michael strogoff-第4节

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〃That　is　so。〃

〃But　by　the　last　dispatches；　he　must　know　what　measures　have
been　taken　by　your　majesty；　and　what　help　he　may　expect　from
the　governments　nearest　Irkutsk？〃

〃He　knows　that；〃　answered　the　Czar；　〃but　what　he　does　not　know　is；
that　Ivan　Ogareff；　as　well　as　being　a　rebel；　is　also　playing　the　part
of　a　traitor；　and　that　in　him　he　has　a　personal　and　bitter　enemy。
It　is　to　the　Grand　Duke　that　Ogareff　owes　his　first　disgrace；
and　what　is　more　serious　is；　that　this　man　is　not　known　to　him。
Ogareff's　plan；　therefore；　is　to　go　to　Irkutsk；　and；　under　an
assumed　name；　offer　his　services　to　the　Grand　Duke。　　Then；　after　gaining
his　confidence；　when　the　Tartars　have　invested　Irkutsk；　he　will
betray　the　town；　and　with　it　my　brother；　whose　life　he　seeks。
This　is　what　I　have　learned　from　my　secret　intelligence；　this　is
what　the　Grand　Duke　does　not　know；　and　this　is　what　he　must　know！〃

〃Well；　sire；　an　intelligent；　courageous　courier　。　。　。〃

〃I　momentarily　expect　one。〃

〃And　it　is　to　be　hoped　he　will　be　expeditious；〃　added　the　chief
of　police；　〃for；　allow　me　to　add；　sire；　that　Siberia　is　a　favorable
land　for　rebellions。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　say。　　General；　that　the　exiles　would　make　common
cause　with　the　rebels？〃　exclaimed　the　Czar。

〃Excuse　me；　your　majesty；〃　stammered　the　chief　of　police；
for　that　was　really　the　idea　suggested　to　him　by　his　uneasy
and　suspicious　mind。

〃I　believe　in　their　patriotism；〃　returned　the　Czar。

〃There　are　other　offenders　besides　political　exiles　in　Siberia；〃
said　the　chief　of　police。

〃The　criminals？　　Oh；　General；　I　give　those　up　to　you！
They　are　the　vilest；　I　grant；　of　the　human　race。
They　belong　to　no　country。　　But　the　insurrection；　or　rather；
the　rebellion；　is　not　to　oppose　the　emperor；　it　is　raised
against　Russia；　against　the　country　which　the　exiles　have　not
lost　all　hope　of　again　seeingand　which　they　will　see　again。
No；　a　Russian　would　never　unite　with　a　Tartar；　to　weaken；
were　it　only　for　an　hour；　the　Muscovite　power！〃

The　Czar　was　right　in　trusting　to　the　patriotism　of　those　whom
his　policy　kept；　for　a　time；　at　a　distance。　　Clemency；　which　was
the　foundation　of　his　justice；　when　he　could　himself　direct　its　effects；
the　modifications　he　had　adopted　with　regard　to　applications　for　the
formerly　terrible　ukases；　warranted　the　belief　that　he　was　not　mistaken。
But　even　without　this　powerful　element　of　success　in　regard　to
the　Tartar　rebellion；　circumstances　were　not　the　less　very　serious；
for　it　was　to　be　feared　that　a　large　part　of　the　Kirghiz　population
would　join　the　rebels。

The　Kirghiz　are　divided　into　three　hordes；　the　greater；　the　lesser；
and　the　middle；　and　number　nearly　four　hundred　thousand　〃tents；〃
or　two　million　souls。　　Of　the　different　tribes　some　are　independent
and　others　recognize　either　the　sovereignty　of　Russia　or　that　of
the　Khans　of　Khiva；　Khokhand；　and　Bokhara；　the　most　formidable　chiefs
of　Turkestan。　　The　middle　horde；　the　richest；　is　also　the　largest；　and　its
encampments　occupy　all　the　space　between　the　rivers　Sara　Sou；　Irtish；
and　the　Upper　Ishim；　Lake　Saisang　and　Lake　Aksakal。　　The　greater　horde；
occupying　the　countries　situated　to　the　east　of　the　middle　one；　extends　as
far　as　the　governments　of　Omsk　and　Tobolsk。　　Therefore；　if　the　Kirghiz
population　should　rise；　it　would　be　the　rebellion　of　Asiatic　Russia；
and　the　first　thing　would　be　the　separation　of　Siberia；　to　the　east
of　the　Yenisei。

It　is　true　that　these　Kirghiz；　mere　novices　in　the　art　of　war；　are　rather
nocturnal　thieves　and　plunderers　of　caravans　than　regular　soldiers。
As　M。　Levchine　says；　〃a　firm　front　or　a　square　of　good　infantry　could
repel　ten　times　the　number　of　Kirghiz；　and　a　single　cannon　might　destroy
a　frightful　number。〃

That　may　be；　but　to　do　this　it　is　necessary　for　the　square　of　good
infantry　to　reach　the　rebellious　country；　and　the　cannon　to　leave
the　arsenals　of　the　Russian　provinces；　perhaps　two　or　three　thousand
versts　distant。　　Now；　except　by　the　direct　route　from　Ekaterenburg
to　Irkutsk；　the　often　marshy　steppes　are　not　easily　practicable；
and　some　weeks　must　certainly　pass　before　the　Russian　troops　could
reach　the　Tartar　hordes。

Omsk　is　the　center　of　that　military　organization　of　Western　Siberia
which　is　intended　to　overawe　the　Kirghiz　population。　　Here　are
the　bounds；　more　than　once　infringed　by　the　half…subdued　nomads；
and　there　was　every　reason　to　believe　that　Omsk　was　already　in　danger。
The　line　of　military　stations；　that　is　to　say；　those　Cossack
posts　which　are　ranged　in　echelon　from　Omsk　to　Semipolatinsk；
must　have　been　broken　in　several　places。　　Now；　it　was　to　be
feared　that　the　〃Grand　Sultans；〃　who　govern　the　Kirghiz
districts　would　either　voluntarily　accept；　or　involuntarily
submit　to；　the　dominion　of　Tartars；　Mussulmen　like　themselves；
and　that　to　the　hate　caused　by　slavery　was　not　united　the　hate
due　to　the　antagonism　of　the　Greek　and　Mussulman　religions。
For　some　time；　indeed；　the　Tartars　of　Turkestan　had　endeavored；
both　by　force　and　persuasion；　to　subdue　the　Kirghiz　hordes。

A　few　words　only　with　respect　to　these　Tartars。　　The　Tartars
belong　more　especially　to　two　distinct　races；　the　Caucasian　and
the　Mongolian。　　The　Caucasian　race；　which；　as　Abel　de　Remusat　says；
〃is　regarded　in　Europe　as　the　type　of　beauty　in　our　species；
because　all　the　nations　in　this　part　of　the　world　have　sprung　from　it；〃
includes　also　the　Turks　and　the　Persians。　　The　purely　Mongolian
race　comprises　the　Mongols；　Manchoux；　and　Thibetans。

The　Tartars　who　now　threatened　the　Russian　Empire；　belonged　to
the　Caucasian　race；　and　occupied　Turkestan。　　This　immense
country　is　divided　into　different　states；　governed　by　Khans；
and　hence　termed　Khanats。　　The　principal　khanats　are
those　of　Bokhara；　Khokhand；　Koondooz；　etc。　　At　this　period；
the　most　important　and　the　most　formidable　khanat　was　that
of　Bokhara。　　Russia　had　already　been　several　times　at　war
with　its　chiefs；　who；　for　their　own　interests；　had　supported
the　independence　of　the　Kirghiz　against　the　Muscovite　dominion。
The　present　chief；　Feofar…Khan；　followed　in　the　steps
of　his　predecessors。

The　khanat　of　Bokhara　has　a　population　of　two　million　five
hundred　thousand　inhabitants；　an　army　of　sixty　thousand　men；
trebled　in　time　of　war；　and　thirty　thousand　horsemen。
It　is　a　rich　country；　with　varied　animal；　vegetable；
and　mineral　products；　and　has　been　increased　by　the　accession
of　the　territories　of　Balkh；　Aukoi；　and　Meimaneh。　　It　possesses
nineteen　large　towns。　　Bokhara；　surrounded　by　a　wall　measuring
more　than　eight　English　miles；　and　flanked　with　towers；
a　glorious　city；　made　illustrious　by　Avicenna　and　other
learned　men　of　the　tenth　century；　is　regarded　as　the　center
of　Mussulman　science；　and　ranks　among　the　most　celebrated
cities　of　Central　Asia。　　Samarcand；　which　contains　the　tomb
of　Tamerlane　and　the　famous　palace　where　the　blue　stone　is　kept
on　which　each　new　khan　must　seat　himself　on　his　accession；
is　defended　by　a　very　strong　citadel。　　Karschi；　with　its
triple　cordon；　situated　in　an　oasis；　surrounded　by　a　marsh
peopled　with　tortoises　and　lizards；　is　almost　impregnable；
Is…chardjoui　is　defended　by　a　population　of　twenty　thousand　souls。
Protected　by　its　mountains；　and　isolated　by　its　steppes；
the　khanat　of　Bokhara　is　a　most　formidable　state；　and　Russia
would　need　a　large　force　to　subdue　it。

The　fierce　and　ambitious　Feofar　now　governed　this　corner
of　Tartary。　　Relying　on　the　other　khansprincipally　those　of　Khokhand
and　Koondooz；　cruel　and　rapacious　warriors；　all　ready　to　join
an　enterprise　so　dear　to　Tartar　instinctsaided　by　the　chiefs
who　ruled　all　the　hordes　of　Central　Asia；　he　had　placed　himself　at
the　head　of　the　rebellion　of　which　Ivan　Ogareff　was　the　instigator。
This　traitor；　impelled　by　insane　ambition　as　much　as　by　hate；
had　ordered　the　movement　so　as　to　attack　Siberia。　　Mad　indeed
he　was；　if　he　hoped　to　rupture　the　Muscovite　Empire。　　Acting　under
his　suggestion；　the　Emirwhich　is　the　title　taken　by　the　khans
of　Bokharahad　poured　his　hordes　over　the　Russian　frontier。
He　invaded　the　government　of　Semipolatinsk；　and　the　Cossacks；
who　were　only　in　small　force　there；　had　been　obliged　to　retire
before　him。　　He　had　advanced　farther　than　Lake　Balkhash；
gaining　over　the　Kirghiz　population　on　his　way。　　Pillaging；　ravaging；
enrolling　those　who　submitted；　taking　prisoners　those　who　resisted；
he　marched　from　one　town　to　another；　followed　by　those　impedimenta
of　Oriental　sovereignty　which　may　be　called　his　household；
his　wives　and　his　slavesall　with　the　cool　audacity　of　a　modern
Ghengis…Khan。　It　was　impossible　to　ascertain　where　he　now　was；
how　far　his　soldiers　had　marched　before　the　news　of　the　rebellion
reached　Moscow；　or　to　what　part　of　Siberia　the　Russian　troops
had　been　forced　to　retire。　　All　communication　was　interrupted。
Had　the　wire　between　Kolyvan　and　Tomsk　been　cut　by　Tartar　scouts；
or　had　the　Emir　himself　arrived　at　the　Yeniseisk　provinces？
Was　all　the　lower　part　of　Western　Siberia　in　a　ferment？
Had　the　rebellion　already　spread　to　the　eastern　regions？
No　one　could　say。　　The　only　agent　which　fears　neither　cold　nor　heat；
which　can　neither　be　stopped　by　the　rigors　of　winter　nor　the　heat
of　summer；　an