Morris tribune., 1902-02-15

must have been of immense impor;
tance. Michael Strogoff knew, there
| fore, that every effort would be made
to capture him. y
But what he did not know and could
not know was that Marta Strogoff was
In The. hands Of Ivan 0gareff 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 Strogoff urged on his horse,
imbuing him with all his own feyerish
impotence, requiring Of him one thing
only namely, to bear him rapidly to
the next posting house, where he could
be exchanged for a quicker conveyance.
At midnight he had cleared seventy
yersts and halted at the station Of Kou-
likoyo But there, as he feared, he
found neither horses nor carriages.
Several Tartar detachments 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. 1t was with difficulty
that Michael Strogoh 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 lie 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,
he resolved to push on. After one
hours rest he resumed his course across
the steppe.
And on July 80. at p. M, Michael
Strogoff, needless of fatigue, arrived at
Elamsk.
There he was forced to give nights
rest to his horse, The courageous
beast could not have continued that
Journey any longer.
At Elamsk there was no means of
transportation for the same reasons as
in the burghs already passed bycar
riages and horses were gone.
Elamsk. a small town the Tartars
had not visited yet, was almost COM
pletely depopulated, for it was very
easy to invade it from. the souJn ana
almost impossible to succor it from the
north. So relay of post, police station,
government building, all were aban-
doned by governmental order, and on
one side the functionaries, on the other.
the Inhabitants, had gone to kamsk, in
the center of the Baraba. 81
Michael Strogoff was obliged to pass
the night at Elamsk to permit his horse
to rest at least twelve hours. He re-
membered the instructions given him
at Moscow to cross Siberia unknown,
reach Irkutsk at all hazards, but also
to not sacrifice success to the swiftness
of his passage. Consequently he was
forced to spare the only means Of traT-
Ell left him. 4
On the morrow Michael Strogof 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
2 Michael Strogof 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 shfiller
sounds, the cause of which he well
knew
He was only half a mile from Kaly-
van when a long jet of fame flashed
betwixt the houses of the city, and the
5pire Of church crumbled down in the
middle Of a 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 |
lad deyoured a whole quarter of KaIy |
Ian. ~. s gg,v
Michael Strogoff was running across
he plain. trying to reach the cover of
ome trees scattered here and there,
when a detachment of Tartar cavalry
ppeared on the right.
Michael Strogoff could no longer go
n that direction. The horsemen adj |
'anced rapidly toa'ard the city, and it
vas difficult for him to escape. Sud
enly at the corner of thicket he saw
house which he might perhaps reach
:5r .sa
To run, to hide himself, to ask and
0 take there, if need be, something to
eneW his strength, for he was exhaust
d with fatigue and hunger, was Mi
hazel Strogoff's only resource. He fled
hen to this shelter, and, drawing near,
e perceived that it was telegraph
tation. Two wires were going east
nd west, and a third was stretched to-
ard Kalyvan.
One would suppose that under the
rcumstances that station would have
cen abandoned, but as it was Michael
trogoff could find there refuge, wait
n the night if need be to travel again
cross the steppe which was searched
Y the Tartar pickets.
Michael Strogof hurried towaEd the
5or of, that house and opened it hasi-
!. A single person was in the room
here the dispatches were written. He