struggle of the Croatia elements was approaching.
The night passed without incident. Notwithstanding the jolting of the tarantass, Nadia was able to sleep for some hours. The hood was partly Cristian Zapata Drakter raised so as to give as much air as there was in the stifling atmosphere.
Michael kept awake all night, mistrusting the iemschiks, who are apt to sleep at their posts. Not an hour was lost at the relays, not an hour on the road.
The next day, the 20th of July, at about eight o’clock in the morning, they caught the first glimpse of the Munir El Haddadi Drakter Ural Mountains in the east. This important chain which separates Russia from Siberia was still at a great distance, and they could not hope to reach it until the end of the day. The passage of Denis Cheryshev Drakter the mountains must necessarily be performed during the next night. The sky was cloudy all day, and the temperature was Marco Parolo Drakter therefore more bearable, but the weather was very threatening.
It would perhaps have been more prudent not to have ascended the mountains during the night, and Michael would not have done so, had he been permitted to wait; but when, at the last stage, the iemschik drew his attention to a peal of thunder Jerome Boateng Drakter reverberating among the rocks, he merely said:
“Is a Allie Long Drakter telga still before us?”
“Yes.”
“How long is it in advance?”
“Nearly an hour.”
“Forward, and a triple tip if we are at Ekaterenburg to-morrow morning.”
Chapter X
A Storm in the Ural Mountains
THE Ural Mountains extend in a length of over two thousand miles between Europe and Asia. Whether they are Rey Manaj Drakter called the Urals, which is the Tartar, or the Poyas, which is the Russian name, they are correctly so termed; for these names signify “belt” in both languages. Rising on the shores of the Arctic Sea, they reach the borders of the Caspian. This was the barrier to be crossed by Michael Strogoff before he could enter Siberian Russia. The mountains could be crossed in one night, if no accident happened. Unfortunately, thunder muttering in the distance announced that Enzo Roco Drakter a storm was at hand. The electric tension was such that it could not be dispersed without a tremendous explosion, which in the peculiar state of the atmosphere would be very terrible.
Michael took care that his young companion should be as well protected as possible. The hood, which might have been easily blown away, was fastened more securely with ropes, crossed above and at the back. The traces were doubled, and, as an additional precaution, the nave-boxes were stuffed with straw, as much to increase the strength of the wheels as to lessen the jolting, unavoidable on a dark night. Lastly, the fore and hinder parts, connected simply by the axles to the body of the tarantass, were joined one to the other by a crossbar, fixed by means of pins and screws.
Nadia resumed her place Sergio Aguero Drakter in the cart, and Michael took his seat beside her. Before the lowered hood hung two leathern curtains, which Sandro Ramirez Drakter would in some degree protect the travelers against the wind and rain. Two great lanterns, suspended from the iemschik’s seat, Georginio Wijnaldum Drakter threw a pale glimmer scarcely sufficient to light links:
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