The Iola register., 1902-02-28
1heCourier
OF theCzar
BY JULES VERNE

o<C>C~c~c@c~Cc ~c~Ceo@cs9S'VS
Wassili Feodor hung down his head. |
He knew Nadia, and he knew well that |
nothing would prevent her setting Off |
BY this statement Ivan Ogaren had |
just committed gratuitously an act OF
real cruelty. With one word he could
reassure Wassili Feodor.
Although Nadia had passed the from
tier under the circumstances previous
ly described, Wassili Feodor, by COM
pairing the date at which his daughter
was certainly at Mini Novgorod and
the date of the order forbidding any one
to leave 1t, would without doubt draw
this conclusion-that Nadia could not
have been exposed to the dangers or
an invasion and that she was still, In
spite of herself, on the European terri
!, tory of the empire.
Ivan Ogareff might have said that
word. He did not say 1t. Wassili Eco
dor withdrew heartbroken. After that
interview his last hope was destroyed.
During the two following days the
grand duke several times asked for
the pretended Michael Strogoff and had
him repeat all that he had heard in the
imperial cabinet of the New palace.
Ivan Ogareff, prepared for all those
questions. answered without ever hesi-
Eating. He did not conceal designedly
that the government of the czar had
been altogether taken by surprise by
the invasion; that the rising had been
prepared with the greatest secrecy;
that the Tartars were already masters
of the line Of the Obi when the news
reached Moscow, and finally that MOTH
ing was ready in the Russian provinces
to throw into Siberia troops sufficient
to repel the invaders.
Afterward Ivan Ogareff, entirely
free in his movements, began to study
Irkutsk, the state of its fortiiicauons'
their weak points, in order eventually
to make use of those observations II
any circumstance should prevent the
consummation of his treason. He de-
voted himself more particularly to the
examination of the Bolchaia gate
which he intended treacherously to sur
render Twice at night he came to IN
spect that gate and the fortitication'
around It, He walked about there with
out any fear of exposing himself to th'
missiles of the besiegers, whose hrs
posts were less than verst from tho
ramparts. He knew well that he wa
not exposed-nay, even that he wa
recognized. He had had glimpse
a shadow which had glided to the foo
of the ramparts.
Sangarre, rlsking her life, had jus
come to try to put herself in commun
cation with Ivan Ogareff. Besides, tn
besieged for two days had enjoyed
tranquility to which they had not beel
accustomed since the Tartars first II
vested Irkutsk. 1t was by order c
Ivan Ogareff.
The lieutenant of Feofar-khan ma
wished that all attempts to carry u
town by sheer force should be suspend
ed. Thus after his arrival at lrkuts
the artillery was absolutely silent. Pc
haps-at least he hoped so-the Wig
lance of the besieged would be som
what relaxed. In any case, at the ou
posts several thousand Tartars we
ready to hurl themselves against Il
gate when deprived Of its defender
when Ivan Ogaref should let the
know the hour for action.
Meanwhile that could not be long d
layed. They must make an end or
Ogareff, who awaited himself or u
opportunity to have daily relatio
with the commandant. Did the rel
gade think he could turn that circu
stance to his own profit? Did he jud
NIL men by himself? Could he belle
that Russian, even a political eXi
could be so mean as TO betray his col
try? Whatever was the case, lv
Ogareff met with skillfully feigned
gerness all the advances made to h
by the father of Nadia. The latter
Ii was the following night, the niG
from the 9th to the 9th of October,
2 o'clock in the morning, that lv
Ogareff had fixed for delivering up
kutsk to the Tartars.