CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1903-04-02
The Courier Of
7 h e c Z a r


nave continued to descend the current
But the evil was irreparable. and the
fugitives had TO give up all hope Of
reaching the end Of their journey. if
they had had at their disposal the tools
which the whalers usually employ to
open out canals across the iceheIds. II
they had been able to cut this field as
far as the place where the river be
came wider. perhaps the time would
not have been wanting. but not single
saw, not a picknx. nothing with which
to cut the crust. which the extreme cold
had rendered as hard as granite.
What should they dor
At that moment rifle shots were heard
on the right banx Of the Angara. A
shower OF bullets was directed upon
the raft. Had the unhappy men been
perceivedf Evidently. for other dcto-
nations resounded on the left bank
The fugitiyes. caught between two tires.
became n target for the Tartar marks.
men. Some were wounded by these
balls, although In the midst OF the
great darkness they only fell by chance.
Come. Nadia" whispered Michael
Strogoff IN the ear OF the young girl.
Without making any observation.
ready for everything, Nadia took the
hand OF Michael strogon
Il am thinking OF crossing the bar
rier." be said to her 10 a low voice.
,-Guidc me. but let no one see US leave
the raft"
Nadia obeycd. Michael Strogon and
she giided quickly over the surface OF
the icetcld In silence that was broken
bere and there by the lriug.
NADIA crept on Ia front OF Aichnei
strogoff TIL. balls fell around them
like a shower OF hnilstopes and crashed
upon tb. ic. 'rh. surface OF the neld-
rugged and with sharp edges made
their bands bleed but stili they k,Sr
advancing
Ten minutes af;erward tire lower
border OF the harri.r WAS r-a"hrd
Thsr. tue waters OF ttr Aognrs a-nin
b.--anis fr-. A few large bio'ks at
ic-. b.-couitng by d'4;p--- d''iacb.d rroin
tia. h.iu aud beating with III. rurr'-ni-
d--4-nd,d tooarJ tue iuwn
Nad.u understood what N1rha., >ir~
gof wtSh.-i TO aitrupt Sb- ~nw our
OF ttu~. b,o..Ls OF c~ that wzs cais
beiJ by uasrow tongue.
.'tom..." ~ ii Nadia
And both iay down on this tpnrss.i oi
is~. whh-h a slight rosing ico~'n''
from the iiarri-r
The block began to make ,ts way
down the river The river itssif be
cnm. wider and the route was free
Nichaei strogor and Nadia could
lear the nring OF guns, the cries OF dis
tress. the shouts Of the rartars that
made themselves heard NJ the river.
Then little by little those cries OF deep
anguish and Of fcrocious Joy were ios
In the distance.
-oh. tho-. poor companioDSr' ~his
percd Nadia.
For half an hour the current quickly
carried along the block OF ice which
was bearing Michael sirogon and M
dia. At every moment they feared that
they mirhI sink under the water u''
ing cnurh, In the STREAM. Il followed
the middle OF the river. aud IL wosid
not bc necessary to give II an oblique
direction until ,bcre was question of
mating for the Iuays Of irkutsk-
Michael StroEon. with his tccth set
and his ears ready 10 catch the least
sound. did not utter single wnrd
Never was he 40 near attaining his
end lie felt that be was about TO sue
coed.
Toward O'Clock In the morning a
couble row OF lights III up the sonibcr
horizon on the two banks OF the An
CARA.
On the right was the glarr from the
lights OF irkutsk. on the left the fircs
Of the Tartar camp.
Michael sirogon was not more than
half vcrst from the city.
AT lastr' whispered he.
But suddenly NADIA gave cry.
At that cry Michael Strogon rose up
from the block. which became very un'
steady. His hand stretched out toward
the head OF the Angara. His face, all
1T up with the reflections OF blue lights.
became terrible 20 look NJ. and then. a.
though his eyes had been rcopeued to
the light. he cried:
"Ah. God himself Ii against usr'
~rY a r,-rrn yvxv