michael strogoff-第3节

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hung　on　the　wall。

The　officer　hastily　opened　a　window；　as　if　he　felt　the　want
of　air；　and　stepped　out　on　a　balcony　to　breathe　the　pure
atmosphere　of　a　lovely　July　night。　　Beneath　his　eyes；
bathed　in　moonlight；　lay　a　fortified　inclosure；　from　which
rose　two　cathedrals；　three　palaces；　and　an　arsenal。
Around　this　inclosure　could　be　seen　three　distinct　towns：
Kitai…Gorod；　Beloi…Gorod；　Zemlianai…GorodEuropean；　Tartar；
and　Chinese　quarters　of　great　extent；　commanded　by　towers；
belfries；　minarets；　and　the　cupolas　of　three　hundred　churches；
with　green　domes；　surmounted　by　the　silver　cross。
A　little　winding　river；　here　and　there　reflected　the　rays
of　the　moon。

This　river　was　the　Moskowa；　the　town　Moscow；　the　fortified　inclosure
the　Kremlin；　and　the　officer　of　chasseurs　of　the　guard；　who；　with　folded
arms　and　thoughtful　brow；　was　listening　dreamily　to　the　sounds　floating
from　the　New　Palace　over　the　old　Muscovite　city；　was　the　Czar。


CHAPTER　II　RUSSIANS　AND　TARTARS

THE　Czar　had　not　so　suddenly　left　the　ball…room　of　the　New　Palace；
when　the　fete　he　was　giving　to　the　civil　and　military　authorities
and　principal　people　of　Moscow　was　at　the　height　of　its　brilliancy；
without　ample　cause；　for　he　had　just　received　information　that　serious
events　were　taking　place　beyond　the　frontiers　of　the　Ural。　　It　had　become
evident　that　a　formidable　rebellion　threatened　to　wrest　the　Siberian
provinces　from　the　Russian　crown。

Asiatic　Russia；　or　Siberia；　covers　a　superficial　area　of　1；790；208
square　miles；　and　contains　nearly　two　millions　of　inhabitants。
Extending　from　the　Ural　Mountains；　which　separate　it
from　Russia　in　Europe；　to　the　shores　of　the　Pacific　Ocean；
it　is　bounded　on　the　south　by　Turkestan　and　the　Chinese　Empire；
on　the　north　by　the　Arctic　Ocean；　from　the　Sea　of　Kara
to　Behring's　Straits。　　It　is　divided　into　several　governments
or　provinces；　those　of　Tobolsk；　Yeniseisk；　Irkutsk；　Omsk；
and　Yakutsk；　contains　two　districts；　Okhotsk　and　Kamtschatka；
and　possesses　two　countries；　now　under　the　Muscovite　dominion
that　of　the　Kirghiz　and　that　of　the　Tshouktshes。　　This　immense
extent　of　steppes；　which　includes　more　than　one　hundred　and
ten　degrees　from　west　to　east；　is　a　land　to　which　criminals
and　political　offenders　are　banished。

Two　governor…generals　represent　the　supreme　authority　of　the　Czar
over　this　vast　country。　　The　higher　one　resides　at　Irkutsk；
the　far　capital　of　Eastern　Siberia。　　The　River　Tchouna　separates
the　two　Siberias。

No　rail　yet　furrows　these　wide　plains；　some　of　which　are　in　reality
extremely　fertile。　　No　iron　ways　lead　from　those　precious　mines
which　make　the　Siberian　soil　far　richer　below　than　above　its　surface。
The　traveler　journeys　in　summer　in　a　kibick　or　telga；　in　winter；
in　a　sledge。

An　electric　telegraph；　with　a　single　wire　more　than　eight　thousand
versts　in　length；　alone　affords　communication　between　the　western
and　eastern　frontiers　of　Siberia。　　On　issuing　from　the　Ural；　it　passes
through　Ekaterenburg；　Kasirnov；　Tioumen；　Ishim；　Omsk；　Elamsk；　Kolyvan；
Tomsk；　Krasnoiarsk；　Nijni…Udinsk；　Irkutsk；　Verkne…Nertschink；　Strelink；
Albazine；　Blagowstenks；　Radde；　Orlomskaya；　Alexandrowskoe；　and　Nikolaevsk；
and　six　roubles　and　nineteen　copecks　are　paid　for　every　word　sent
from　one　end　to　the　other。　　From　Irkutsk　there　is　a　branch　to　Kiatka；
on　the　Mongolian　frontier；　and　from　thence；　for　thirty　copecks　a　word；
the　post　conveys　the　dispatches　to　Pekin　in　a　fortnight。

It　was　this　wire；　extending　from　Ekaterenburg　to　Nikolaevsk；
which　had　been　cut；　first　beyond　Tomsk；　and　then　between
Tomsk　and　Kolyvan。

This　was　why　the　Czar；　to　the　communication　made　to　him　for
the　second　time　by　General　Kissoff；　had　answered　by　the　words；
〃A　courier　this　moment！〃

The　Czar　remained　motionless　at　the　window　for　a　few　moments；
when　the　door　was　again　opened。　　The　chief　of　police　appeared
on　the　threshold。

〃Enter；　General；〃　said　the　Czar　briefly；　〃and　tell　me　all　you
know　of　Ivan　Ogareff。〃

〃He　is　an　extremely　dangerous　man；　sire；〃　replied　the　chief　of　police。

〃He　ranked　as　colonel；　did　he　not？〃

〃Yes；　sire。〃

〃Was　he　an　intelligent　officer？〃

〃Very　intelligent；　but　a　man　whose　spirit　it　was　impossible　to　subdue；
and　possessing　an　ambition　which　stopped　at　nothing；　he　became　involved
in　secret　intrigues；　and　was　degraded　from　his　rank　by　his　Highness
the　Grand　Duke；　and　exiled　to　Siberia。〃

〃How　long　ago　was　that？〃

〃Two　years　since。　　Pardoned　after　six　months　of　exile　by　your
majesty's　favor；　he　returned　to　Russia。〃

〃And　since　that　time；　has　he　not　revisited　Siberia？〃

〃Yes；　sire；　but　he　voluntarily　returned　there；〃　replied　the　chief
of　police；　adding；　and　slightly　lowering　his　voice；　〃there　was
a　time；　sire；　when　NONE　returned　from　Siberia。〃

〃Well；　whilst　I　live；　Siberia　is　and　shall　be　a　country　whence
men　CAN　return。〃

The　Czar　had　the　right　to　utter　these　words　with　some　pride；
for　often；　by　his　clemency；　he　had　shown　that　Russian　justice
knew　how　to　pardon。

The　head　of　the　police　did　not　reply　to　this　observation；　but　it
was　evident　that　he　did　not　approve　of　such　half…measures。　According
to　his　idea；　a　man　who　had　once　passed　the　Ural　Mountains　in　charge
of　policemen；　ought　never　again　to　cross　them。　　Now；　it　was　not　thus
under　the　new　reign；　and　the　chief　of　police　sincerely　deplored　it。
What！　no　banishment　for　life　for　other　crimes　than　those　against
social　order！　　What！　political　exiles　returning　from　Tobolsk；
from　Yakutsk；　from　Irkutsk！　　In　truth；　the　chief　of　police；
accustomed　to　the　despotic　sentences　of　the　ukase　which　formerly
never　pardoned；　could　not　understand　this　mode　of　governing。
But　he　was　silent；　waiting　until　the　Czar　should　interrogate　him　further。
The　questions　were　not　long　in　coming。

〃Did　not　Ivan　Ogareff；〃　asked　the　Czar；　〃return　to　Russia
a　second　time；　after　that　journey　through　the　Siberian　provinces；
the　object　of　which　remains　unknown？〃

〃He　did。〃

〃And　have　the　police　lost　trace　of　him　since？〃

〃No；　sire；　for　an　offender　only　becomes　really　dangerous　from　the　day
he　has　received　his　pardon。〃

The　Czar　frowned。　　Perhaps　the　chief　of　police　feared　that　he　had
gone　rather　too　far；　though　the　stubbornness　of　his　ideas　was　at
least　equal　to　the　boundless　devotion　he　felt　for　his　master。
But　the　Czar；　disdaining　to　reply　to　these　indirect
reproaches　cast　on　his　policy；　continued　his　questions。
〃Where　was　Ogareff　last　heard　of？〃

〃In　the　province　of　Perm。〃

〃In　what　town？〃

〃At　Perm　itself。〃

〃What　was　he　doing？〃

〃He　appeared　unoccupied；　and　there　was　nothing　suspicious
in　his　conduct。〃

〃Then　he　was　not　under　the　surveillance　of　the　secret　police？〃

〃No；　sire。〃

〃When　did　he　leave　Perm？〃

〃About　the　month　of　March？〃

〃To　go。。。？〃

〃Where；　is　unknown。〃

〃And　it　is　not　known　what　has　become　of　him？〃

〃No；　sire；　it　is　not　known。〃

〃Well；　then；　I　myself　know；〃　answered　the　Czar。　　〃I　have　received
anonymous　communications　which　did　not　pass　through　the　police　department；
and；　in　the　face　of　events　now　taking　place　beyond　the　frontier；
I　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　they　are　correct。〃

〃Do　you　mean；　sire；〃　cried　the　chief　of　police；　〃that　Ivan　Ogareff
has　a　hand　in　this　Tartar　rebellion？〃

〃Indeed　I　do；　and　I　will　now　tell　you　something　which　you
are　ignorant　of。　　After　leaving　Perm；　Ivan　Ogareff　crossed
the　Ural　mountains；　entered　Siberia；　and　penetrated　the
Kirghiz　steppes；　and　there　endeavored；　not　without　success；
to　foment　rebellion　amongst　their　nomadic　population。
He　then　went　so　far　south　as　free　Turkestan；　there；　in　the　provinces
of　Bokhara；　Khokhand；　and　Koondooz；　he　found　chiefs　willing
to　pour　their　Tartar　hordes　into　Siberia；　and　excite　a　general
rising　in　Asiatic　Russia。　　The　storm　has　been　silently　gathering；
but　it　has　at　last　burst　like　a　thunderclap；　and　now　all　means
of　communication　between　Eastern　and　Western　Siberia　have
been　stopped。　　Moreover；　Ivan　Ogareff；　thirsting　for　vengeance；
aims　at　the　life　of　my　brother！〃

The　Czar　had　become　excited　whilst　speaking；　and　now　paced　up
and　down　with　hurried　steps。　　The　chief　of　police　said　nothing；
but　he　thought　to　himself　that；　during　the　time　when　the
emperors　of　Russia　never　pardoned　an　exile；　schemes　such
as　those　of　Ivan　Ogareff　could　never　have　been　realized。
Approaching　the　Czar；　who　had　thrown　himself　into　an　armchair；
he　asked；　〃Your　majesty　has　of　course　given　orders　so　that　this
rebellion　may　be　suppressed　as　soon　as　possible？〃

〃Yes；〃　answered　the　Czar。　　〃The　last　telegram　which　reached
Nijni…Udinsk　would　set　in　motion　the　troops　in　the　governments
of　Yenisei；　Irkutsk；　Yakutsk；　as　well　as　those　in　the　provinces
of　the　Amoor　and　Lake　Baikal。　　At　the　same　time；　the　regiments
from　Perm　and　Nijni…Novgorod；　and　the　Cossacks　from　the　frontier；
are　advancing　by　forced　marches　towards　the　Ural　Mountains；
but　some　weeks　must　pass　before　they　can　attack　the　Tartars。〃

〃And　your　majesty's　brother；　his　Highness　the　Grand　Duke；
is　now　isolated　in　the　government　of　Irkutsk；　and　is　no　longer
in　direct　communication　with　Moscow？〃

〃That　is　so。〃

〃But　by　the　last　dispatches；　he　must　know　what　measures　have
been　taken　by　your　majesty；　and　what　help　h