ay.
The passage of the mountains must necessarily be performed during
the next night. The sky was cloudy all day, and the temperature was
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 reverberating among the rocks, he
merely said:

"Is a 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 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 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 in the cart, and Michael took his seat beside
her. Before the lowered hood hung two leathern curtains, which would in
some degree protect the travelers against the wind and rain. Two great
lanterns, suspended from the iemschik's seat, threw a pale glimmer
scarcely sufficient to light the way, but serving as warning lights to
prevent any other carriage from running into them.

It was