"How, pray, are we to go on?" asked Blount.
"That is the easiest thing in the world," replied Alcide. "Go and harness yourself to what remains of our cart; I will take the reins, and call you my little pigeon, like a true iemschik, and you will trot off like a real post-horse."
"Mr. Jolivet," replied the Englishman, "this joking is going too far, it passes all limits and"
"Now do be quiet, my dear sir. When you are done up, I will take your place; and call me a broken-winded snail and faint-hearted tortoise if I don't take you over the ground at a rattling pace."
Alcide said all this with such perfect good-humor that Michael could not help smiling. "Gentlemen," said he, "here is a better plan. We have now reached the highest ridge of the Ural chain, and thus have merely to descend the slopes of the mountain. My carriage is close by, only two hundred yards behind. I will lend you one of my horses, harness it to the remains of the telga, and to-morhow, if no accident befalls us, we will arrive together at Ekaterenburg."
"That Mr. Korpanoff," said Alcide, "is indeed a generous proposal."
"Indeed, sir," replied Michael, "I would willingly offer you places in my tarantass, but it will only hold two, and my sister and I already fill it."
"Really, sir," answered Alcide, "with your horse and our demi-telga we will go to the world's end."
"Sir," said Harry Blount, "we most willingly accept your kind offer. And, as to that iemschik"
"Oh! I assure you that you are not the first travelers who have met with a similar misfortune," replied Michael.
"But why should not our driver come back? He knows perfectly well that he has left us behind, wretch that he is!"
"He! He never suspected such a thing."
"What! the fellow not know that he was leaving the better half of his telga behind?"
"Not a bit, and in all good faith is driving the fore part into Ekaterenburg."
"Did I not tell you that it was a good joke, confrère?" cried Alcide.
"Then, gentlemen, if you will follow me," said Michael, "we will return to my carriage, and"
