TheyhadnowonlytodescendtheUralslopes，indoingwhichtherewasnottheslightestdifficulty。
Sixhoursafterwardsthetwovehicles，thetarantassprecedingthetelga，arrivedatEkaterenburg，nothingworthyofnotehavinghappenedinthedescent。
Thefirstpersonthereportersperceivedatthedoorofthepost-housewastheiriemschik，whoappearedtobewaitingforthem。
ThisworthyRussianhadafineopencountenance，andhesmilinglyapproachedthetravelers，and，holdingouthishand，inaquiettonehedemandedtheusual“pour-boire。“
ThisverycoolrequestrousedBlount’siretoitshighestpitch，andhadnottheiemschikprudentlyretreated，astraight-outblowofthefist，intrueBritishboxingstyle，wouldhavepaidhisclaimof“navodkou。“
AlcideJolivet，atthisburstofanger，laughedashehadneverlaughedbefore。
“Butthepoordevilisquiteright！“hecried。
“Heisperfectlyright，mydearfellow。Itisnothisfaultifwedidnotknowhowtofollowhim！“
Thendrawingseveralcopecksfromhispocket，“Heremyfriend，“
saidhe，handingthemtotheiemschik；“takethem。
Ifyouhavenotearnedthem，thatisnotyourfault。“
ThisredoubledMr。Blount’sirritation。Heevenbegantospeakofalawsuitagainsttheownerofthetelga。
“AlawsuitinRussia，mydearfellow！“criedAlcide。“Thingsmustindeedchangeshoulditeverbebroughttoaconclusion！
Didyouneverhearthestoryofthewet-nursewhoclaimedpaymentoftwelvemonths’nursingofsomepoorlittleinfant？“
“Ineverheardit，“repliedHarryBlount。
“Thenyoudonotknowwhatthatsucklinghadbecomebythetimejudgmentwasgiveninfavorofthenurse？“
“Whatwashe，pray？“
“ColoneloftheImperialGuard！“
Atthisreplyallburstintoalaugh。
Alcide，enchantedwithhisownjoke，drewouthisnotebook，andinitwrotethefollowingmemorandum，destinedtofigureinaforthcomingFrenchandRussiandictionary:
“Telga，aRussiancarriagewithfourwheels，thatiswhenitstarts；
withtwowheels，whenitarrivesatitsdestination。“
CHAPTERXIIPROVOCATION
EKATERENBURG，geographically，isanAsiaticcity；foritissituatedbeyondtheUralMountains，onthefarthesteasternslopesofthechain。
Nevertheless，itbelongstothegovernmentofPerm；and，consequently，isincludedinoneofthegreatdivisionsofEuropeanRussia。ItisasthoughamorselofSiberialayinRussianjaws。
NeitherMichaelnorhiscompanionswerelikelytoexperiencetheslightestdifficultyinobtainingmeansofcontinuingtheirjourneyinsolargeatownasEkaterenburg。Itwasfoundedin1723，andhassincebecomeaplaceofconsiderablesize，forinitisthechiefmintoftheempire。Therealsoaretheheadquartersoftheofficialsemployedinthemanagementofthemines。
Thusthetownisthecenterofanimportantdistrict，aboundinginmanufactoriesprincipallyfortheworkingandrefiningofgoldandplatina。
JustnowthepopulationofEkaterenburghadgreatlyincreased；
manyRussiansandSiberians，menacedbytheTartarinvasion，havingcollectedthere。Thus，thoughithadbeensotroublesomeamattertofindhorsesandvehicleswhengoingtoEkaterenburg，therewasnodifficultyinleavingit；forunderpresentcircumstancesfewtravelerscaredtoventureontheSiberianroads。
SoithappenedthatBlountandAlcidehadnottheslightesttroubleinreplacing，byasoundtelga，thefamousdemi-carriagewhichhadmanagedtotakethemtoEkaterenburg。AstoMichael，heretainedhistarantass，whichwasnotmuchtheworseforitsjourneyacrosstheUrals；
andhehadonlytoharnessthreegoodhorsestoittotakehimswiftlyovertheroadtoIrkutsk。
AsfarasTioumen，andevenuptoNovo-Zaimskoe，thisroadhasslightinclines，whichgentleundulationsarethefirstsignsoftheslopesoftheUralMountains。ButafterNovo-Zaimskoebeginstheimmensesteppe。
AtIchim，aswehavesaid，thereportersintendedtostop，thatisataboutfourhundredandtwentymilesfromEkaterenburg。Theretheyintendedtobeguidedbycircumstancesastotheirrouteacrosstheinvadedcountry，eithertogetherorseparately，accordingastheirnews-huntinginstinctsetthemononetrackoranother。
ThisroadfromEkaterenburgtoIchim——whichpassesthroughIrkutsk——
wastheonlyonewhichMichaelcouldtake。But，ashedidnotrunafternews，andwished，onthecontrary，toavoidthecountrydevastatedbytheinvaders，hedeterminedtostopnowhere。
“Iamveryhappytomakepartofmyjourneyinyourcompany，“
saidhetohisnewcompanions，“butImusttellyouthatIammostanxioustoreachOmsk；formysisterandIaregoingtorejoinourmother。
WhocansaywhetherweshallarrivebeforetheTartarsreachthetown！
Imustthereforestopatthepost-housesonlylongenoughtochangehorses，andmusttraveldayandnight。“
“Thatisexactlywhatweintenddoing，“repliedBlount。
“Good，“repliedMichael；“butdonotloseaninstant。
Buyorhireacarriagewhose——“
“Whosehindwheels，“addedAlcide，“arewarrantedtoarriveatthesametimeasitsfrontwheels。“
HalfanhourafterwardstheenergeticFrenchmanhadfoundatarantassinwhichheandhiscompanionatonceseatedthemselves。
MichaelandNadiaoncemoreenteredtheirowncarriage，andattwelveo’clockthetwovehiclesleftthetownofEkaterenburgtogether。
NadiawasatlastinSiberia，onthatlongroadwhichledtoIrkutsk。Whatmustthenhavebeenthethoughtsoftheyounggirl？
Threestrongswifthorsesweretakingheracrossthatlandofexilewhereherparentwascondemnedtolive，forhowlongsheknewnot，andsofarfromhisnativeland。Butshescarcelynoticedthoselongsteppesoverwhichthetarantasswasrolling，andwhichatonetimeshehaddespairedofeverseeing，forhereyesweregazingatthehorizon，beyondwhichsheknewherbanishedfatherwas。Shesawnothingofthecountryacrosswhichshewastravelingattherateoffifteenverstsanhour；
nothingoftheseregionsofWesternSiberia，sodifferentfromthoseoftheeast。Here，indeed，werefewcultivatedfields；
thesoilwaspoor，atleastatthesurface，butinitsbowelslayhidquantitiesofiron，copper，platina，andgold。
Howcanhandsbefoundtocultivatetheland，whenitpaysbettertoburrowbeneaththeearth？Thepickaxeiseverywhereatwork；
thespadenowhere。
However，Nadia’sthoughtssometimeslefttheprovincesofLakeBaikal，andreturnedtoherpresentsituation。
Herfather’simagefadedaway，andwasreplacedbythatofhergenerouscompanionashefirstappearedontheVladimirrailroad。
Sherecalledhisattentionsduringthatjourney，hisarrivalatthepolice-station，theheartysimplicitywithwhichhehadcalledhersister，hiskindnesstoherinthedescentoftheVolga，andthenallthathedidforheronthatterriblenightofthestormintheUrals，whenhesavedherlifeattheperilofhisown。
ThusNadiathoughtofMichael。ShethankedGodforhavinggivenhersuchagallantprotector，afriendsogenerousandwise。
Sheknewthatshewassafewithhim，underhisprotection。
Nobrothercouldhavedonemorethanhe。Allobstaclesseemedclearedaway；theperformanceofherjourneywasbutamatteroftime。
Michaelremainedburiedinthought。HealsothankedGodforhavingbroughtaboutthismeetingwithNadia，whichatthesametimeenabledhimtodoagoodaction，andaffordedhimadditionalmeansforconcealinghistruecharacter。
Hedelightedintheyounggirl’scalmintrepidity。
Wasshenotindeedhissister？Hisfeelingtowardshisbeautifulandbravecompanionwasratherrespectthanaffection。
Hefeltthatherswasoneofthosepureandrareheartswhichareheldbyallinhighesteem。
However，Michael’sdangerswerenowbeginning，sincehehadreachedSiberianground。Ifthereporterswerenotmistaken，ifIvanOgareffhadreallypassedthefrontier，allhisactionsmustbemadewithextremecaution。Thingswerenowaltered；
TartarspiesswarmedintheSiberianprovinces。Hisincognitooncediscovered，hischaracterascourieroftheCzarknown，therewasanendofhisjourney，andprobablyofhislife。
Michaelfeltnowmorethanevertheweightofhisresponsibility。
Whilesuchwerethethoughtsofthoseoccupyingthefirstcarriage，whatwashappeninginthesecond？Nothingoutoftheway。
Alcidespokeinsentences；Blountrepliedbymonosyllables。
Eachlookedateverythinginhisownlight，andmadenotesofsuchincidentsasoccurredonthejourney——fewandbutslightlyvaried——
whiletheycrossedtheprovincesofWesternSiberia。
AteachrelaythereportersdescendedfromtheircarriageandfoundthemselveswithMichael。Exceptwhenmealsweretobetakenatthepost-houses，Nadiadidnotleavethetarantass。
Whenobligedtobreakfastordine，shesatattable，butwasalwaysveryreserved，andseldomjoinedinconversation。
Alcide，withoutgoingbeyondthelimitsofstrictpropriety，showedthathewasgreatlystruckbytheyounggirl。
Headmiredthesilentenergywhichsheshowedinbearingallthefatiguesofsodifficultajourney。
TheforcedstoppageswereanythingbutagreeabletoMichael；
sohehastenedthedepartureateachrelay，rousedtheinnkeepers，urgedontheiemschiks，andexpeditedtheharnessingofthetarantass。
Thenthehurriedmealover——alwaysmuchtoohurriedtoagreewithBlount，whowasamethodicaleater——theystarted，andweredrivenaseagles，fortheypaidlikeprinces。
ItneedscarcelybesaidthatBlountdidnottroublehimselfaboutthegirlattable。Thatgentlemanwasnotinthehabitofdoingtwothingsatonce。Shewasalsooneofthefewsubjectsofconversationwhichhedidnotcaretodiscusswithhiscompanion。
Alcidehavingaskedhim，ononeoccasion，howoldhethoughtthegirl，“Whatgirl？“hereplied，quiteseriously。