“Well, so much the better!” thought Alcide Jolivet, “to move others, one must be moved one’s self!
I believe there is some celebrated verse on the subject, but hang me if I can recollect it!”
And with his well-practiced eyes he endeavored to pierce the gloom of the river.
Every now and then a burst of light dispelling the darkness for a time, exhibited the banks under some fantastic aspect—either a forest on fire, or a still burning village.
The Angara was occasionally illuminated from one bank to the other.
The blocks of ice formed so many mirrors, which, reflecting the flames on every point and in every color, were whirled along by the caprice of the current.
The raft passed unperceived in the midst of these floating masses.
The danger was not at these points.
But a peril of another nature menaced the fugitives.
One that they could not foresee, and, above all, one that they could not avoid.
Chance discovered it to Alcide Jolivet in this way:—Lying at the right side of the raft, he let his hand hang over into the water.
Suddenly he was surprised by the impression made on it by the current. It seemed to be of a slimy consistency, as if it had been made of mineral oil.
Alcide, aiding his touch by his sense of smell, could not be mistaken.
It was really a layer of liquid naphtha, floating on the surface of the river!
Was the raft really floating on this substance, which is in the highest degree combustible?
Where had this naphtha come from?
Was it a natural phenomenon taking place on the surface of the Angara, or was it to serve as an engine of destruction, put in motion by the Tartars?
Did they intend to carry conflagration into Irkutsk?
Such were the questions which Alcide asked himself, but he thought it best to make this incident known only to Harry Blount, and they both agreed in not alarming their companions by revealing to them this new danger.
It is known that the soil of Central Asia is like a sponge impregnated with liquid hydrogen.
At the port of Bakou, on the Persian frontier, on the Caspian Sea, in Asia Minor, in China, on the Yuen-Kiang, in the Burman Empire, springs of mineral oil rise in thousands to the surface of the ground.
It is an “oil country,” similar to the one which bears this name in North America.
During certain religious festivals, principally at the port of Bakou, the natives, who are fire-worshipers, throw liquid naphtha on the surface of the sea, which buoys it up, its density being inferior to that of water.
Then at nightfall, when a layer of mineral oil is thus spread over the Caspian, they light it, and exhibit the matchless spectacle of an ocean of fire undulating and breaking into waves under the breeze.
But what is only a sign of rejoicing at Bakou, might prove a fearful disaster on the waters of the Angara.
Whether it was set on fire by malevolence or imprudence, in the twinkling of an eye a conflagration might spread beyond Irkutsk.
On board the raft no imprudence was to be feared; but everything was to be dreaded from the conflagrations on both banks of the Angara, for should a lighted straw or even a spark blow into the water, it would inevitably set the whole current of naphtha in a blaze.
The apprehensions of Jolivet and Blount may be better understood than described.
Would it not be prudent, in face of this new danger, to land on one of the banks and wait there?
“At any rate,” said Alcide, “whatever the danger may be, I know some one who will not land!”
He alluded to Michael Strogoff.
In the meantime, on glided the raft among the masses of ice which were gradually getting closer and closer together.
Up till then, no Tartar detachment had been seen, which showed that the raft was not abreast of the outposts.
At about ten o’clock, however, Harry Blount caught sight of a number of black objects moving on the ice blocks.
Springing from one to the other, they rapidly approached.
“Tartars!” he thought.
And creeping up to the old boatman, he pointed out to him the suspicious objects.
The old man looked attentively.
“They are only wolves!” said he.
“I like them better than Tartars.
But we must defend ourselves, and without noise!”
The fugitives would indeed have to defend themselves against these ferocious beasts, whom hunger and cold had sent roaming through the province.
They had smelt out the raft, and would soon attack it.
The fugitives must struggle without using firearms, for they could not now be far from the Tartar posts.
The women and children were collected in the middle of the raft, and the men, some armed with poles, others with their knives, stood prepared to repulse their assailants.
They did not make a sound, but the howls of the wolves filled the air.
Michael did not wish to remain inactive.
He lay down at the side attacked by the savage pack.
He drew his knife, and every time that a wolf passed within his reach, his hand found out the way to plunge his weapon into its throat.
Neither were Jolivet and Blount idle, but fought bravely with the brutes.