The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-01-02
'heCourier
OF theCzar
BY JULES VERNE
CHAPTER XIII.

@ICHAEL STROGOFF
with his hands bound
N was held in front Of tn
emir's tG'one at the foo
NNYI of the terrace.
S His mother, overcom
at last by so many phys
ical and moral tortures, had sunk down
not daring to look or listen any longer
"Look with all your eyes! Look!'
Feofar-Khan had said, stretching on
his threatening hand toward Michae
Strogoff.
Without doubt Ivan Ogareff, knowing
stood the bearing Of that word, for his
lips parted for an instant in a crue
smile. Then he went to take his place
near Feofar-Khan.
A call of trumpets was heard imme
diately. 1t was the signal for the
amusements. .r.ElL.Ett Z lyu
"Now we have the ballet" said AL
eide Jolivet to Harry Blount; "but, con
trary to all custom, these barbarians
give it before the drama"
Michael Strogoff had been ordered ia
look. He did look. A swarm of female
dancers came upon the space reserved
for them. Various Tartar instruments,
united with the cultural voices of the
singers. formed strange harmony.
There were mandolin with long neck
made Of the wood of the mulberry tree,
with two strings of twisted silk, kind
of violoncello, open at the back, fur
nished with horsehair and made to
of a reed, trumpets, tambourines and
tomtoms. At once the dances began.
These dancers performed very grace
fully various dances, sometimes singly
and sometimes in groups. They had
their faces uncovered, but from time to
time they drew light veil over theil
figures, and one would have said that
a cloud of gauze was passing over their
sparkling eyes like a vapor over the
starry heaven. -.
When this first entertainment was
over, a grave voice was heard, which
said: "Look with all your eyes! Look!'
The man who repeated these words
of the emir, Tartar of high stature,
was the chief executioner Of Feofar-
Khan. He had taken his position be-
hind Michael Strogoff, and he held in
his hand a sword with broad and
curved blade, one of those Damascus
blades which had been tempered by
the famous armorers Of Karschi or Of
Hissar. ..s...... ..-.->
| Near him some guards had brought
tripod on which was placed an iron
dish, where some redhot Goals were
burning without emitting any smoke.
The light crust which crowned them
was due only to the incineration of a
resinous and aromatic substance,
mixture of frankincense and benzoin,
which had been thrown on their sur
face.
Meanwhile another group of dancers
bad succeeded the first, but of race
very different, which Michael Strogoff
at once recognized.
And we must believe that the two
Journalists also recognized them, for
Harry Blount said to his confrere:
'These are the Zingari of Mini Nov
gorod." .........-
"The very onesv' cried Alcide Jolivet.
81 imagine their eyes bring more mon
ey to these spies than their legs"
And in making them out to be agents
in the service of the emir Alcide JOLT
vet, it is well known, did not deceive
himself. b.. .-,-s-..
In the first rank Of the gypsies fig
ured Sangarre, in her superb costume,
strange and picturesque as it was,
which set off still more her beauty.
Sangarre did not dance, but stood in
the middle of her dancing girls, whose
fantastic steps partook of all the coun-
tries which their race had traversed in
Europe, of Bohemia, of Egypt, of Italy
and of Spain. They became animated
at the noise of the cymbals which
changed on their arms and at the SWELL
ing of the "daires," kind Of drum
sounded by the fingers.
SangarTe, holding one Of these daires,
which trembled between her hands, ex-
cited this troop Of veritable corybantes.
Then came forward youthful gyp-
sy, some fifteen years old at most. He
bcad in his hand a doutare, the two
cords Of which he made to vibrate by q
simple gliding Of the nails. He sang.
During the couplet of his song Of fan
tastic rhythm a danseuse came and
placed herself near him and remained
Immovable, listening to him, but each
time the burden came to the lips of the
young singer she again took up her in
tefrupted dance, shaking her daire near
him and deafening him with the sound
of her drum.
J Then, after the last verse, the dancers
enlaced the gypsy in a thousand turn
ings Of their dances.
| At this moment shower Of gold fell
from the hands of the emir and his al
lies, from the hands Of the officers of
an grades, and to the noise Of the
pieces which struck the cymbals Of the
dancers were blended the last murmurs
bf the doutares and tambourines.
1 .'Prodigal as freebootersr said Al
eide Jolivet in the ear of his compan-
Ion.
And, indeed, 1t was stolen money
which fell in showers, for with the
Tartar tomans and sequins rained also
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