CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1903-03-26

those he cherished but for she did
not doubt it-srrnggling against the In
vaders with all the dash OF his patriot.
Ism Before many hours. II heaven
should al length favor them she would
b.. In his arms. reciting to him the last
words OF her mother. and nothing
should again separate them.
The raft still necved on. unperceived.
amid the. mass OF roaring ice.
Up 10 this time no Tartar detachment
had b.s-n >ii,nal,-d on the high banks
of the Anssra- and this Indicated that
the rn:r had not as yea culi' nn Line
with their outposis-
Meanwhile il WAS necessary TO ria-
neuver with more care In the midst of
the ice. which was fast closing
The old mariner rose up. aud the nIi,
jiks took up again their boarbooks.
All had as much as they could do. anu
the mann. -, - Of the raft became
mor~ aud ...us,. difficult. for the led OF
the river was t-,coming obstructed-
Michael >sf"=on had moved softly 10
the fore parI OF be raft
-AetQS inittei u1u IOuoHSu usLn
Both listened to what the old sailor
and his men wsr' saying.
Guard tber- ON the rightT
Look. The blocks OF ice are thick
ening ON the left
Keep II or. Keep Il OF with your
tontbook--
Before an hour we shall be stop
ped
IF God wills itr' replied the old saH
or Against his will nothing can b
done
-You hear them = said Alcide Jolive,.
Yes replied Michael Strogon. -bu,
God Is with u.s.
Meaniim. the situation became mor-
and more serious II the raft once
ceased 10 make headway. the fugitive~
would not only never reach irkutsk,
but they would be obliged to abandon
their floating apparatus. which. crush
ed by the ice blocks, would not be long
In sinking under the waters. The viii
low bindings were already breaking.
the DIR trunks. violently separated. were
becoming enrangled under the hard
crust. and soon the unfortunate people
would have no other refuge than TIA"
Ice itself. Then. when daylight should
come. they would be perceived by the
Tartars and massacred without pity.
Michael Sfrogofr returned to the hack
part of the raft. where Nadia was wait
Ing for him. He approached the young
girl. he took her hand aud put to her
that invariable question. nadia, ar'
you readyY-' to which she answered a.
usual:
81 am ready
For some versts more the raft con
tinued to make its way through the
choked up with ice. IL would form
barrier. and consequently it would bc
impossible To follow the current. n,
ready the passage down the river was
slower. At every instant there were
collisions. or time was lost by having
to make long turniugs- Here they must
escape landing on the Ice: there they
must take a narrow pass between it
In fine. many anxious drawbacks.
And now only a few hours OF the
night remained. II the fugltives did
not reach Irkutsk before 3 O'Clock In
the morning. they must give up all
hope OF ever entering there.
At length, Mt half past l. in spite OF
all their united efforts. the raft strnck
against a thick barrier and stopped al
together. The ice which was floating
down the river cast itself upon II and
forced II against the obstacle and neld
Il motionless as II II had been driven
upon reef.
At this place the Angara becomes mar
rowed to not more than half Its normal
breadth: hence the accumulation OF ice
blocks. which were by little aud little
piled one upon another under the action
Of the double pressure. which was con
siderable. and OF the cold. whose In
tcnsity was redoubling. At 600 PAGES
down the river again became wide. and
ice blocks. detaching themselves by lit
tie and little from the lower edge of that
field. continued to tioas down to lrkutsk;
hence Il Is probable that without that
narrowingof the banks the barrier would
not have been formed. and the raft could
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