ords.

This is what he heard, and what caused him some surprise: "Are you
coming back, blockhead?"

"You shall have a taste of the knout at the next stage."

"Do you hear, you devil's postillion! Hullo! Below!"

"This is how a carriage takes you in this country!"

"Yes, this is what you call a telga!"

"Oh, that abominable driver! He goes on and does not appear to have
discovered that he has left us behind!"

"To deceive me, too! Me, an honorable Englishman! I will make a
complaint at the chancellor's office and have the fellow hanged."

This was said in a very angry tone, but was suddenly interrupted by a
burst of laughter from his companion, who exclaimed, "Well! this is a
good joke, I must say."

"You venture to laugh!" said the Briton angrily.

"Certainly, my dear confrere, and that most heartily. 'Pon my word I
never saw anything to come up to it."

Just then a crashing clap of thunder re-echoed through the defile, and
then died away among the distant peaks. When the sound of the last growl
had ceased, the merry voice went on: "Yes, it undoubtedly is a good
joke. This machine certainly never came from France."

"Nor from England," replied the other.

On the road, by the light of the flashes, Michael saw, twenty yards from
him, two travelers, seated side by side in a most peculiar vehicle, the
wheels of which were deeply imbedded in the ruts formed in the road.

He approached them, the one grinning from ear to ear, and the other
gloomily contemplating his situation, and recognized them as the two
reporters who had been his companions on board the Caucasus.

"Good-morning to you, sir," cried the Frenchman. "Delighted to see you
here. Let me introduce you to my intimate enemy, Mr. Blount."

The English reporter bowed, and was about to introduce in his turn his
companion, Alcide Jolivet, in accordance with the rules of society, when
Michael interrupted him.

"Perfectly unnecessary, sir; we already know each other, for we traveled
together on the Volga."

"Ah, yes! exactly so! Mr.--"

"Nicholas Korpanoff, merchant, of Irkutsk. But may I know what has
happened which, though a misfortune to your companion, amuses you so
much?"

"Certainly, Mr. Korpanoff," replied Alcide. "Fancy! our driver has gone
off with the front part of this confounded carriage, and left us quietly
seated in the back part! So here we are in the worse half of a telga; no
driver, no horses. Is it not a joke?"

"No joke at all