Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-01-12

Deeu duduUOueu. Out as IL WAS AiChdSi
Strogoff could find there a refuge. wait
for the night if need be to travel again
across the steppe which was searched
by the Tartar pickets.
Michael Strogoff hurried toward the
door of that house and opened it hasti-
~. single person was in the room
where the dispatches were 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 a voice broken by fatigue asked:
What do you known
Nothing" answered the employee,
! smiling.
"Are the Russians and Tartars fight
ing?"
People say So"
"But who are the victorsT
| 81 don't know"
So much GOODNESS in the midst Of
these terrible occurrences, so much in
difference even, was hardly possible.
"And Is not the wire cutP' asked Mi
chael Strogoff.
| 1T is cut between Kalyvan and Kras-
noiarsk, but it works yet between kaly-
van and the Russian frontier"
! For the government"
| "For the government when they think
1t proper, for the public when they pay.
1t is 10 copecks a word. 1 wait your
orders, sir"
Michael Strogoff was going to answer
that strange operator that he had 10
dispatch to send; that he wanted only
little bread and water, when sudden
! ly the door of the house was abruptly
opened.
Michael Strogoff thought the Office in
vaded by the Tartars and was about to
| jump through the window when he no
ticed that two men only entered the
room and that they were far from be-
ing Tartar soldiers.
One of them held dispatch written
in pencil, and, outrunning the other, he
was at the window of the stoical en-
ployee. In those two men Michael
Strogoff was astonished to discover two
persons he had thought never to see
again. They were the correspondents
Harry Blount and Alcide Jolivet, no
more travelling companions, but rivals,
enemies, now that they were operating
on the battlefield.
They had left Ichim few hours only
after the departure Of Michael Strogor,
and if they arrived before him at KSly-
van in following the same route it was
because Michael Strogof had lost three
days on the borders of the Irish. And
now, after having witnessed the battle
between the Russians and the Tartars
in front of the city, leaving the city
when the struggle was still going on in
the streets, they had to run to the sta
ton to send away their dispatches to
Europe, each seeking to rob the other
of priority in describing the stirring
events.
Michael Strogoff kept at a distance in
the shadow, and without being seen he
could see all and hear all. He was
probably about to learn important news
and know if he ought to enter Kalyvan
or not.
Harry Blount, more alert than his
colleague, bad possession of the win
dow and handed in his dispatch, while
Alcde Jolivet, contrary to his habits.
stopped impatiently. Ten copecks a
word" said the operator, taking the
dispatch.
Harry Blount placed pile Of rubles
on the counter, his confrere looking at
him somewhat stupefed.
"Well" said the ,amnlovee. and with
undisturbed sang froid he commenced
to telegraph the following dispatch:
Daily Telegraph, London:
From Kalyvan, Government Of Omsk, Siberia,
Aug Enlargement OF Russian troops with Tar
, tars.
That reading being made aloud, MI
| chael Strogoff could hear all the Eng
lish correspondent addressed to his pa
per.
. Russian troops repulsed with great losses Tar,
tars enter Kalyvan this day.
These words ended the dispatch.
"My turn now" said Alcide Jolivec,
, who tried to pass his dispatch address.
J ed to his cousin Of the Montmartre Eau
, bourg.
But that did not suit the English re.
porter, who thought Of remaining al
t the window as long as he should have
news to transmit, as fast as fresh
events might occur, so he did not give
| place to his confrere.
you are throughT' cried Alcide Joli.
, vet.
8 II am not through" simply answered
Harry Blount.
E And he went on writing words which
e he passed to the operator, who read
r very quietly:
1 In the beginning God created heaven and earth.
They were verses from the Bible Har
: ~ Blount was telegraphing to gain
] time and not give place to his rival
That would probably cost few thou
e sand rubles to his paper, but his paper
would have the first information
e | France might wait