The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-01-15
THE COURIER
!. OF THE CAR
BY Jules Verne
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come down the river in great Guanti-
ties, disappeared, and very little could
be seen between the two banks.
The Russian officers, who had no.
ticed this change in the state Of the
river, made it known to the grand
duke. Besides, it was explained in this
way that at some narrow portion of the
Angara the floating ice had accumu-
lated and found a barrier. We know
! that such was the case. The passage
, Of the Angara was therefore open to
the besiegers; hence the necessity for
the Russians to watch with greater at
tention than ever.
! In the camp Of the Angara there was
plenty Of agitation, as was proved by
the lights constantly fitting about. At
verst up above. as also down below
the point where the fort:tication slopes
down to the river, there was dull
murmur, which proved that the Tar
tars were on foot, waiting for some
signal. Again an hour passed by.
Nothing new.
Two O'Clock in the morning was about
! to strike from the clock tower Of the
cathedral Of IrkutSk and no movement
had taken place to disclose the hostile
intentions of the besiegers. The grand
duke and his officers began to ask
themselves if they had not been led
! into error, if it had really entered into
the plan Of the Tartars to attempt to
surprise the town.
The preceding nights had not by any
means been so calm. Firing had been
kept up from the advanced posts, and
shells had Kissed through the air, and
this time there was nothing Of the kind.
The grand duke, General EoranZof,
their aids-de- camp, waited therefore,
ready to give their orders according to
the circumstances.
It has been stated that Ivan OgareG
occupied room in the palace. 1t was
q pretty large room, situated on the
ground floor, and its windows opened
out upon side terrace. One need only
step a few PAGES on this terrace TO
overlook the course Of the Angara. \
profound darkness reigned in that
room. Ivan OSaref, standing near q
window, was waiting for the hour Of
action to arrive. Evidently the signal
could only come from him. Once this
signal was given, when most Of the de-
Tenders Of Irkutsk should have been
called to the points openly attacked,
his plan was to leave the palace and
to 60 and accomplish his work. He
waited then in the dark, like a tiger
ready to spring upon its prey.
Meanwhile, some minutes before 2
o'clock, the grand duke asked that MI
chael Strogoff-it was the only name
he could give to Ivan Ogaref-shouid
be brought to him. An ald-de-camp
came to his room, the door Of which
was closed. He called.hlm. Ivan Oga-
ref, motio1less near the window and
invisible il the darkness, took good
care not to answer. The grand duke
was then Informed that the courier OF
the czar was not at that moment in the
palace.
Two o'clock struck. 1t was the mo-
ment that action had been agreed on
with the Tartars, who were ready for
the assault. Ivan Ogaref opened the
window Of his room and placed himself
at the north angle Of the side terrace.
Below him in the shade flowed the wa
ters of the Angara, which roared as
they broke against the piles Of the but
treSSeS.
Ivan Ogareff drew a flint from his
pocket and lit with it a piece Of cotton
wool impregnated with printing pow
der, which he threw into the river. 1t
was by the order Of Ivan Ogaref that
torrents of mineral oil had been cast
on the surface Of the Angara. Springs
ct naphtha had been discovered above
Irkutsk Oh the right bank, between the
village Of Poshkavsk and the town.
Ivan Ogareff had resolved to employ
this terrible means for setting fire to
Irkutsk. He therefore made use Of the
immense reservoir which contained the
combustible liquid. He had only to
make a few canals to draw in streams
into the river. These he had made that
very night, some hours before. The
cotton wool had been cast on the wa
tars Of the Angara. In an instant, as II
the current had been made Of alcohol,
all the river became mass Of flames,
up and down the stream, with the ra-
pidity Of electricity. Volumes OF blue
flames covered the whole surface Of the
river and shot far up into the sky.
The few blocks Of ice that came float
ing down the river, being seized by the
burning liquid, melted like wax on the
surface Of furnace, and the water,
sent off as vapor, rose Kissing to the
clouds. At that very moment the FIR
ing began at the north and at the south
Of the town. The batteries Of the camp
Of the Angara threw an uninterrupted
volley Of shot and shell. Many thou
sand Tartars rushed to the assault OF
the ramparts. The houses along the
high banks, constructed Of wood, took
fire in every direction. An immense
light dissipated the shades Of night.
"At lastw said Ivan Ogareff. And he
had good reason to applaud. The d.
version which he had planned was ter
rible. The defenders saw themselves
placed between the attack Of the Tar
tars and the disasters Of an immense
confagration. The bells sounded. and
every ablebodied man Of the population
hastened to the points attacked and to
the houses which were being deVourcd
by the fire, which was threatening to
communicate itself to the whole city.
The Bolchaia gate was almost free. 1t
was with difficulty that any defenders
had been left there.
Ivan Ogaref re-entered his room,
then brilliantly lit up by the flames