The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-12-04
BY Jules Verne
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and in the face Of events now taking
place beyond tie frort.e: have every
reason TO believe that they are correct"
DO YOU mean, sire cried the chief
Of police. that Ivan Ogaref has hand
in this Tartar rebellion:'
Indeed | do, and will now tell you
something which you are ignorant Of.
After leaving Perm Ivan Cgaref cross
ed the Ural mountains, entered Siberia
ard penetrated the Kirghiz steppes and
there endeavored, not without success.
to foment rebellion among their no.
maGic population. lie then went so far
south as free Turkestan. There in the
provinces Of Bokhara, Khokhand and
Koondooz he found chiefs willing TO
pour their Tartar hordes into Siberia
and execute 4 general rising in Asiatic
Russia. The storm has been silently
gathering, but it has at last burst like
a thunderclap, and now all means of
communication between eastern and
western Siberia have been stopped.
Moreover, Ivan Ogareff, thirsting for
vengeance, aims at the life of my
brother"'
The car had become excited while
speaking and now paced up and down
with hurried steps. The chief Of police
said nothing, but he thought to him
self that during the time when the en-
Deror of Russia never pardoned an ex-
lie schemes such as those Of Ivan Oga-
ref could never have been realized.
A few moments passed, during which
he was silent. then, approaching the
car, who had thrown himself into an
armchair, he said:
''Your majesty has Of course given
orders that this rebellion may be sup
pressed as soon as possible"'
"yes," answered the cZar. ''The last
telegram which was able to reach Mi
nj Udinsk would set in motion the
troops in tie governments Of Ienisel,
Irkutsk, Yatu'sk, as we'll as those in
the provinces &C the Amur and Lake
BaiSal. At the same time the regi-
ments from Perm and Mini Novgorod,
and the Cossacks from the frontier are
advancing by forced marches toward
the Ural mountains. But unfortunately
some weeks must pass before they can
attack the Tartars."
"And your majesty'S brother, his
highness the grand duke, is now isolaf-
ed in the government OF Irkutsk anc 1
no longer in direct communicate
Moscow"
"That is So"
"But by the last dispatches he must
know what measures have been taken
by your majesty and what help he may
expect from the governments nearest
to that of Irkutsk?'
"He knows that" answered the czar,
''but what he does not know is that
Ivan Ogaref, as we'll as being rebel,
is also playing the part Of a traitor and
that in him he has personal and bit
ter enemy. 1t is to the grand duke that
Ivan Ogaref owes his first disgrace,
and what is more serious is that this
man is not known to him. Ivau Cga-
refs plan, therefore, is to go to lrkutsk
and under an assumed name offer his
services to the grand duke. Then, aft
er gaining his confidence, When the
Tartars have invested Irkutsk, he will
betray the town and with it my broth
er, whose life is directly threatened.
This is what have learned from my
secret intelligence, this is what the
grand duke does not know and this Is
what he must know!'
"Well. sire, sn intelligent, courageous
courier
81 momentarily expect one"
"And it is tc, be hoped ne will be ex-
peditious," added the chief Of police,
"for allow me to add, sire. that Siberia
is favorable land for rebellions."
All communication was interrupted.
Had the wires between Kalyvan and
Tomsk been cut by Tartar scouts, or
had the emir himself arrived in the
Yeniseisk provinces? Was all the low
er part Of western Siberia in a fer
ment? Had the rebellion already
spread to the eastern regions? No one
could say. The only agent which fears
neither cold nor heat, which can nei-
ther be stopped by the rigors Of winter
nor the heat Of summer and which flies
with the rapidity of l:ghtning-the elec-
tric current-was prevented from tray
ersins the steDpes, and it was no longer
possible to warn the grand duke, shut
up in Irkutsk, Of the danger threaten
ing him from the treason of Ivan Oga-
ref.
A courier only could supply the place
of the interrupted electric current. 1t
would take this man some time to
traverse the $500 versts between Mos
COW and Irkutsk. To pass the ranks Of
the rebels and invaders he must dis
play almost superhuman courage and
intelligence. BIT with a clear head and
q firm heart much can be done.
''Shall l be able to find this head and
hearth thought the cZar.
CHAPTER II.
- HE door Of the imperial
III " L.