The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-12-18
CHAPTER X.

XXI posting house so prompt
%esSA ly. The orders Of Ivan
ES.sIwNSAE Ogareff had been imme'
HzNGGE diately transmitted to ali
the approaches Of the
city and q full description Of Michael
sent to all the various commandantS. IN
order to prevent his departure from
Omsk. But he had already passed
through one Of the breaches in the for,
tifcations. His horse was galloplne
over the steppe, and, not having been
Immediately pursued. the chances OF
escape were in his favor.
1t was on the 10Th of July, at o'clock
in the evening. that Michael Strogotf
had left Omsk. This town is situated
about half way between 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. 1t was evident that the un-
lucky chance which had brought him
into the presence Of his mother had be-
trayed his incognito. Ivan Ogaref was
no longer ignorant Of the fact that q
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 Strogof knew. there
fore. that every effort would be made
to capture him. -,
But what he did not know and could
not know was that Maria Strogof was
in the hands Of Ivan Ogareff and that
she was about to atone, perhaps with
her life, for that natural exhibition Of
her feelings which she had been unable
to restrain when she suddenly found
herself in the presence of her son. And
it was fortunate that he was Ignorant
Of it. Could he have withstood this
fresh trial?
Michael Strogof urged on his horse,
imbuing him with all his own feVerlsn
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-
likovo. But there, as be feared, he
found neither horses nor carriages.
Several Tartar detaclrments had pass
ed along the highway Of the steppe.
Everything had been stolen or requls1-
toned both in the villages and in the
posting houses. It was with difficulty
that Michael Strogof was even able to
obtain some refreshment for his horse
and himself.
1t was Of great Importance therefore
to spare his horse, for he could not tell
when or how be might be able to re-
place it. Desiring, however, to put the
greatest possible distance between him
self and the horsemen whom Ivan Oga-
ref had no doubt dispatched in pursuit,
be resolved to push on. After one
hours rest he resumed his course across
the steppe.
And on July 80. at p. n, Michael
Strogof, heedless Of fatigue, arrived at
Elamsk.
There he was forced to give a nights
rest to his horse. The courageous
beast could not have continued that
journey any longer.
At Elamsk there was no means OF
for the same reasons as
in the burghs already passed by-car-
riages and horses were gone.
ElamSk, q small town the TartarS
had not visited yet. was almost com
pletely depopNlated. for it was very
easy to invade it from the south and
almost impossible to succor it from the
north. So relay Of post, police station.
government building. all were aban-
dored by governmental order. and on
one side the fuEction&r:CS, cl the other
the inhabitants, had gone 10 NamSk. in
the center Of the BaTaba.
Michael Strogoff was obliged to pass
the night at Eiamsk to permit his horse
to rest at least twelve hours. He re-
the instructions given him
ct Moscow to cross Siberia unknown.
reach Irkutsk at all hazards. but also
to not sacrifice success 10 the swiftness
Of his passage. Consequently he was
forced to spare the only means Of trav-
eI left him.
On the morrow Michael Strogon left
Elamsk. and FIVE days later, on the 9th
Of August. twenty-one days since start
ing, he found himself 1900 versts yet
distant from Irkutsk.
Michael StrogoT was rapidly nearing
KaIyvan when distant detopations
reached his ears.
He stopped and distinctly heard the
dull, heavy reports which SHOOK the
air, mingled with sharper and shriner
sounds, the cause Of which he well
knew.
He was only half mile from kaly-
van when q long jet Of fame flashed
betwixt the houses Of the city, and the
spire of church crumbled down in the
middle Of q torrent Of embers and fire.
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 Strogof was running across
the plain, trying to reach the cover of
some trees scattered here and there,
when a detachment of Tartar cavalry
on the right.
Michael Strogof could no longer go
in that direction. The horsemen ad-
vanced rapidly toward the city, and 1t
was difficult for him to escape. Sud
denly at the corner Of thicket be saw
9 house which he might perhaps reach
unperceived.
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 Strogoff's only resource. He fed
then to this shelter, and, drawing near,
he perceived that it was a telegraph
station. Two wires were going east
and west. and third was stretched to-