The Iola register., 1902-01-03

in the burghs already passed by-car.
riages and horses were gone.
EIamsk, n sman town the Tartars
had not visited yet, was almost com
pletely depopulated. for it was very
easy to invade 1t from the south and
almost impossible to succor 1t 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.
Michael Strogoff was obliged 20 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 trav-
ell left him.
On the morrow Michael Strogoff 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
Michael Strogoff 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 shriller
sounds, the cause of which he well
knew.
He was only half a mile from Kaly-
van when n long jet of flame flashed
betwiXt the houses Of the city, and the
spire of a church crumbled down in the
middle of n 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
had devoured whole quarter of Kaly-
van.
Michael Strogofr was running across
the plain, trying to reach the cover Of
some trees scattered here and there,
when detachment of Tartar cavalry
appeared on the right
Michael Strogoff could no longer go
in that direction The horsemen ad-
vanced rapidly toward the city, and it
was difficult for him to escape. Sud
denly at the corner of thicket he saw
a house which he might perhaps reach
unperceivcd.
To run, to hide himself, to ask and
to take there, If need be, something to
renew his strength, for he was exhaust
ed with fatigue and hunger, was Mi
chael Strogoff's only resource. He fed
then to this shelter and, drawing near,
he perceived that it was a telegraph
station. Two wires were going east
and west, and n third was stretched to-
ward Kalyvan.
One would suppose that under the
circumstances that station would have
been abandoned, but as it was Michael
Strogoff could find there refuge, wait
for the night if need be to travel again
across the steppe which was searched
by the Tartar pickets.
Michael Strogoif hurried toward the
door of that house and opened it hasti-
ly. a single person was in the room
where the dispatches We're written. He
was an employee, calm, cool, indiffer-
ent to all that was going on outside.
Faithful to his post, he waited behind
his window for the public to claim his
services.
Michael Strogoff went to him and
with voice broken by fatigue asked:
what do you know"
Nothing" answered the employee,
smiling.
Are the Russians and Tartars fight
ingT'
People say So"
"But who are the victorsp
81 don't know"
So much coolness in the midst of
these terrible occurrences, so much in
difference even, was hardly possible.
And is not the wire cutT asked Mi
chael Strogoff.
To he Continued