The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1901-12-28
mbuIug him with all his own feverlsh


impatlence. requiring Of him one thing
only namely. TO bear him rapidly to
the next posting house. where he could
be exchanged for quicker conveyance.
AT midnight he had cleared seventy
versts and halted at the station Of kou-
llkovo. But there, as he feared. he
found neither horses nor carriages
Several Tartar detaclments had pass
ed along the highway of the steppe.
Everything had been stolen or requisi-
toned both In the villages and In the
posting houses. IL was with difficulty
that Michael Sfrogon was even able 70
obtain some refrpshment for his h0rse
aud himself.
Ii was Ut great Importance therefore
to spare his horse. FOR he could not tell
when or how he might be able 20 re-
place H. Desiring. however, 20 put the
greatest possible distance between bina.
self and the horsemen whom Ivan Oga-
ref had no doubt dispatched In pursuit,
he resolved TO push en- After one
hours rest he resumed his course across
the sieppe.
And on July 30. at p. m. Mlchas I
Swogoff, needless OF fatigue, arrived at
Elamsk.
There he was forced to give nights
rest 10 his horse The courageous
beast could not have continued that
Journey nny longer.
Al Elamsk there was no means OF
transportation for the same reasons as
In the burghs already passed by--car-
riages aud horses were gone.
Elamsk. small town the Tartars
had not visited set, was almost com
plctely depopulated. for It was very
easy TO invade It from the south and
almost Impossible 10 succor It from the
~ e. J .s. az post. police station.
doned by governmental order, and on
one side the functionares, on The other
the inhabitants hal gone to Kamsk, in
tie center Of the Baiaba.
Michael S.rogod WIS obliged to pass
the night nj Elamsk 70 permit his horse
to rest at least twelve hours. He re-
membercd the Instructions given him
at Moscow TO cross Siberia unknown,
reach Irkutsk at all hazards. but also
TO not sacrifice success 10 the swftnes3
OF his passage. Consequently lac was
forced TO spare the only means OF tray
FL left him.
On the morrow Michael Strogoff left
Elamsk. ana five days later, on the 9Th
Of August. twcnty-one days since start
ing, he found himself 1900 versts yet
distant from Irkutsk
Michael StrogoGf was rapidly nearing
Kalyvan when distant detonations
reached his ears.
He stopped and distinctly heard the
dull, heavy reports which shook the
air, mingled with sharper and shriller
sounds the cause OF which he well
knew
lie vas only half mile from Kaly-
van when a long jet OF flame flashed
betwixt the houses OF the city. and the
spire OF church crumblcd down in the
middle OF a torrent of embers and IRE.
At that moment the detonations were
very violent. Soon the flames stretched
forth on the left OF the city. The fire
had devoured a whole quarter OF Kaly-
van.
Michael Strogolf was running across
the plain, trying TO reach the cover OF
some trees scattered here and there,
when detachment of Tartar cavalry
appeared on the right.
Michael Strogoff could no longer go
in that direction. The horsemen adj
vanced rapidly toward the city. and II
was difficult for him to escape. Sud
denly at the corner or a thicket he saw
a house VIII Oh he might perhaps reach
unperceivcd.
To run. TO hide himself, TO ask and
TO take there, IL need be, something TO
renew his strength, for he was exhaust
ed with fatigue and hunger. was Mi
chael Strogof's only resource. He fed
then TO this shelter. and. drawing near,
he perceived that il was a telegraph
station. Two wires were going east
and west, and third was stretched to-
ward Kalyyan.
One would suppose that under the
circumstances that station would have
been abandoned, bui as It was Michael
Strogon could find there refuge, wait
for the night if need be to travel again
across the steppe which was searched
by the Tartar pickets.
Michael Strogoff hurried toward the
door of that house and opened II hasti-
~. A single person was I'm the room
where the dispatches were written. He
wus an employee. calm, cool, indifrer-
ent to all that was going on outside.
Faithful TO his post. he waited behind
his window for the public TO claim his
services.
Michael Strogoff went TO him and
with n voice broken by fatigue asked
"What do you know"
Nothing" answered the employee.
smiling.
Are the Russians and Tartars fight
mgr
People say So"
"But who arc the victors?'
81 don't know"