michael strogoff-第38章

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army　is　only　waiting　for　him　to　advance　on　Irkutsk。〃

〃And　once　free；　what　shall　we　do？〃

〃Once　free；　we　will　continue　our　campaign；　and　follow　the　Tartars；
until　the　time　comes　when　we　can　make　our　way　into　the　Russian　camp。
We　must　not　give　up　the　game。　　No；　indeed；　we　have　only　just　begun。
You；　friend；　have　already　had　the　honor　of　being　wounded　in　the　service
of　the　Daily　Telegraph；　whilst　II　have　as　yet　suffered　nothing
in　my　cousin's　service。　　Well；　well！　　Good；〃　murmured　Alcide　Jolivet；
〃there　he　is　asleep。　　A　few　hours'　sleep　and　a　few　cold　water　compresses
are　all　that　are　required　to　set　an　Englishman　on　his　legs　again。
These　fellows　are　made　of　cast　iron。〃

And　whilst　Harry　Blount　rested；　Alcide　watched　near　him；
after　having　drawn　out　his　note　book；　which　he　loaded　with　notes；
determined　besides　to　share　them　with　his　companion；　for　the　greater
satisfaction　of　the　readers　of　the　Daily　Telegraph。　　Events　had
united　them　one　with　the　other。　　They　were　no　longer　jealous　of
each　other。　　So；　then；　the　thing　that　Michael　Strogoff　dreaded　above
everything　was　the　most　lively　desire　of　the　two　correspondents。
Ivan　Ogareff's　arrival　would　evidently　be　of　use　to　them。
Blount　and　Jolivet's　interest　was；　therefore；　contrary　to
that　of　Michael。　　The　latter　well　understood　the　situation；
and　it　was　one　reason；　added　to　many　others；　which　prevented
him　from　approaching　his　former　traveling　companions。
He　therefore　managed　so　as　not　to　be　seen　by　them。

Four　days　passed　thus　without　the　state　of　things　being　in
anywise　altered。　　The　prisoners　heard　no　talk　of　the　breaking
up　of　the　Tartar　camp。　　They　were　strictly　guarded。
It　would　have　been　impossible　for　them　to　pass　the　cordon
of　foot　and　horse　soldiers；　which　watched　them　night　and　day。
As　to　the　food　which　was　given　them　it　was　barely　sufficient。
Twice　in　the　twenty…four　hours　they　were　thrown　a　piece
of　the　intestines　of　goats　grilled　on　the　coals；　or　a　few
bits　of　that　cheese　called　〃kroute；〃　made　of　sour　ewe's　milk；
and　which；　soaked　in　mare's　milk；　forms　the　Kirghiz　dish；
commonly　called　〃koumyss。〃　　And　this　was　all。
It　may　be　added　that　the　weather　had　become　detestable。
There　were　considerable　atmospheric　commotions；　bringing　squalls
mingled　with　rain。　　The　unfortunate　prisoners；　destitute
of　shelter；　had　to　bear　all　the　inclemencies　of　the　weather；
nor　was　there　the　slightest　alleviation　to　their　misery。
Several　wounded　women　and　children　died；　and　the　prisoners　were
themselves　compelled　to　dig　graves　for　the　bodies　of　those　whom
their　jailers　would　not　even　take　the　trouble　to　bury。

During　this　trying　period　Alcide　Jolivet　and　Michael　Strogoff　worked　hard；
each　in　the　portions　of　the　enclosure　in　which　they　found　themselves。
Healthy　and　vigorous；　they　suffered　less　than　so　many　others；
and　could　better　endure　the　hardships　to　which　they　were　exposed。
By　their　advice；　and　the　assistance　they　rendered；　they　were　of　the
greatest　possible　use　to　their　suffering　and　despairing　fellow…captives。

Was　this　state　of　things　to　last？　　Would　Feofar…Khan；　satisfied
with　his　first　success；　wait　some　time　before　marching
on　Irkutsk？　　Such；　it　was　to　be　feared；　would　be　the　case。
But　it　was　not　so。　　The　event　so　much　wished　for　by　Jolivet
and　Blount；　so　much　dreaded　by　Michael；　occurred　on　the　morning
of　the　12th　of　August。

On　that　day　the　trumpets　sounded；　the　drums　beat；　the　cannon　roared。
A　huge　cloud　of　dust　swept　along　the　road　from　Kolyvan。　　Ivan　Ogareff；
followed　by　several　thousand　men；　made　his　entry　into　the　Tartar　camp。


CHAPTER　II　CORRESPONDENTS　IN　TROUBLE

IVAN　OGAREFF　was　bringing　up　the　main　body　of　the　army　of
the　Emir。　　The　cavalry　and　infantry　now　under　him　had　formed　part
of　the　column　which　had　taken　Omsk。　　Ogareff；　not　having　been
able　to　reduce　the　high　town；　in　which；　it　must　be　remembered；
the　governor　and　garrison　had　sought　refuge；　had　decided　to　pass　on；
not　wishing　to　delay　operations　which　ought　to　lead　to　the　conquest
of　Eastern　Siberia。　　He　therefore　left　a　garrison　in　Omsk；　and；
reinforcing　himself　en　route　with　the　conquerors　of　Kolyvan；
joined　Feofar's　army。

Ivan　Ogareff's　soldiers　halted　at　the　outposts　of　the　camp。
They　received　no　orders　to　bivouac。　　Their　chief's　plan；
doubtless；　was　not　to　halt　there；　but　to　press　on　and　reach
Tomsk　in　the　shortest　possible　time；　it　being　an　important　town；
naturally　intended　to　become　the　center　of　future　operations。

Besides　his　soldiers；　Ogareff　was　bringing　a　convoy
of　Russian　and　Siberian　prisoners；　captured　either　at　Omsk
or　Kolyvan。　　These　unhappy　creatures　were　not　led　to
the　enclosurealready　too　crowdedbut　were　forced　to　remain
at　the　outposts　without　shelter；　almost　without　nourishment。
What　fate　was　Feofar…Khan　reserving　for　these　unfortunates？
Would　he　imprison　them　in　Tomsk；　or　would　some　bloody　execution；
familiar　to　the　Tartar　chiefs；　remove　them　when　they　were　found
too　inconvenient？　　This　was　the　secret　of　the　capricious　Emir。

This　army　had　not　come　from　Omsk　and　Kolyvan　without　bringing　in　its
train　the　usual　crowd　of　beggars；　freebooters；　pedlars；　and　gypsies；
which　compose　the　rear…guard　of　an　army　on　the　march。

All　these　people　lived　on　the　country　traversed；　and　left
little　of　anything　behind　them。　　There　was；　therefore；
a　necessity　for　pushing　forward；　if　only　to　secure　provisions
for　the　troops。　　The　whole　region　between　Ichim　and　the　Obi；
now　completely　devastated；　no　longer　offered　any　resources。
The　Tartars　left　a　desert　behind　them。

Conspicuous　among　the　gypsies　who　had　hastened　from　the　western　provinces
was　the　Tsigane　troop；　which　had　accompanied　Michael　Strogoff　as　far
as　Perm。　　Sangarre　was　there。　　This　fierce　spy；　the　tool　of　Ivan　Ogareff；
had　not　deserted　her　master。　　Ogareff　had　traveled　rapidly　to　Ichim；
whilst　Sangarre　and　her　band　had　proceeded　to　Omsk　by　the　southern　part
of　the　province。

It　may　be　easily　understood　how　useful　this　woman　was
to　Ogareff。　　With　her　gypsy…band　she　could　penetrate　anywhere。
Ivan　Ogareff　was　kept　acquainted　with　all　that　was　going　on　in
the　very　heart　of　the　invaded　provinces。　　There　were　a　hundred　eyes；
a　hundred　ears；　open　in　his　service。　　Besides；　he　paid　liberally
for　this　espionage；　from　which　he　derived　so　much　advantage。

Once　Sangarre；　being　implicated　in　a　very　serious　affair；　had　been
saved　by　the　Russian　officer。　　She　never　forgot　what　she　owed　him；
and　had　devoted　herself　to　his　service　body　and　soul。

When　Ivan　Ogareff　entered　on　the　path　of　treason；
he　saw　at　once　how　he　might　turn　this　woman　to　account。
Whatever　order　he　might　give　her；　Sangarre　would　execute　it。
An　inexplicable　instinct；　more　powerful　still　than　that　of　gratitude；
had　urged　her　to　make　herself　the　slave　of　the　traitor
to　whom　she　had　been　attached　since　the　very　beginning　of　his
exile　in　Siberia。

Confidante　and　accomplice；　Sangarre；　without　country；　without　family；
had　been　delighted　to　put　her　vagabond　life　to　the　service　of　the　invaders
thrown　by　Ogareff　on　Siberia。　　To　the　wonderful　cunning　natural　to　her
race　she　added　a　wild　energy；　which　knew　neither　forgiveness　nor　pity。
She　was　a　savage　worthy　to　share　the　wigwam　of　an　Apache　or　the　hut
of　an　Andaman。

Since　her　arrival　at　Omsk；　where　she　had　rejoined　him　with
her　Tsiganes；　Sangarre　had　not　again　left　Ogareff。　　The　circumstance
that　Michael　and　Marfa　Strogoff　had　met　was　known　to　her。
She　knew　and　shared　Ogareff's　fears　concerning　the　journey
of　a　courier　of　the　Czar。　　Having　Marfa　Strogoff　in　her　power；
she　would　have　been　the　woman　to　torture　her　with　all　the　refinement
of　a　RedSkin　in　order　to　wrest　her　secret　from　her。　　But　the　hour
had　not　yet　come　in　which　Ogareff　wished　the　old　Siberian　to　speak。
Sangarre　had　to　wait；　and　she　waited；　without　losing　sight
of　her　whom　she　was　watching；　observing　her　slightest　gestures；
her　slightest　words；　endeavoring　to　catch　the　word　〃son〃　escaping
from　her　lips；　but　as　yet　always　baffled　by　Marfa's　taciturnity。

At　the　first　flourish　of　the　trumpets　several　officers　of　high　rank；
followed　by　a　brilliant　escort　of　Usbeck　horsemen；　moved　to　the　front
of　the　camp　to　receive　Ivan　Ogareff。　　Arrived　in　his　presence；