michael strogoff-第54节

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shots　were　heard　fired　from　the　left　bank。　　The　fugitives；
taken　between　two　fires；　became　the　mark　of　the　Tartar　sharpshooters。
Several　were　wounded；　although　in　the　darkness　it　was　only
by　chance　that　they　were　hit。

〃Come；　Nadia；〃　whispered　Michael　in　the　girl's　ear。

Without　making　a　single　remark；　〃ready　for　anything；〃
Nadia　took　Michael's　hand。

〃We　must　cross　the　barrier；〃　he　said　in　a　low　tone。
〃Guide　me；　but　let　no　one　see　us　leave　the　raft。〃

Nadia　obeyed。　　Michael　and　she　glided　rapidly　over　the　floe
in　the　obscurity；　only　broken　now　and　again　by　the　flashes　from
the　muskets。　　Nadia　crept　along　in　front　of　Michael。　　The　shot
fell　around　them　like　a　tempest　of　hail；　and　pattered　on　the　ice。
Their　hands　were　soon　covered　with　blood　from　the　sharp　and　rugged
ice　over　which　they　clambered；　but　still　on　they　went。

In　ten　minutes；　the　other　side　of　the　barrier　was　reached。
There　the　waters　of　the　Angara　again　flowed　freely。
Several　pieces　of　ice；　detached　gradually　from　the　floe；
were　swept　along　in　the　current　down　towards　the　town。
Nadia　guessed　what　Michael　wished　to　attempt。　　One　of　the　blocks
was　only　held　on　by　a　narrow　strip。

〃Come；〃　said　Nadia。　　And　the　two　crouched　on　the　piece　of　ice；
which　their　weight　detached　from　the　floe。

It　began　to　drift。　　The　river　widened；　the　way　was　open。
Michael　and　Nadia　heard　the　shots；　the　cries　of　distress；
the　yells　of　the　Tartars。　　Then；　little　by　little；　the　sounds
of　agony　and　of　ferocious　joy　grew　faint　in　the　distance。

〃Our　poor　companions！〃　murmured　Nadia。

For　half　an　hour　the　current　hurried　along　the　block　of　ice　which
bore　Michael　and　Nadia。　　They　feared　every　moment　that　it　would
give　way　beneath　them。　　Swept　along　in　the　middle　of　the　current；
it　was　unnecessary　to　give　it　an　oblique　direction　until　they　drew
near　the　quays　of　Irkutsk。　　Michael；　his　teeth　tight　set；　his　ear　on
the　strain；　did　not　utter　a　word。　　Never　had　he　been　so　near　his　object。
He　felt　that　he　was　about　to　attain　it！

Towards　two　in　the　morning　a　double　row　of　lights　glittered
on　the　dark　horizon　in　which　were　confounded　the　two　banks
of　the　Angara。　　On　the　right　hand　were　the　lights　of　Irkutsk；
on　the　left；　the　fires　of　the　Tartar　camp。

Michael　Strogoff　was　not　more　than　half　a　verst　from　the　town。
〃At　last！〃　he　murmured。

But　suddenly　Nadia　uttered　a　cry。

At　the　cry　Michael　stood　up　on　the　ice；　which　was　wavering。
His　hand　was　extended　up　the　Angara。　　His　face；　on　which　a　bluish
light　cast　a　peculiar　hue；　became　almost　fearful　to　look　at；
and　then；　as　if　his　eyes　had　been　opened　to　the　bright　blaze
spreading　across　the　river；　〃Ah！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃then　Heaven
itself　is　against　us！〃


CHAPTER　XII　IRKUTSK

IRKUTSK；　the　capital　of　Eastern　Siberia；　is　a　populous　town；
containing；　in　ordinary　times；　thirty　thousand　inhabitants。
On　the　right　side　of　the　Angara　rises　a　hill；　on　which　are　built
numerous　churches；　a　lofty　cathedral；　and　dwellings　disposed
in　picturesque　disorder。

Seen　at　a　distance；　from　the　top　of　the　mountain　which　rises
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　th