“Never mind. And now, McShane, there are two words which the consul has told me to make use of: one is Scoro, and when you say that, it means ‘Go fast,’ and you hold up a small bit of money at the same time.”
“Scoro! well, that’s a word I sha’n’t forget.”
“But, then, there’s another, which is Scorae.”
“And what may be the English of that?”
“Why, that means ‘Go faster,’ and with that you hold up a larger piece of money.”
“Why, then, it’s no use remembering Scoro at all, for Scorae will do much better; so we need not burden ourselves with the first at all. Suppose we try the effect of that last word upon our bear-skin friend who is driving!”
McShane held up a rouble, and called out to the driver—“Scorae!” The fellow turned his head, smiled, and lashed his horses until they were at the full speed, and then looked back at them for approval.
“By the powers, that’s no fool of a word! it will take us all the way to Saint Petersburg as fast as we wish.”
“We do not sleep on the road, but travel night and day,” said O’Donahue, “for there is no place worth sleeping at.”
“And the ’ating, O’Donahue?”