“Letthemputthehorsestoassoonaspossible。“
MichaelandNadia，resolvednottostopevenforanhour，traveledallnight。Theweathercontinuedfine，thoughtheatmospherewasheavyandbecomingchargedwithelectricity。
Itwastobehopedthatastormwouldnotburstwhilsttheywereamongthemountains，forthereitwouldbeterrible。
Beingaccustomedtoreadatmosphericsigns，MichaelStrogoffknewthatastruggleoftheelementswasapproaching。
Thenightpassedwithoutincident。Notwithstandingthejoltingofthetarantass，Nadiawasabletosleepforsomehours。
Thehoodwaspartlyraisedsoastogiveasmuchairastherewasinthestiflingatmosphere。
Michaelkeptawakeallnight，mistrustingtheiemschiks，whoareapttosleepattheirposts。Notanhourwaslostattherelays，notanhourontheroad。
Thenextday，the20thofJuly，atabouteighto’clockinthemorning，theycaughtthefirstglimpseoftheUralMountainsintheeast。
ThisimportantchainwhichseparatesRussiafromSiberiawasstillatagreatdistance，andtheycouldnothopetoreachituntiltheendoftheday。Thepassageofthemountainsmustnecessarilybeperformedduringthenextnight。Theskywascloudyallday，andthetemperaturewasthereforemorebearable，buttheweatherwasverythreatening。
Itwouldperhapshavebeenmoreprudentnottohaveascendedthemountainsduringthenight，andMichaelwouldnothavedoneso，hadhebeenpermittedtowait；butwhen，atthelaststage，theiemschikdrewhisattentiontoapealofthunderreverberatingamongtherocks，hemerelysaid:
“Isatelgastillbeforeus？“
“Yes。“
“Howlongisitinadvance？“
“Nearlyanhour。“
“Forward，andatripletipifweareatEkaterenburgto-morrowmorning。“
THEUralMountainsextendinalengthofovertwothousandmilesbetweenEuropeandAsia。WhethertheyarecalledtheUrals，whichistheTartar，orthePoyas，whichistheRussianname，theyarecorrectlysotermed；forthesenamessignify“belt“
inbothlanguages。RisingontheshoresoftheArcticSea，theyreachthebordersoftheCaspian。ThiswasthebarriertobecrossedbyMichaelStrogoffbeforehecouldenterSiberianRussia。Themountainscouldbecrossedinonenight，ifnoaccidenthappened。Unfortunately，thundermutteringinthedistanceannouncedthatastormwasathand。
Theelectrictensionwassuchthatitcouldnotbedispersedwithoutatremendousexplosion，whichinthepeculiarstateoftheatmospherewouldbeveryterrible。
Michaeltookcarethathisyoungcompanionshouldbeaswellprotectedaspossible。Thehood，whichmighthavebeeneasilyblownaway，wasfastenedmoresecurelywithropes，crossedaboveandattheback。
Thetracesweredoubled，and，asanadditionalprecaution，thenave-boxeswerestuffedwithstraw，asmuchtoincreasethestrengthofthewheelsastolessenthejolting，unavoidableonadarknight。
Lastly，theforeandhinderparts，connectedsimplybytheaxlestothebodyofthetarantass，werejoinedonetotheotherbyacrossbar，fixedbymeansofpinsandscrews。
Nadiaresumedherplaceinthecart，andMichaeltookhisseatbesideher。Beforetheloweredhoodhungtwoleatherncurtains，whichwouldinsomedegreeprotectthetravelersagainstthewindandrain。Twogreatlanterns，suspendedfromtheiemschik’sseat，threwapaleglimmerscarcelysufficienttolighttheway，butservingaswarninglightstopreventanyothercarriagefromrunningintothem。
Itwaswellthatalltheseprecautionsweretaken，inexpectationofaroughnight。Theroadledthemuptowardsdensemassesofclouds，andshouldthecloudsnotsoonresolveintorain，thefogwouldbesuchthatthetarantasswouldbeunabletoadvancewithoutdangeroffallingoversomeprecipice。
TheUralchaindoesnotattainanyverygreatheight，thehighestsummitnotbeingmorethanfivethousandfeet。
Eternalsnowisthereunknown，andwhatispiledupbytheSiberianwinterissoonmeltedbythesummersun。
Shrubsandtreesgrowtoaconsiderableheight。
Theironandcoppermines，aswellasthoseofpreciousstones，drawaconsiderablenumberofworkmentothatregion。
Also，thosevillagestermed“gavody“aretheremetwithprettyfrequently，andtheroadthroughthegreatpassesiseasilypracticableforpost-carriages。
Butwhatiseasyenoughinfineweatherandbroaddaylight，offersdifficultiesandperilswhentheelementsareengagedinfiercewarfare，andthetravelerisinthemidstofit。
MichaelStrogoffknewfromformerexperiencewhatastorminthemountainswas，andperhapsthiswouldbeasterribleasthesnowstormswhichburstforthwithsuchvehemenceinthewinter。
Rainwasnotyetfalling，soMichaelraisedtheleatherncurtainswhichprotectedtheinteriorofthetarantassandlookedout，watchingthesidesoftheroad，peopledwithfantasticshadows，causedbythewaveringlightofthelanterns。Nadia，motionless，herarmsfolded，gazedforthalso，thoughwithoutleaningforward，whilsthercompanion，hisbodyhalfoutofthecarriage，examinedbothskyandearth。
Thecalmnessoftheatmospherewasverythreatening，theairbeingperfectlystill。ItwasjustasifNaturewerehalfstifled，andcouldnolongerbreathe；herlungs，thatistosaythosegloomy，denseclouds，notbeingabletoperformtheirfunctions。
Thesilencewouldhavebeencompletebutforthegrindingsofthewheelsofthetarantassovertheroad，thecreakingoftheaxles，thesnortingofthehorses，andtheclatteringoftheirironhoofsamongthepebbles，sparksflyingoutoneveryside。
Theroadwasperfectlydeserted。Thetarantassencounteredneitherpedestriansnorhorsemen，noravehicleofanydescription，inthenarrowdefilesoftheUral，onthisthreateningnight。
Noteventhefireofacharcoal-burnerwasvisibleinthewoods，notanencampmentofminersnearthemines，notahutamongthebrushwood。
Underthesepeculiarcircumstancesitmighthavebeenallowabletopostponethejourneytillthemorning。
MichaelStrogoff，however，hadnothesitated，hehadnorighttostop，butthen——anditbegantocausehimsomeanxiety——
whatpossiblereasoncouldthosetravelersinthetelgaaheadhaveforbeingsoimprudent？
Michaelremainedthusonthelook-outforsometime。
Abouteleveno’clocklightningbegantoblazecontinuouslyinthesky。
Theshadowsofhugepinesappearedanddisappearedintherapidlight。
Sometimeswhenthetarantassnearedthesideoftheroad，deepgulfs，litupbytheflashes，couldbeseenyawningbeneaththem。
Fromtimetotime，ontheirvehiclegivingaworselurchthanusual，theyknewthattheywerecrossingabridgeofroughly-hewnplanksthrownoversomechasm，thunderappearingactuallytoberumblingbelowthem。Besidesthis，aboomingsoundfilledtheair，whichincreasedastheymountedhigher。Withthesedifferentnoisesrosetheshoutsoftheiemschik，sometimesscolding，sometimescoaxinghispoorbeasts，whoweresufferingmorefromtheoppressionoftheairthantheroughnessoftheroads。
Eventhebellsontheshaftscouldnolongerrousethem，andtheystumbledeveryinstant。
“Atwhattimeshallwereachthetopoftheridge？“askedMichaeloftheiemschik。
“Atoneo’clockinthemorningifweevergetthereatall，“
repliedhe，withashakeofhishead。
“Why，myfriend，thiswillnotbeyourfirststorminthemountains，willit？“
“No，andprayGoditmaynotbemylast！“
“Areyouafraid？“
“No，I’mnotafraid，butIrepeatthatIthinkyouwerewronginstarting。“
“IshouldhavebeenstillmorewronghadIstayed。“
“Holdup，mypigeons！“criedtheiemschik；itwashisbusinesstoobey，nottoquestion。
Justthenadistantnoisewasheard，shrillwhistlingthroughtheatmosphere，socalmaminutebefore。
Bythelightofadazzlingflash，almostimmediatelyfollowedbyatremendousclapofthunder，Michaelcouldseehugepinesonahighpeak，bendingbeforetheblast。Thewindwasunchained，butasyetitwastheupperairalonewhichwasdisturbed。
Successivecrashesshowedthatmanyofthetreeshadbeenunabletoresisttheburstofthehurricane。Anavalancheofshatteredtrunkssweptacrosstheroadanddashedovertheprecipiceontheleft，twohundredfeetinfrontofthetarantass。
Thehorsesstoppedshort。
“Getup，myprettydoves！“criedtheiemschik，addingthecrackingofhiswhiptotherumblingofthethunder。
MichaeltookNadia’shand。“Areyouasleep，sister？“
“No，brother。“
“Bereadyforanything；herecomesthestorm！“
“Iamready。“
MichaelStrogoffhadonlyjusttimetodrawtheleatherncurtains，whenthestormwasuponthem。
Theiemschikleaptfromhisseatandseizedthehorses’
heads，forterribledangerthreatenedthewholeparty。
Thetarantasswasatastandstillataturningoftheroad，downwhichsweptthehurricane；itwasabsolutelynecessarytoholdtheanimals’headstothewind，forifthecarriagewastakenbroadsideitmustinfalliblycapsizeandbedashedovertheprecipice。Thefrightenedhorsesreared，andtheirdrivercouldnotmanagetoquietthem。Hisfriendlyexpressionshadbeensucceededbythemostinsultingepithets。
Nothingwasofanyuse。Theunfortunateanimals，blindedbythelightning，terrifiedbytheincessantpealsofthunder，threatenedeveryinstanttobreaktheirtracesandflee。
Theiemschikhadnolongeranycontroloverhisteam。
AtthatmomentMichaelStrogoffthrewhimselffromthetarantassandrushedtohisassistance。Endowedwithmorethancommonstrength，hemanaged，thoughnotwithoutdifficulty，tomasterthehorses。
Thestormnowragedwithredoubledfury。Aperfectavalancheofstonesandtrunksoftreesbegantorolldowntheslopeabovethem。
“Wecannotstophere，“saidMichael。
“Wecannotstopanywhere，“returnedtheiemschik，allhisenergiesapparentlyovercomebyterror。“Thestormwillsoonsendustothebottomofthemountain，andthatbytheshortestway。“
“Takeyouthathorse，coward，“returnedMichael，“I’lllookafterthisone。“
Afreshburstofthestorminterruptedhim。Thedriverandhewereobligedtocrouchuponthegroundtoavoidbeingblowndown。
Thecarriage，notwithstandingtheireffortsandthoseofthehorses，wasgraduallyblownback，andhaditnotbeenstoppedbythetrunkofatree，itwouldhavegoneovertheedgeoftheprecipice。
“Donotbeafraid，Nadia！“criedMichaelStrogoff。
“I’mnotafraid，“repliedtheyoungLivonian，hervoicenotbetrayingtheslightestemotion。
Therumblingofthethunderceasedforaninstant，theterribleblasthadsweptpastintothegorgebelow。
“Willyougoback？“saidtheiemschik。
“No，wemustgoon！Oncepastthisturning，weshallhavetheshelteroftheslope。“
“Butthehorseswon’tmove！“
“DoasIdo，anddragthemon。“
“Thestormwillcomeback！“
“Doyoumeantoobey？“
“Doyouorderit？“