The diamond drill., December 28, 1901, Image 7

About The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
.(
j
the Csar
1
K
V - vlMSk f ,
his companion lad been Ju-t following.
At the head of t lr detachment, com
posed of twenty horsemen, win an old
cor dressed In u v ry sit njilt uniform.
Altlioii.U ho glanced rapidly fr.un o;ie
Side to the other, ho could ti --1 Lae
seen Michael Strogoff uwliu' to his pro-'
: retreat.
c detachment went ut full 1 1 t Into
Iw.iarrow sired. Noltl.'T t? " dfh-tr
-wr his escort concerned themselves
about the Inhabitant s. Several unlucky
cinft had scarcely time to make way
for tin ir passage. There- wore there
fore, u few half stilled cries, t( which
tho thrusts ..f the lance gave an Intrant
reply, and the st root was Immediately
cieared.
When the escort hail .'.disappeared.
"Who 1h that oflicer?" 'naked 'MlthncJ
Strove If, returning toward tlx- t.:ujii;.
And while putting the quest km Ids' face
. was pale as that of a corpse.
"It Is Ivan Ogareff," replied tLe Sibe
rian, but la a th ep yoke whkh breath
ed haired.
'lie:" cried .Michael Strogoff, from
whom tho word escaped with nn neeetit
s.of fury which he could uot conquer.
'Mad 1uvt reeotrnlzm! In tlil r,flW-r
,tvckr who had struck him nt tho
ngj house of Ichlm, and. nlthouxh
e1;ad only caught a glimpse of him, it
hurst ujcu his mind at the same time
that this travthr was the old Zingari
wbo-'c words he had overheard in tlie
market place of MJnl Novgorod.
The muJIU and Michael resumed their
way and arrived at the posting house.
To have Omsk hy one of the broaches
would net be dillicult uftor nightfall.
As for purchasing a carriage to replace
the tarantass, that was Impossible.
There was no no to be let or sold. Put
what want had Mkhael StrogoiT now
for a carriage? Wa he not alone, alas?
A horn would sufllce him, and, very
fortunately, a horse could bo had. It
was an animal of mettle, capable of
enduring much fatigue, and Michael
StrogoCf, accomplished horseman as he
was, .could make pood use of It.
The horse cost a high price, and a
few moments later Michael was ready
to start. It was then 1 o'clock in the
afternoon.
) Michael StrogoiT, compeii.a to won
ill nightfall In order to ass the forti
fications, but not desiring to show him
self l:i the streets of Omsk, remained In
the posting house and thou partook of
Dod.
''Then.v was a great crowd l:i the pub
he room. It being the resort of numbers
f the azisltius Inhabitants, who at this
T'ltful period collected there to ob-
l")('vs. Th.ev were talking of the
1 arrival of a corps, of Musco-
.p, uot at Omsk, but at 'lomsk,
......... t l.r,
h Vtho Tartars of IVufar-Kahn. "
.had KtropjlT lent an attentive ear
all that Mas sahl, but took no part
)q the conversation.
(Suddenly a cry made him tremble, a
yry Which penetrated to the depths of
'lis tool, and these two words, ku to
) peak, rushed Into his ear:
M'My sonr
J''Ah mother, the old woman Marfa,
fvas before him! Trembling, nhe kiuII-
d upon him. She stretched forth h'T
inns to him. Michael Strooff arose.
Ie was about to throw himself
The thought of duty, the serious dan-
or for his mother and himself In this
ufortunato meetlnc. suddenly stopped
Im, and s'.ch was his command over
llmsclf that not a muscle of his face
Moved.
There were twenty people In the pub
c room. Anions them were perhaps
)!es, and wan ft net known In the
wit that the mii of Marfa Strooti'
longed to the corps of the couriers of
e czar?
Michael StrogoJT Iid not move.
"Michael T cried his mother.
'Who are you, my good lady?" Ml
ael SfrogolT tstammered. unable to
oak In Ids usual linn tone.
"Who am T, thou askest? Dost thou
i longer Know my iuoiuerf
('You are mlsUiken," coldly replied
ynol Strogoff. "A resemblance do-
i you.
JkTarfa went up to him and,
ht Into his eyes, said:
not the son of Peter and
i'a Strogoff?"
chad Strogoff would have given
life to have locked his mother In his
is, but if ho yielded It was all over
llh tier, with his mission.
(h his oath I Completely master cf
iscif, he closed his eyes In order not
ice the Inexpressible anguish which
tated the revered countenance of his
her. He drew back his hands In
r not to touch those trembling
ils which nought him.
do not know. In truth, what It Is
nay, my good woman," he replied,
ping back. ;.;-'..'
Ichaeir again cried his agrd motn-
ly name Is not Michael. I never
your son! 1 um Nicholas Korpa
a merchant of Irkutsk."
id SMi'-nly he U fi the public room,
l,i JLS time me w-iius n-ysi-y
four
chad S(-ogo.7, l y ft desperate f-
l.il go::", lie d d not se hU old
( who had fallen back almost in
y.ate v.pou a b; neh. Hut when the
u.i- icr 1. astern d to assist her the
,1 we:. i. in laiMd l.,i:clf. Suddenly
u -l.t (Mciiin-il to her. Shedenkd
r . ,:;! It wa rot pos;hh. As
;.:" i.ri rlf ti civt d and taklicx
y li.i'toi'-i It
;' ,.. i f'jo had
i , n ''..- 1 i
n .vou.
yralgl
ii'ioorait n
her It was because he would not. It
was because he ought not. It was be
cause he had some cogent reason for
acting thus! And then, her mother
feelings ati.dng within her. fhe bud but
one thought "Can I unwittingly have
ruined hlmV"
"I am i:'.ad," 'she said to her Inter
rogators. . "My eyes have deceived no!
ThU young man Is not my child, lie
had hot his voice. Let us think, no
' m,iv cf It. If we do, 1 Khali end by
j ilndl:.g him everywhere."
! I.ys than ten rn.uutes afterward a
Tartar liieT apiareil In the po- ting
liou-e.
i "Marfa Strego.TV" he a.kcd.
I "It is I." repliid the old woman in a
u,i - i call i and with a face so tran
t ii.it ll;.e dio hail witnessed .the
n;t tii!,' wl;h her sen would not have
known her.
"Come," s-aid the ollk-er. Mai fa Siro
, goi:. v. i;h li;;n step, followed the Tai-
tar e'.:!. er and It ft the p'.tlng house.
I Some momenta afterv aid .Mai fa Stro
j goff found herself In the chief nquat"
I and In the pn . e of Iva.i Ovrareii", to
i whom all the details of this m i no had
t been Imme.Jiaidy icportcd.
J Iau O.MIl ll. M.: -pee ting the UUih, ii:
I tciiogatnl ti e old Sibonau woman.
'Thy name?" he asked, in a rough
voice,
j "Marfa rrro-oir."
"Tli-j'i hat n fon?"
I "Yis."
j "He Is a courier of the czar?"
, "Yes."
"Where : he?"
"At Moscow."
"Thou 1 at heard i.o r.ews of h!m?''
M:,'o news."
"Since how leng'"
"Since two months."
"Who, then, was that young man
whom thou didst call thy von ft few
moments n;-o at the porting house?"
"A young Siberian whom I took for
him," replied Marfa StrogoiT. "This is
th tenth man In whom I have thought
I rccognb.cd my ton dnco the town has
been so full of strangers. I think I pee
him everywhere."
"So this young man was not Mlchad
Strogoff?"
"It w.".s not Michael Strogoff."
"Iest thou know, old woman, that I
can torture thee until thou avowest the
truth?"
"I have f-poken the truth, and torture
will not cause me to alter my words In
any way." ,
"This Siberian was not Michael Stro
goff?" asked a second time Ivan Oga
reff. "No, it was not he," replied a second
time Marfa Stro go;"?. "Do you think
that for anything in the world I would
deny a son whom Cod has triven me?"
Ivan Ogarefi' regarded with an oll
eye the old woman who had braved
him to the face. lie did not doubt but
that she had recognized her son In this
young Siberian. Now, if tills son had
llrst renounced his mother and If his
l mcihcr renounced mm in nor turn it
could occur only from the most weighty
motive.
livery circumstance went to confirm
his suspicions. If he could but lay his
hand upon this pretended merchant of
Irkutsk and strip off his disguise, would
he not find a treasure indeed? Would
not his superiors well rew anl his adroit
ness and his success? Would not the
czar of Ilussda scowl with rage when
he learned that his courier was In the
hands of his foes?
Ivan Ogareff had therefore no doubt
that the pretended Nicholas KorpanolT
was Michael Strogoff, courier of the
czar, seeking concealment under a false
name and charged with some missiuu
which It would have lxsen Important
for him to know. He therefore at one-
gave orders for his pursuit. Then he
said:
"Lot this woman 1 conducted to
Tomsk," returning toward Marfa Stro
goff. And while th soldiers brutally drag
ged her along he aild 'd between his
teeth:
"When the moment arrives, I shall
know how to :.:ake her speak, this old
.sorceress!"
, c f..r bin - e r. Jiy .'.mi
CHAPTER IX.
T was fortunate thst MI
chaolStrogoff had left the
posting house so prompt
ly. The ord- rs of Ivan
Ogareff l ad ! n Imme
diately tra!mUtcd to all
the approaches of the
city and a full description of Michael
sent to all the various commandants, In
order to prevent his departure from
Omsk. Itut he had already passed
through one of the breaches In 1he for
tifications. Ills horse was galloping
over the steppe, and, not having been
Immediately pursued, the chances of
escape were In his favor.
It was on the L".Uh of July, nt 8 o'clock
In the evening, that Michael Strogoff
had left Omsk. This town is situated
obout half way iM'twoen Moscow and
Irkutsk, where It was necessary that
he should arrive within ten days If he
wished to get ahead of the Tartar col
umns. It was evident that the un
lucky chance which had brought him
Into the presence of his mother had be
trayed his Incognito. Ivan Ogareff was
no longer Ignorant of the fact that a
courier of the czar had Just passed
Omsk, taking the direction of Irkutsk.
The dispatches which this courier bore
must have been of Immense Impor
tance. Michael Strogoff knew, there
fore, that every effort would le made
to capture him.
Put what he did not know and could
not know was that Marfa Strogoff was
In the hands of Ivan Ogareff and that
she was about to atone, per Imps with
her life, Tor that natural eihibltlon of
her feelings which she had l en unable,
to rc.stra;n''When die- suddenly found
herself lo the presence' of her son. And
It was fortunate that he was Ignorant
of It. Could h" hav; withstood this
frc-h trial?
MU -ha d ,' Strode IT ur;."d on l.Sf.hor f.
Imbuiug him with alFhis own 'feverish
Impatience, requiring of him one thing
only namely, to bear him rapidly to
the next posting house, where he could
be exehanretl for a quicker conveyance.
At mldnhrht he had cleared seventy
j versts and halted at the station of Kou
likovo. lh;t there, 'as he feared, he
I found neither ' horses nor carriages,
j Several Tartar dotad.meuts hail pal
led along the highway of the . itep;i',
j Pvetytl.it'g bail been stolen or fequl i
tlotid both in the village, and In tie
!piih:g houses. It was with di.lionky'
. thai Mhhael Strcg fi' v.-as oven uM to
obtain some refreshment fur his hue
and himself.
it wux of great Importance thcrof.,.
to spare hl horse, fr h' could n A t. ii
when or Lew he might I.e.-able to u
place It. l'-sliiljg, however, to put th.1
greatest po.s-ib!e distance btwoca him
self ami the horsemen whom Ivan Oga
retT had no doubt dispatched In pursuit,
li.- revolved to push eu. Alter one
hour's rest he resumed his course across
the steppe.
And on duly .", ut 4 1. m.. Michri I
Stro;,rotf, hoodie.-s cf fatigue, arrived at
Ll.imd;.
There h" was forced to give a night's
rest lo his l.'Ufe. The courageous
heart coiilJ m,t have continued that
jourif-y any longer.
At l.'Iamsk there was no means of
transportation for the same reasons v:
In the bV.r;;hs already pa-sed by car
riages and horses wore gone.
Planish, a small town the Tartars
I hail not vl-dtcd yt t, was almost com-
plotely depopulated, for It was very
easy to Invade It from the south and
almost Impossible to smvor It from the
. 'o : '. i f post, police station,
government building, all were aban
doned by governmental order, and on
one siu" ti e function. u ies, on the other
the inhabitants, had gone to Kamvk, In
tie center of the P. :;:!? ;!.
.Viehad S'.rogorr x. as obliged to pass
the night at Plauisk to permit his horse
to rest at hast twelve hours, lie re
membered the instructions given him
at Mo -cow to cross Siberia unkuov . n,
roach Irkutsk at all hazards, but also
to not sacrifice success to the swiftness
of his passage, fonseqnontly he was
forced to (-pare the only means of trav
tl left hint.
On the morrow Michael Strogoff left
Planish, and five days later, on the ."th
lff Augn-t. twenty-one days since start
ing, he found himself 1,.(H versts yet
distant from Irkub k.
Michael Strogoff was rapidly hearing
Kalyvau when tlistaut detonation
reached Ids t ars.
He stopprd and distinctly heard the
dull, heavy reports which shook the
air, mingled with sharper ami shriller
sounds, the cause of which he well
knew.
lie was only half a mile from Kaly
vau when a long Jet of flame flashed
betw ixt the houses of the city, and the
!pire of a church crumbled down In the
middle of a torrent of embers and lire.
At that moment the detonations were
very violent. Soon the flames stretched
forth on the left of the city. The lire
had devoured a. whole quarter of Kaly
vau. Michael Strogoff was running across
the plain, trying to roach the cover of
some trees scattered heie and there,
when a detachment of Tartar cavalry
appeared on the right.
Michael Strogoff could no longer go
In that till eel Ion. The horsemen ad
vanced rapidly toward lh' city, and It
was ditilcuit for him to oscuje. Sud
denly nt tin corner of a thicket he saw
a house wh'ch he might perhaps reach
unpcrcelvcd.
To run. to hide himself, to ask and
to take there. If need be, something to
renew his strength, for he was exhaust
ed with fatigue and hunger, was Mi
chael SIregofi'H only resource. lie tied
then to thlti shelter, and, drawing nenr,
he peivhed that It was a telegraph
station. Two wires wore going cast
and west, nud a third was stretched to
ward Kalyvan.
One would suppose that under the
circumstances that s:a:'oii would have
been adaiidolied, but as It was Michael
Strogoff could find there a refuge, wait
for the night if need bo to travel again
across the steppe which was searched
by the Tartar pickets.
Michael 'Strogoff hurried toward the
door of that bouse and opened It hasti
ly. A single jwrsou was In the room
where the tlispatehes weio written. lie
wMs an employee, calm, cool, ludifter
cut to nil that was going on outside.
Faithful to Ids iost, he waited Ishlnd
his window for the public to claim his
services. I
Michael StrogoiT went to him and
with n voice broken by fatigue asked:
"What do you know?"
"Nothing," answered the employ'0,
smiling.
"Are the Russians and Tartars fight
ing T
"People say so."
"Put who are the victors?"
"I don't know."
So nm oh coolness In the midst of
these terrible occurrences, so much in
difference even, was hardly possible.
"And Is not the wire cut?" asked Mi
chael StrogoiT.
"It Is cut between Kalyvan nnd Kras
nolarsk, but It works yet between Kaly
van and the Kusslan frontier."
"For the government?"
"For the government when they think
It proper, for the public when they pay.
It is lo copecks a word. I wait your
orders, sir."
Michael Strogoff was going to answer
that strange operator that he had no
dispatch to send; that he wanted only
ft little bread and water, when sudden
ly the door of the bouse was abruptly
OIMMled.
Michael StrogofT thought the ofhVe In
vaded by the Tartars and was about to
Jump through the window when he no
ticed that two men only entered the
room and that they wire far from be
hi.; Tartar soldiers.
One of them held a dispatch written
Iu ie;;jit ilJ(jf i a t rumj i u g the otht r. he
was at The window of the stoical em
ployee. In those two men Michael
Strogoff was astonished to discover two
persons he had thought never to see
again. They wore the correspondent
Harry Plouut and Alekle J oil vet, no
mure traveling companions, but rivals,
enemies, now that they wore operating
oh the battlefield. '
They had left Ichlm ft few hours only
after tho departure t)f Mkhad Strogotf,
and If tin y arrived before him at Kaly
vau In following the same route It w as
ht cause .Michael Strogoff hail lost three
days mi the borders of the Irtish. An t
iio.v, after having witnessed tho battle
between the Pu.s.sians and the Tartars
iu front of the city, having the city
whin the struggle was still going on In
the streets, they had to rim to the ita
tlou to tend away their .dispatches to
1 Fuiopo, cadi seeking to rob the othtr
of priority In describing the stirring
events. ,
Michael Strogoff ktpt at a distance In
the shadow, and without being soou he
could see all and hear all. lie was
probably about to learn Important news
and know If he ought to enter Kalyvau
or not,
Harry Pluunt, more alert than his
colleague, had possession of the win
dow and handed In his dispatch, w hile
Alcide Jolivot, contrary to his habits,
stopped Impatiently. "Ten copecks a
word," said the operator, taking the
dispatch.
Harry Plouut placed a pile of rubles
on the counter, his confrere looking at
him somewhat stupefied.
"Well," said the employee, and with
tir-dtsiurbod sang froid he commeuced
to telegraph the follow lug dispatch:
Pailr TVI srrh, I.onlon:
Frr ni Katyan, !v rnnifiit of Omsk. Situ rta,
Ai-g. 0. i:tigS' incut of i:u"lan troop witU Tar
t.os. That reading bdng math aloud, Mi
chael Strogoff could hear all the Png
lish correspondent addressed to his pa
per. fJuasian troop ropulanl willi jrrrat lossrt. Tar-
The.e words ended the dispatch.
"My turn now," said Abide Jolivot,
who tried to pass his dispatch address
id to his eousin of the Moutuiartre Fau
bourg. Put that did not suit the Pngllsh re
porter, who thought of remaining at
the window as long as he should have
news to transmit, as fast as fresh
events might occur, so he did not give
place to his confrere.
"You are through?" cried Alcide Joli
vot. "1 am not through," simply answered
Hurry Plouut.
And he went on writing words which
he passed to the operator, who read
very quietly:
In the Lck iiii.irijr Cod crrattJ l,avfa anil tartli.
They were verses from the Pible liar
ry Plount was telegraphing to gain
time nud not give place to his rival..
That would probably cost a few thou
sand rubles to his pap.'r, but his paper
would have the first Information.
France might wait.
Think of the oug. r of Abide Jolivot.
who under any other circumstances
would have appreciated the Joke. He
even Insisted that the operator should
take his dispatches In prelereuee to
those of his confrere.
"That Is the right of the gentleman,"
said the employee coolly, pointing to
Harry Plouut, smiling kh:dly to him.
And he continued to transmit lo The
Dally Telegraph the llrst book of the
lady writ.
While he was opoiatiug Harry Plount
wont to the window, and with his glass
he observed what was going on about
Kalyvan, so as to complete his Informa
tion. A few inhiules later he took his place
again at the ohico whitlow nud added
to his telegram:
Two c hurt bra in fljrr.ps. T!ie fir act m to j iin
tn tUf ri;'..t. 7':.? earth a without lorin and
void. lnitoi'- rovretl tl.o (art it lite ranli.
Alchle Jolivot had simply a ferocious
desire to strangle the honorable re
porter cf The Dally Telegraph.
I'e once more called upon the em
ployee, who agaiu coolly answered:
"It Is his right, ir; It Is his right.
Ten copecks a word."
And he telegraphed the following
news, ha nth d him by Plount:
Ituiian tvtijfr Mrap the city. Anl 1jJ al I,
there lie lii'ht, anJ there waa light.",
Alclde Jolivot was literally transport
ed with rage.
Meanwhile Harry Plount was again
nt the outside window, but this time,
absontmlnded probably on account of
the spectacle he saw, he made his ob
servations ti long. So when the op
erator had finished sending the third
verse of the Pible Alclde Jollvet quiet
ly took his place at the wicket and, as
his colleague had done, placed a re
spectable pile of rubles on the desk
and haudetl his dispatch, which the em
ployee read nloud:
HjJ. h ine Jolivet, 10 Faubourg Xtontmartre, Parla:
Kaluu, Government J Oirwk, Auj. 6. Itun
awara fly from tho city. Rjiulana Ixatctt. Furi
ous j'Urmiit lijr the Tartars.
And when Harry Plouut came back
he hoard Abide Jollvet completing his
telegram, singing musingly with mock
ery: "There aa little man all lreaaej ia gray, la
rajia."
Alclde Jollvet thought it bettor not to
mix sacred things with profane as his
colleague had done, and ho answered
by a Joyful chorus of Peranger to the
Verses of the Pible.
At that moment ft commotion shook
the telegraph otlleo. A shell had tu
tored the wall, and a cloud of dust fill
ed the waiting room.
Alclde Jollvet was Just finishing his
verse, "as red as nn opple, who, with
out a penny," but without stoppin.;
threw himself on the shell, took it in
his hands bvfore It exploded, throw it
out of tho window and came back' to
the wicket. It was all done In an In
stant. Iu five second. the shdl burst out-
Ski.'. . : j
Thru, continuing his tehrram w!;h
perf it (wohiesf, Aleido Joilwl wit le;
A. tl'M wl -iliti iculi' iLI.: t.4. .,.;..;
thtouidrthe '"WaiTof tfle'tekfTaijh olfltaT" liii." t
vine othera of Mine talilx-r.
For Mlchad Strogoff there was no
room to doubt but that tbe Pusslats
wore repulsed from ilr.Irvan. His 1 1st
rosouroe was, thtn, to hasten over the
southern plain.
Put then the general discharge of
guns was hoard terribly near the tele
graph statlou, and a hailstorm of bul
lets crashed through the window. Har
ry Plouut, struck on the shoulder, fell.
Abide Jolivot was at that nioMjovtt
about to transmit this supplement to
his dispatt h:
lUrry Mount, reporter cf Tlst IUil.v Tt kjra."
UM at my tioV, at ruck with a Ut? of tor-,..y.!:.
Put the operator told him with im
perturbable coolness:
"Sir, the wilt; is broken. "
And, leaving his window, he quietly
took his hat, which he bnisdied with
his sleeve, and, always smiling, wont
out through a small door which Mi
chael Strogoff bad i:ot before noticed.
The station was then Invaded by
Tartars, and neither Mlchad Strogo'J
nor thu Journalists were able to effect
their retreat.
Alchle Jolivot, with his useless dis
patch In hand, ran to Parry Plount,
stretched on the floor, ami, kind hearted
as he was, took him on his shoiill.Ts
With the Intention to f?oe with him It
was too late!
Poth wore prisoners, and with tueui
M!eh:ni Strogoff, taken by surprise
when he was about to Jump through
the window Into the hands of the Tar
tars. CIIAPTPIt X.
T a day's inarch from Ka
lyvan, several versts be
yond the town of Dla
chinhs, stretches a wide
plain, planted h"te and
there w 1 h great trees,
principally pim-s and ce
dars. ThcrestoodtheTartar tents. There
Feofar-Khan, the terrible emir of Pok
hara, was encamped, and there on the
following day, the 7th of August, were
brought the prisoners taken at Kaly
van after the annihilation of the Pus
sian force, which had vainly attempted
to oppose the progress of the Invaders.
Of the 2.hh) men who hail engaged
with the two columns of the enemy,
the bases of which rested on Tomsk
and Omsk, only a few hundred re
mained. Thus events wore going bad
ly, and the Imperial government ap
peared to have lost Its power beyond
the frontiers of the Ural, for a time at
least, for the Pussians could not fall
eventually to defeat the savage hordes
of the Invaders. Put In the meantime
the invasion had reached the center of
Siberia, and It was spreading through
the revolted country both to the east
ern and the western provinces. If the
troops of the Amur and the province
of Takutsk did not arrive in time to
occupy it, this capital of Asiatic Pus
sin, being Insuf.lelently garrisoned,
would fall Into the hands of the Tar
tars, and before It could be retaken the
grand duke, brother of the emperor,
would be sacrificed to the vengeance of
Ivan Ogareff.
Foofar's camp presented ft magnifi
cent spectacle. Numberless tents of
skin or silk glistened In the rays of
the sun. The lofty plumes which sur
mounted their cotileal tops waved amid
banners, flags and pennons of every
color. The richest of these tents be
longed to the Slides and KhodJas. who
are the principal personages of the
khanate. A special pavilion, ornament
ed with a horse's tail Issuing from a
sheaf of red and w hite sticks artistical
ly Interlaced, Indicated the high rank
of those Tartar chiefs. Then In the
distance rest? several thousand of the
Turcoman tents, which had been car
rled on the backs of camels.
The camp contained at least ft bun
drod and llfty thousand soldiers, as
many fiMt as horse soldiers, collected
under the name of Alamanes. Among
them and as the principal types of Tur
kestau would have been remarked the
Tadjiks from their regular features,
white skin, tall forms and black eyes
and hair. They formed the bulk of the
Tartar army, and of them the khanates
of Khokhand and Koundough had fur
uished a contingent nearly equal to
that of Pokhara. With the Tadjiks
wore ml: ;'. '. rpclmens of different
races who either reside In Turkestan
or whose native countries bonier on It
There wort? Usbecks. red bearded, small
In stature, similar to those who bad
pursued Mlchad. Hire were Kirghi.?,
with fiat faces like the Kalmuch
dressed In coats of mall. Some car
rled the lance, bows and arrows of Asl
fttic manufacture, some the saber, n
matchlock gun and a little short han
dled ax, the wounds from which luva
rlably prove fatal. There were Mon
gols, of middle height, with black hair
plaited Into pigtails, which hung down
their backs, round faces, swarthy com
plexions, lively deep set eyes, scanty
beards, dressed In blue nankeen trim
mod with black plush, sword Ixdts of
leather with silver buckles, boots gayly
braided and silk caps edged with fur
and three ribbons fluttering behind
Prow n ftklnmd Afghans, too, might
have been seen. Arabs, having the
primitive type of the beautiful Semitic
races, and Turcomans, with eyes which
looked as If they had lost the pupil nil
enrolled under tho emir's Hag, tho flag
of incendiaries nnd devastators.
When the prisoners wore brought Into
the camp, the etnlr was In his tent. He
did riot show himself. This was for
tunate no doubt. A sign, a word, from
him might have been the signal for
some bloody execution. Put ho in
trenched himself Iu that Kdalion
which constitutes in part the majesty
of eastern kings, lie who does not
show himself is admired and, above
all, feared.
A to the prisoners, th'-y v.-r re i; be
poTimd up l'i seme IncJosure where, ill
treatt d. pooriy fid end rxnnl to ; '1
the 1:: i
the .:: in
Hi!
would tixw.it FeeVar's p'eu :':e.
The most ih.eile and patient of th m
nil was undoubtedly Mlchad Stri-.. J2.
He.n'!.'WidJ.!Mit!fJa : J, d. .'o.'
were Ieudlrg'hlm wiTere lie" wTshed to
go and under conditions of safety
tue road from Kalyvan to Tomsk. To
cK?ape before reaching that town was
to rk-'.: ; a lalliu,' luto the bands of
the scouts who wore seourlug the
bteppe.
At the same time with Michael Stro
goff and many other prisoners Harry
Plount and Abide Jolivot had also been
taken to the Tartar camp. Their for
mer traveling companion, captured like
them nt the telegraph of'lee, know that
they were penned up with him lu the
lucloiiirc, guarthd by numerous seiitl
licls, but he did not wish to accost
them. It Motored little to him. at this
time especially, what they might think
of him since the affair at Ichlm. Pe-
.1.1, .. I,.. I ... 1. . .1... I...
might; act clone If necessary. He there
fore held himself aloof from his for
mer acquaintances.' ...-'-
From the moment that Harry Plouut
had fallen by his side Jollvet had not
coaxed his attentions to him. During
the Journey from Kalyvau to the camp
nun. is iu say, lor several uours
Plount, by leaning on his companion's
arm, hud been enabled to follow, the
rest of the prisoners., He had tried to
make known that he was a Pritlsh sub
ject, but ii had mi of. tot on the .bar
barians, who only replied bv prods w ith
ft lance or sword. The corrcspo'h'M.
of The Dally Telegraph was thcieiuio
obligtd to submit to the common, lot,
resolving to protest later and to obtain
satisfaction for such treatment. Put
the Journey was not the less disagree
able to hi in, for his wound caused him
much pain, and without Alclde .Tcllvct'a
assistance he might never have reached
the camp.
Jollvet, whose practical philosophy
never abandoned him, had physically
and morally strengthened his compan
ion by every means In his power. His
llrst care when thoy found themselves
definitely cstabllshisl in the Indosurc
was to examine Mount's wound. Hav
ing managed to draw off his coat, he
found tbat the shoulder had been only
graze 1 by the shot.
"This Is nothing," he said; "a mere
scratch. After two or three dressings
you will be all to rights."
"Put these dressings?" asked Plount.
"I will make them for you myself."
"Then you are something of a doc
tor?" "All Frenchmen are something of
doctors."
Ami on this afllrrnatlon Alclde, tear
ing his handkerchief, made lint of one
piece, bandages of the other, took some
wat r from ft well dug In the middle of
the luelosure, bathed the wound, which
happily was not serious, and skillfully
placed the wot rag on Harry Mount's
shoulder.
"I thank you, M. Jollvet," said Har
ry, stretching himself on a bod of dry
leaves which his companion had ar
ranged for him In the shade of a. birch
tree.
"Now lot us talk of what we ought
to do. I asure you I have no Intention
of rev.iulning n prisoner to theso Tar
tars for an Indefinite time." . '
"Nor I either." jf
"We will escape on the first oppor
tunity?" "Yes, If there Is no other way of re
gaining our liberty."
"Do you know of any other?" asked
Plount, looking at his companion.
"Certainly. We arc not lniligerents;
we are neutral, and we will claim our
freedom."
"Fiom that brute of ft Feofar-Khan?"
"No; he would not understand," an
swered Jollvet; "but from his lleutcn
aut, Ivan Ogareff."
"lie Is ft villain."
"No doubt, but the villain Is ft Pua
slau. He knows that It does not do to
trltle with the lights of men, ond he
lias no Interest to retain us. On the
contrary. Put to ask ft favor of that
gentleman does not quite suit my
taste."
. "Put that gentleman Is not In tho
camp, or at hast I have not seen him
here," observed Plount.
"He will come. He will not fall to
do that. He must Join the emir. Sibe
ria Is cut In two now, and very certain
ly Fecfar'i army Is only waiting fot
him to advance on Irkutsk."
"And, once free, what shall we do TV'
"Once free, wo 'will continue our
c.nroalgn nml follow tho Tartars until
the time comes who:: we can ma' e our
wry Into the Pusr.ian cam; Wo must
not give up the game. No, Indeed; we
have only Just begun." ,
The event no much wished for by Jo
llvet and Plount, no much dreaded by
Michael, occurred on the morning of
the 12th of August. ?
On that day the trumpets sounded,,
the drum beat, the cannon roared. A
huge cloud of dust swept along the
road from Kalyvan. Ivan Ogareff, fol
lowed by several thousand men, mado
his entry Into the Tartar camp.
At the first flourish of the trumpet)
several oMicors of high ran!:, followed
by a brilliant escort of Uslock borso-
trif.n inni'iul s 4 1 w. r.0 41...
... .., lw imumt 1111; iuiiijj iu
receive Ivan Ogareff.
Arrived In Ida nrnnonoo t)nrr niM
him tho greatest resject and Invited
him to accompany them to Feofar
Khan'ii tent.
Imperturbable ci usual, Ogareff re
plied coldly to the defcrenco paid to
him. He was plainly dressed, but from
a sort of Impudent bravado ho still
wore the unlf .rri of a Pusslari ofUcer.
As It? w: : - t to ride on to pas
tha ondeir.o of tho camp, Sangarre,
passing among the ofllccrs of the es
cort, approached und remained motion
loss before him.
"Nothing?" asked Ivan Ogareff,
"Nothing."
"Have patieuee."
"Is the time approaching when you
Will force t!:. c'd woman to s--.ea!:l'"
"It l Hpp.'oaehk.g, .Ji.:;,;a!uV'
"Vv'l.on will the old woman ut i .
"'.73. 3 we reach Tom: d:," ; .