michael strogoff-第61章

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at　about　twenty　versts　off　along　the　Siberian　highroad；
this　town；　with　its　cupolas；　its　bell…towers；　its　steeples
slender　as　minarets；　its　domes　like　pot…bellied　Chinese　jars；
presents　something　of　an　oriental　aspect。　　But　this　similarity
vanishes　as　the　traveler　enters。

The　town；　half　Byzantine；　half　Chinese；　becomes　European　as　soon
as　he　sees　its　macadamized　roads；　bordered　with　pavements；
traversed　by　canals；　planted　with　gigantic　birches；　its　houses
of　brick　and　wood；　some　of　which　have　several　stories；
the　numerous　equipages　which　drive　along；　not　only　tarantasses
but　broughams　and　coaches；　lastly；　its　numerous　inhabitants　far
advanced　in　civilization；　to　whom　the　latest　Paris　fashions
are　not　unknown。

Being　the　refuge　for　all　the　Siberians　of　the　province；　Irkutsk　was
at　this　time　very　full。　　Stores　of　every　kind　had　been　collected
in　abundance。　　Irkutsk　is　the　emporium　of　the　innumerable　kinds
of　merchandise　which　are　exchanged　between　China；　Central　Asia；
and　Europe。　　The　authorities　had　therefore　no　fear　with　regard
to　admitting　the　peasants　of　the　valley　of　the　Angara；　and　leaving
a　desert　between　the　invaders　and　the　town。

Irkutsk　is　the　residence　of　the　governor…general　of
Eastern　Siberia。　　Below　him　acts　a　civil　governor；　in　whose　hands
is　the　administration　of　the　province；　a　head　of　police；　who　has
much　to　do　in　a　town　where　exiles　abound；　and；　lastly；　a　mayor；
chief　of　the　merchants；　and　a　person　of　some　importance；
from　his　immense　fortune　and　the　influence　which　he　exercises
over　the　people。

The　garrison　of　Irkutsk　was　at　that　time　composed　of　an　infantry
regiment　of　Cossacks；　consisting　of　two　thousand　men；　and　a　body
of　police　wearing　helmets　and　blue　uniforms　laced　with　silver。
Besides；　as　has　been　said；　in　consequence　of　the　events　which
had　occurred；　the　brother　of　the　Czar　had　been　shut　up　in　the　town
since　the　beginning　of　the　invasion。

A　journey　of　political　importance　had　taken　the　Grand　Duke
to　these　distant　provinces　of　Central　Asia。　　After　passing
through　the　principal　Siberian　cities；　the　Grand　Duke；
who　traveled　en　militaire　rather　than　en　prince；　without　any　parade；
accompanied　by　his　officers；　and　escorted　by　a　regiment
of　Cossacks；　arrived　in　the　Trans…Baikalcine　provinces。
Nikolaevsk；　the　last　Russian　town　situated　on　the　shore
of　the　Sea　of　Okhotsk；　had　been　honored　by　a　visit　from　him。
Arrived　on　the　confines　of　the　immense　Muscovite　Empire；
the　Grand　Duke　was　returning　towards　Irkutsk；　from　which　place
he　intended　to　retake　the　road　to　Moscow；　when；　sudden　as　a
thunder　clap；　came　the　news　of　the　invasion。

He　hastened　to　the　capital；　but　only　reached　it　just　before
communication　with　Russia　had　been　interrupted。　　There　was　time
to　receive　only　a　few　telegrams　from　St。　Petersburg　and　Moscow；
and　with　difficulty　to　answer　them　before　the　wire　was　cut。
Irkutsk　was　isolated　from　the　rest　of　the　world。

The　Grand　Duke　had　now　only　to　prepare　for　resistance；
and　this　he　did　with　that　determination　and　coolness　of　which；
under　other　circumstances；　he　had　given　incontestable　proofs。
The　news　of　the　taking　of　Ichim；　Omsk；　and　Tomsk；
successively　reached　Irkutsk。　　It　was　necessary　at　any　price
to　save　the　capital　of　Siberia。　　Reinforcements　could　not
be　expected　for　some　time。　　The　few　troops　scattered　about
in　the　provinces　of　Siberia　could　not　arrive　in　sufficiently
large　numbers　to　arrest　the　progress　of　the　Tartar　columns。
Since　therefore　it　was　impossible　for　Irkutsk　to　escape　attack；
the　most　important　thing　to　be　done　was　to　put　the　town　in　a　state
to　sustain　a　siege　of　some　duration。

The　preparations　were　begun　on　the　day　Tomsk　fell　into　the　hands
of　the　Tartars。　　At　the　same　time　with　this　last　news；
the　Grand　Duke　heard　that　the　Emir　of　Bokhara　and　the　allied　Khans
were　directing　the　invasion　in　person；　but　what　he　did　not　know　was；
that　the　lieutenant　of　these　barbarous　chiefs　was　Ivan　Ogareff；
a　Russian　officer　whom　he　had　himself　reduced　to　the　ranks；
but　with　whose　person　he　was　not　acquainted。

First　of　all；　as　we　have　seen；　the　inhabitants　of　the　province　of　Irkutsk
were　compelled　to　abandon　the　towns　and　villages。　　Those　who　did
not　take　refuge　in　the　capital　had　to　retire　beyond　Lake　Baikal；
a　district　to　which　the　invasion　would　probably　not　extend　its　ravages。
The　harvests　of　corn　and　fodder　were　collected　and　stored　up　in　the　town；
and　Irkutsk；　the　last　bulwark　of　the　Muscovite　power　in　the　Far　East；
was　put　in　a　condition　to　resist　the　enemy　for　a　lengthened　period。

Irkutsk；　founded　in　1611；　is　situated　at　the　confluence　of
the　Irkut　and　the　Angara；　on　the　right　bank　of　the　latter　river。
Two　wooden　draw…bridges；　built　on　piles；　connected　the　town　with
its　suburbs　on　the　left　bank。　　On　this　side；　defence　was　easy。
The　suburbs　were　abandoned；　the　bridges　destroyed。
The　Angara　being　here　very　wide；　it　would　not　be　possible
to　pass　it　under　the　fire　of　the　besieged。

But　the　river　might　be　crossed　both　above　and　below　the　town；
and　consequently；　Irkutsk　ran　a　risk　of　being　attacked　on　its
east　side；　on　which　there　was　no　wall　to　protect　it。

The　whole　population　were　immediately　set　to　work　on　the　fortifications。
They　labored　day　and　night。　　The　Grand　Duke　observed　with　satisfaction
the　zeal　exhibited　by　the　people　in　the　work；　whom　ere　long　he　would
find　equally　courageous　in　the　defense。　　Soldiers；　merchants；　exiles；
peasants；　all　devoted　themselves　to　the　common　safety。　　A　week　before
the　Tartars　appeared　on　the　Angara；　earth…works　had　been　raised。
A　fosse；　flooded　by　the　waters　of　the　Angara；　was　dug　between　the　scarp
and　counterscarp。　　The　town　could　not　now　be　taken　by　a　coup　de　main。
It　must　be　invested　and　besieged。

The　third　Tartar　columnthe　one　which　came　up　the　valley　of　the　Yenisei
on　the　24th　of　Septemberappeared　in　sight　of　Irkutsk。　　It　immediately
occupied　the　deserted　suburbs；　every　building　in　which　had　been
destroyed　so　as　not　to　impede　the　fire　of　the　Grand　Duke's　guns；
unfortunately　but　few　in　number　and　of　small　caliber。
The　Tartar　troops　as　they　arrived　organized　a　camp　on　the　bank
of　the　Angara；　whilst　waiting　the　arrival　of　the　two　other　columns；
commanded　by　the　Emir　and　his　allies。

The　junction　of　these　different　bodies　was　effected　on　the　25th
of　September；　in　the　Angara　camp；　and　the　whole　of　the　invading　army；
except　the　garrisons　left　in　the　principal　conquered　towns；
was　concentrated　under　the　command　of　Feofar…Khan。

The　passage　of　the　Angara　in　front　of　Irkutsk　having　been　regarded
by　Ogareff　as　impracticable；　a　strong　body　of　troops　crossed；
several　versts　up　the　river；　by　means　of　bridges　formed　with　boats。
The　Grand　Duke　did　not　attempt　to　oppose　the　enemy　in　their　passage。
He　could　only　impede；　not　prevent　it；　having　no　field…artillery
at　his　disposal；　and　he　therefore　remained　in　Irkutsk。

The　Tartars　now　occupied　the　right　bank　of　the　river；
then；　advancing　towards　the　town；　they　burnt；　in　passing；
the　summer…house　of　the　governor…general；　and　at　last　having
entirely　invested　Irkutsk；　took　up　their　positions　for　the　siege。

Ivan　Ogareff；　who　was　a　clever　engineer；　was　perfectly　competent
to　direct　a　regular　siege；　but　he　did　not　possess　the　materials
for　operating　rapidly。　　He　was　disappointed　too　in　the　chief
object　of　all　his　effortsthe　surprise　of　Irkutsk。　　Things　had
not　turned　out　as　he　hoped。　　First；　the　march　of　the　Tartar
army　was　delayed　by　the　battle　of　Tomsk；　and　secondly；
the　preparations　for　the　defense　were　made　far　more　rapidly　than
he　had　supposed　possible；　these　two　things　had　balked　his　plans。
He　was　now　under　the　necessity　of　instituting　a　regular　siege
of　the　town。

However；　by　his　suggestion；　the　Emir　twice　attempted　the　capture
of　the　place；　at　the　cost　of　a　large　sacrifice　of　men。
He　threw　soldiers　on　the　earth…works　which　presented　any　weak　point；
but　these　two　assaults　were　repulsed　with　the　greatest　courage。
The　Grand　Duke　and　his　officers　did　not　spare　themselves　on
this　occasion。　　They　appeared　in　person；　they　led　the　civil　population
to　the　ramparts。　　Citizens　and　peasants　both　did　their　duty。

At　the　second　attack；　the　Tartars　managed　to　force　one　of　the　gates