The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-01-09

for the Victim thus Imprisoned in the
earth. who presses the earth without
being able to cast it off, having his
arms tied and fastened to his body like
those ORA corpse In a coffin! : The VIC
tim, living in this clay mold, which he
is unable to break, can do nothing but
implore death, which is too slow in
coming!
1t was there the Tartars had inferred
their prisoner for three days. For
three days Nicholas had been waiting
for succor, which had come at last too
late.
The vultures had perceived that head
exposed to the suns rays, and for some
hours the dog defended his master
against these ferocious birds.
Michael Strogoff dug the earth with
his claspknife to release it from that
imprisoned body. j -l.J, Co.
The eyes of Nicholas, closed until
then, once more opened themselves.
He recognized Michael and Nadia.
Then he murmured: ..~.
"Adieu, friends. 1 am happy to have
seen you once more. Pray for me-"
And these words were the iastJl III
Michael Strogoff continued to dig the
soil, which, being strongly trodden
down, had the hardness of rock, and
at length he succeeded in drawing from
it the body of the unfortunate man.
He listened if his heart still beat. 1t
beat no more! .--I
He wished then to bury it, that It
might. not remain Ee1posef ION 1.-THE
steppe, Z ~ t hole in which Nicho-
las had - ouried alive he. enlarged
and deepened; in such manner as to
be able to lay him there when dead.
The faithful Serko was placed near his
master. -. - ~>-- ..'>
At that moment a great noise was
heard on the road about half a verst
away. - <s..E ".s'-. = <>....-..
Michael Strogoff listened. =. -: F..
By the noise he knew at once that a
detachment of. cavalry was advancing
toward the Dinka. .. .... =. ....--. ~.
NADIA, INadiaw said he, in low
voice. ..,l..a.r. / e., o.. So. =. ...~y
At his voice Nadia, who had remained
in prayer, rose up. ''a 49,. ...- So ::
"You see them! You see them!" he
said to her. ~ -.I + =. H..
''The Tartars!'' she murmured.
It was indeed the advance guard of
tie em11ir which, was ,defi1ing quickly on
the road to Irkutsk. = e., -:,;.. g., >.
'"Fhey shall not prevent me fronfzin-
terring him. said Michael Strogoff,
And he continued his work : ;.,'
Soon Nicholas body, with his hands
joined on his breast, was laid in the
tomb. Michael Strogoff and Nadia,
kneeling down. prayed the last time for
that poor being, good and inoffensive,
who throughs derdtedness to them had
lost his lifes:% II
"And how,' said Michael throwing
back the earth theE wolves of the
steppe shall not deFonr hin.ssN
Then hfs hand stretched--inl menace
toward the troop Of horsemen which
was passing II y. =
ION our journey, nadia p saiakhe,
Michael Strogof could no longer fol-
low the highroad, now. eeeupied by the
Tartars.s He must throw himself across
the steppe and turn Irkdtsk: In doing
this they would have to cross the Din;
ka andythus would be elieyedf from, one
great anxiety 81 I'D k&kFl ~
Nadia could no longer drag herself
along, but shea could see for him. He
took her in ahis arms and Struck into
the southwest Of the province.
There remained for them to travel
more than 200 yersts., How could if
be done? How could food be, found on
the journey?,rff 49,, z,:> q. .,s,..;.
by what ,superhuman energy would
they succeed in passing the first slopes
OF the Sayensk mountains? Neither
Nadia nor he could tell .2"@'
And yet twelve days after, at 6 O'clock
in the evening, an immense sheet Of
water rolled at the feet Of Michael StroS
geff.n A5.";iDnU:r: .l:'H H,,. .<~r. n
lit was Lake lBaikal T. -1.tz:rl !
Lake Baikal is situated at a. height
Of 1,T0OF feet above the Blevel Of the sea.
It's length it about 900 versts, it's
breadth about,a hundred. Its depth is
unknown; Nine. de Bourboulon tells
dD IudI, Liz soy ttlaI ~ W tStISS ~
be called Mrs. Sea-" If one calls II
"Mr. Lake." it at once is in rage
Anyhow, according to a Russian legend,
a Russian is never drowned there.
This immense. basin Of fresh water,
fed-by-more than 800 rivers, is -embost
omed in magnificent circle of vol
canic mountains. It has no other out
let but the Angara, which, after shay-..
ing passed Irkutsk, throws itself into,
the ,Yenisei a little a boyeIsthe town of
Yeniseisk. g
The first days of October had come.
The sun now sank below the horizon at
5 O'Clock, and the long nights allowed
the temperature to fall to zero IN the
thermometers. The first snow, which
was to remain until summer, already;
whitened the neighboring heights. Dur
ing the Siberian winter this interior
sea, with its ice several feet thick, is
dotted with trains of couriers and cara
vans. 49, s.a u :. z. 80, &
twas at the southwest point Of the
lake that Michael Strogoff had just ar
rived, carrying Nadia, whose whole
life, so to speak, was concentrated in
her eyes. What could they both expect
in this wild part Of the province but