Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-03-30
The Courier
of the Gar
By jules Verne

W. y Nlotk WIS no
ment that action had been agreed on
with the Tartars. who were ready for
the assault. Ivan Ogareff opened the
window OF bis room and placed himself
at the north angle OF the side terrace.
Below him In the shade flowed the wa
tiers OF the Angara, which roared as
they broke against the piles OF the but
tresses.
Ivan Ogaref drew a flint from his
pocket and III with II n piece OF cotton
wool impregnated with printing pow
der, which he threw into the river. 1t
was by the order OF Ivan Ogareff that
torrents OF mineral oil had been cast
on the surface Of the Angara. Springs
OF naphtha had been discovered above
Irkutsk on the right bank, between the
village OF Poshkavsk and the town.
Ivan Ogarefr had resolved 10 employ
this terrible means for setting FIRE TO
Irkutsk. lie therefore made use OF the
immense reservoir which contained the
combustble liquid. He had only to
make 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
tiers Of the Angara. In an instant, as IL
the current had been made OF alcohol,
all the river became a mass Of flames,
up and down the stream, with the ra-
pidlty 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
gpr 4 10 81, hr-t
burning liquid, melted like wax on the
surface Of a 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
conhagration. The bells sounded, and
every ablebodied man of the population
FASTENED to the points attacked and to
the houses which were being devoured
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 Ogareff re-entered his room,
then brilliantly lit up by the flames
from the Angara that overtopped the
balustrades Of the ramparts. Then he
prepared to leave II. But scarcely had
he opened the door when a woman
ments dripping wet, her hair In disor-
der.
"SangarreF' cried Ivan Ogareff In the
hrst moment OF surprise and not mag.
ming that II could be any other woman
than the gypsy.
II was not Sangarre; It was Nadia.
At the moment when, seeking refuge
pm the block OF ice, the young girl had
uttered that cry when she saw the fire
spread over the current OF the Angara,
Michael Strogoff had seized her in his
rms, and he had dived with her to
eek even In the depths OF the river a
heller from the flames. After having
wum under the waters Michael Stro-
Iof had fortunately put his foot on
Cround at the quay, and be had Nadia
till safe with him.
Michael Strogof was touching at last
10 goal He was at Irkutsk. ITO the
alace OF the GOVERNOR said he to Ma.
In. In less than ten minutes after
Fard both arrived at the entrance to
bat palace. the massive stone walls OF
Fhich were being licked by the long
ames from the Angara, without, how
yer. their being able to set the struc
1re on fire. Beyond. the houses on the
ank were all In flames.
Michael Strogof and Nadia entered
Tithout difficulty into that palace
Fhich was open for all. In the midst
the general confusion no one noticed
hem, although their clothes were drip
ng wet. A crowd OF officers came FOL
Fders, and soldiers running to executs
lem blocked up the grand salon or
% ground floor.
There Michael StrogoH and the young
ri. In the midst Of so great n crowd
und themselves separated from eacl
her. Nadia. distracted. ran along tn,
wer rooms. called her campanion an(
ked to be led before the grand duke
door leading into q room that wa
undated with light opened itself be
re her. She entered. and she fount