CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1903-03-19

v. Pierce, Buffalo, N. Y.
in the evening. an immense sneer OF
water rolled at the feet of Michael Stro-
gon
1t was Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is situated at a height
of 1.To0 feet above the level of the sea
Its length II about 800 versts, its
breadth about a hundred Its depth Is
unknown Nine. de Bourboulon tells
US that the sailors say that II wishes to
be called Mrs Sea" IL one calls 1t
Mr.. Lake" II at once is in a rage.
Anyhow. according to Russian legend.
q Russian Is never drowned there
This Immense basin of fresh water.
fed by more than 800 rivers. is embos-
omed in n magnificent circle OF vol
canic mountains. II has no other out
Ing passed lrkutsk. throws itself into
the YenIsei a little above the town Of
Yeniseisk.
The FIRST days Of October had come.
The sun now sank below the horizon at
8 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
whitcned the nelghboring heights Dur
ing the Siberian winter this interior
sea, with Its ice several feet thick. Is
dotted with trains of couriers and cara
vans.
II was at the southwest point Of the
lake that Michael Strogof 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
to die there Of want and destitution:
And yet how many still remained to be
made Of those COCO versts that the
courier OF the czar should attain his
endr Only sixty versts along the shore
OF the lake as far as the mouth OF the
river Angara. and eighty versts from
the mouth Of the Angara to irkutsk-
in all a hundred and forty versts- say
a three days journey for a strong aud
vigorous man even on foot
Some nfty people found themselves
assembled nj the corner which forms
the southwest point of the lake
Nadia first perceived this group when
Michael Strogotf. carrying her in his
arms rnme out from the defile OF the
mountains.
Stop she cried. The Tartars, The
Tartarsr'
The young girl feared for an instant
that 1t was nothing else than de
tachment OF Tartars sent TO scour the
shores OF Lake BaikaL in which case
flight would be cut OF for both
But Nadia WAS soon reassured on
this head.
They are Russiansr' she cried.
And after this last effort her eyellds
closed. and her head fell down on the
breast OF Michael Strogon.
But they had been perceived. and
some OF those Russians. running up to
them. led the blind man and the young
girl to the border OF n little beach to
which was moored n raft.
The raft was about TO depart
These Russians were fugitives of va
rious conditions whom n common iu-
terest had gathered together on this
point Of the BaikaL
Driven back by the Tartar scouts.
they sought TO take refuge in Irkutsk.
and. not being able to reach that place
by land. since the Invaders had taken
up position on both banks of the Anga-
ra, they hoped to gain II by descending
the river which runs through the town.
The fugitives had their raft fully pre-
pared for the voyage. and had Michael
Etrogoff been even few hours later
he would have found the place desert.
cd.
Now. he was welcomed and b.dden
to g. upon the raft at once, as its slow
motion rendered 1t advisable to lose no
time in setting out.
Their project made the heart of MI
chael Strogorf leap for JOY. He could
now play his last chance. But he had
the strength 10 dissemble. wishing to
preserve more strictly than ever his
incognita.
The plan of the fugitives was very
simple. A current OF the Baikal skirts
the higher shore of the lake ms far as
the mouth Of the Angara. 1t Is this
current which they counted upon max
Continued Next wsep