersian。
“Oraspy，“repliedtheother，loweringhisvoice。
“Wehadbettertakecare，andnotspeakmorethannecessary。
Thepolicearenotover-particularinthesetimes，andyounevercanknowwithwhomyouaretraveling。“
Inanothercornerofthecompartmenttheywerespeakinglessofmercantileaffairs，andmoreoftheTartarinvasionanditsannoyingconsequences。
“AllthehorsesinSiberiawillberequisitioned，“saidatraveler，“andcommunicationbetweenthedifferentprovincesofCentralAsiawillbecomeverydifficult。“
“Isittrue，“askedhisneighbor，“thattheKirghizofthemiddlehordehavejoinedtheTartars？“
“Soitissaid，“answeredthetraveler，loweringhisvoice；
“butwhocanflatterthemselvesthattheyknowanythingreallyofwhatisgoingoninthiscountry？“
“Ihaveheardspeakofaconcentrationoftroopsonthefrontier。
TheDonCossackshavealreadygatheredalongthecourseoftheVolga，andtheyaretobeopposedtotherebelKirghiz。“
“IftheKirghizdescendtheIrtish，theroutetoIrkutskwillnotbesafe，“observedhisneighbor。“Besides，yesterdayIwantedtosendatelegramtoKrasnoiarsk，anditcouldnotbeforwarded。
It’stobefearedthatbeforelongtheTartarcolumnswillhaveisolatedEasternSiberia。“
“Inshort，littlefather，“continuedthefirstspeaker，“thesemerchantshavegoodreasonforbeinguneasyabouttheirtradeandtransactions。
Afterrequisitioningthehorses，theywilltaketheboats，carriages，everymeansoftransport，untilpresentlynoonewillbeallowedtotakeevenonestepinalltheempire。“
“I’mmuchafraidthattheNijni-Novgorodfairwon’tendasbrilliantlyasithasbegun，“respondedtheother，shakinghishead。
“ButthesafetyandintegrityoftheRussianterritorybeforeeverything。
Businessisbusiness。“
Ifinthiscompartmentthesubjectofconversationvariedbutlittle——
nordidit，indeed，intheothercarriagesofthetrain——inallitmighthavebeenobservedthatthetalkersusedmuchcircumspection。
Whentheydidhappentoventureoutoftheregionoffacts，theyneverwentsofarastoattempttodivinetheintentionsoftheMuscovitegovernment，oreventocriticizethem。
Thiswasespeciallyremarkedbyatravelerinacarriageatthefrontpartofthetrain。Thisperson——evidentlyastranger——
madegooduseofhiseyes，andaskednumberlessquestions，towhichhereceivedonlyevasiveanswers。Everyminuteleaningoutofthewindow，whichhewouldkeepdown，tothegreatdisgustofhisfellow-travelers，helostnothingoftheviewstotheright。
Heinquiredthenamesofthemostinsignificantplaces，theirposition，whatweretheircommerce，theirmanufactures，thenumberoftheirinhabitants，theaveragemortality，etc。，andallthishewrotedowninanote-book，alreadyfull。
ThiswasthecorrespondentAlcideJolivet，andthereasonofhisputtingsomanyinsignificantquestionswas，thatamongstthemanyanswershereceived，hehopedtofindsomeinterestingfact“forhiscousin。“
But，naturallyenough，hewastakenforaspy，andnotawordtreatingoftheeventsofthedaywasutteredinhishearing。
Finding，therefore，thathecouldlearnnothingoftheTartarinvasion，hewroteinhisbook，“Travelersofgreatdiscretion。
Verycloseastopoliticalmatters。“
WhilstAlcideJolivetnoteddownhisimpressionsthusminutely，hisconfrere，inthesametrain，travelingforthesameobject，wasdevotinghimselftothesameworkofobservationinanothercompartment。NeitherofthemhadseeneachotherthatdayattheMoscowstation，andtheywereeachignorantthattheotherhadsetouttovisitthesceneofthewar。