Cañon City record., 1903-01-15

the ariver. Tor III ruis nistunce. as III
many others he did not wish to show
his podorojna. The last ukase. having
been transmitted by telegraph. was
known In the Siberian provinces, and a
Russian specially exempted from obey
ing these orders would certainly have
drawn public attention to himself.
thing above all to be avoided by the
czar's courier. As to the drivers hesi-
tation. either the rascal traded on the
tra yeier's impatience or he really bad
good reason TO fear some misfortune.
However. at last the tarantnss start
ed and made such good way that by 3
In the afternoon IL had reached kou-
latsinskoe. eighty versts farther on.
An hour after this II was on the banks
OF the Irish. Omsk was now only
twenty versts distant
The Irtish is large river and one OF
the principal OF those which dow to-
ward the north of Asia. Rising In the
Atai mountains. Il flows from the
southeast To the northwest and emp
ties Itself into the Obi after a course OF
nearly 1000 versts
At this tim. Of year. when sll .ae
rivers of the Siberian basin are much
swollen. the waters of the Irish were
very high. In consequence the current
was changed to a regular torrent rem
dering the passage difficult enough. A
swimmer could not have crossed. how
ever powerful n one he might be. and
even In a ferryboat there would be
some danger.
Bu, Michael and Nadia. determined
fs.Iss
be- did not dream Of shrinking from
ihis one
However. Michael proposed TO hts
young companion that lee should crosS
crsi embarking ln the fcrryboat with
the tar1ntnss and horsrs as be feared
that the wsI=ht OF this load would rem
Ter 1t less s=fs- Ar,cr landing the car
.'.acr on the opposite bank he would
rtu9n ard 6etch Nadia
The girl refused 1, would be the
lclay Of an hour. and she would not
or hcr safeiy alone be the cause Of il.
The erIbarkaiion was made not With
mt iinlcpity. for The banks were parity
Ionfed and the boat could not get In
rear enough.
However. after half an hours exer-
Ion the boaimrn Got the tarantsss au !
the three horses on board Michael.
Nadia and tne driver embarked also.
e-h they showed OF.
For a few minutes all went well. A
little way up the river the current was
broken by u long point projecting from
the bank and formed an eddy easily
crossed by the boat. The two boatmen
propelled their barge with long poles.
which they handled clcyeriy. but RS
they gained the middle OF the stream
Il grew deeper and deeper until at last
they could only Just reach the bottom.
The ends OF the poles were only foot
above the water. which rendered their
use difficult and Insufficient. Michael
and Nadia, seated In the stern OF the
boat aud always In dread Of n delay.
watched the boatmcn with some un-
easiness.
Look out-' cried one OF them to his
comrade.
The shout was occasioned by the new
direction the boat was rapidly taking.
II had got into the direct current and
was being swept down the river. BY
diligcnt use of the poles putting the
ends in series OF notches cut below
the gunwale. the boatmen managed TO
keep their craft against the stream and
slowly urged Il In slanting direction
toward the right bank.
They calculated ON reaching II some
nye or six versts below the landing
place: but. after ALL that would not
matter so long as men ami beasts could
dlscmbark without accident. The two
nal sod
by the promise OF double fare. did not
doubt of succeeding In this difficult
passage OF the Irish.
But they reckoncd without an incl
dent which they were powerless to pre-
vent. and neither their zeal nor their
skIllfulness could under the circum.
stances have done more.
The boat was In the middle OF the
current at nearly equal distances from
either shore and being carried down at
the rate OF two vcrsts an hour when
Michael springing to his feet. bent his
gaze up the river
seTeral boats. aided by oars as well
as by the current. were coming swiftly
down upon them,
Aiichnal's brow contracted, aud an eS-
clamation escaped him,
what is the mntter7r asked the girl,
But before Michael had time to reply
one Of the hoatmcn exclaimed in an ac-
cent OF terror:
1.-THE Tnuars, The Tartarsm
They were indeed boats full OF sol
diers. and In "A fcw minutes they must
reach the fcrryboat. # being too heav-
ny laden TO escape from them.
The terrified boatmen uttered excia-
nations Of despair and dropped their
poles.
Courage. my friends!' cried Michael.
'-Cournge, Fifty rublcs for you IL we