ied from four to five weeks, even though every
available means of transport was placed at the disposal of the Czar's
messengers.

Michael Strogoff was a man who feared neither frost nor snow. He would
have preferred traveling during the severe winter season, in order that
he might perform the whole distance by sleighs. At that period of the
year the difficulties which all other means of locomotion present are
greatly diminished, the wide steppes being leveled by snow, while there
are no rivers to cross, but simply sheets of glass, over which the
sleigh glides rapidly and easily.

Perhaps certain natural phenomena are most to be feared at that time,
such as long-continuing and dense fogs, excessive cold, fearfully heavy
snow-storms, which sometimes envelop whole caravans and cause their
destruction. Hungry wolves also roam over the plain in thousands. But
it would have been better for Michael Strogoff to face these risks; for
during the winter the Tartar invaders would have been stationed in the
towns, any movement of their troops would have been impracticable, and
he could consequently have more easily performed his journey. But it
was not in his power to choose either weather or time. Whatever the
circumstances, he must accept them and set out.

Such were the difficulties which Michael Strogoff boldly confronted and
prepared to encounter.

In the first place, he must not travel as a courier of the Czar usually
would. No one must even suspect what he really was. Spies swarm in a
rebellious country; let him be recognized, and his mission would be in
danger. Also, while supplying him with a large sum of money, which was
sufficient for his journey, and would facilitate it in some measure,
General Kissoff had not given him any document notifying that he was on
the Emperor's service, which is the Sesame par excellence. He contented
himself with furnishing him with a "podorojna."

This podorojna was made out in the name of Nicholas Korpanoff, merchant,
living at Irkutsk. It authorized Nicholas Korpanoff to be accompanied
by one or more persons, and, moreover, it was, by special notification,
made available in the event of the Muscovite government forbidding
natives of any other countries to leave Russia.

The podorojna is simply a permission to take post-horses; but Michael
Strogoff was not to use it unless he was sure that by so doing he would
not excite suspicion as to his mission, that is to say, whilst he was
on Eu