michael strogoff-第3章

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〃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　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　inhab