第3章

TheCzarhadbecomeexcitedwhilstspeaking，andnowpacedupanddownwithhurriedsteps。Thechiefofpolicesaidnothing，buthethoughttohimselfthat，duringthetimewhentheemperorsofRussianeverpardonedanexile，schemessuchasthoseofIvanOgareffcouldneverhavebeenrealized。

ApproachingtheCzar，whohadthrownhimselfintoanarmchair，heasked，“Yourmajestyhasofcoursegivenorderssothatthisrebellionmaybesuppressedassoonaspossible？“

“Yes，“answeredtheCzar。“ThelasttelegramwhichreachedNijni-UdinskwouldsetinmotionthetroopsinthegovernmentsofYenisei，Irkutsk，Yakutsk，aswellasthoseintheprovincesoftheAmoorandLakeBaikal。Atthesametime，theregimentsfromPermandNijni-Novgorod，andtheCossacksfromthefrontier，areadvancingbyforcedmarchestowardstheUralMountains；

butsomeweeksmustpassbeforetheycanattacktheTartars。“

“Andyourmajesty’sbrother，hisHighnesstheGrandDuke，isnowisolatedinthegovernmentofIrkutsk，andisnolongerindirectcommunicationwithMoscow？“

“Thatisso。“

“Butbythelastdispatches，hemustknowwhatmeasureshavebeentakenbyyourmajesty，andwhathelphemayexpectfromthegovernmentsnearestIrkutsk？“

“Heknowsthat，“answeredtheCzar；“butwhathedoesnotknowis，thatIvanOgareff，aswellasbeingarebel，isalsoplayingthepartofatraitor，andthatinhimhehasapersonalandbitterenemy。

ItistotheGrandDukethatOgareffoweshisfirstdisgrace；

andwhatismoreseriousis，thatthismanisnotknowntohim。

Ogareff’splan，therefore，istogotoIrkutsk，and，underanassumedname，offerhisservicestotheGrandDuke。Then，aftergaininghisconfidence，whentheTartarshaveinvestedIrkutsk，hewillbetraythetown，andwithitmybrother，whoselifeheseeks。

ThisiswhatIhavelearnedfrommysecretintelligence；thisiswhattheGrandDukedoesnotknow；andthisiswhathemustknow！“

“Well，sire，anintelligent，courageouscourier……“

“Imomentarilyexpectone。“

“Anditistobehopedhewillbeexpeditious，“addedthechiefofpolice；“for，allowmetoadd，sire，thatSiberiaisafavorablelandforrebellions。“

“Doyoumeantosay。General，thattheexileswouldmakecommoncausewiththerebels？“exclaimedtheCzar。

“Excuseme，yourmajesty，“stammeredthechiefofpolice，forthatwasreallytheideasuggestedtohimbyhisuneasyandsuspiciousmind。

“Ibelieveintheirpatriotism，“returnedtheCzar。

“ThereareotheroffendersbesidespoliticalexilesinSiberia，“

saidthechiefofpolice。

“Thecriminals？Oh，General，Igivethoseuptoyou！

Theyarethevilest，Igrant，ofthehumanrace。

Theybelongtonocountry。Buttheinsurrection，orrather，therebellion，isnottoopposetheemperor；itisraisedagainstRussia，againstthecountrywhichtheexileshavenotlostallhopeofagainseeing——andwhichtheywillseeagain。

No，aRussianwouldneverunitewithaTartar，toweaken，wereitonlyforanhour，theMuscovitepower！“

TheCzarwasrightintrustingtothepatriotismofthosewhomhispolicykept，foratime，atadistance。Clemency，whichwasthefoundationofhisjustice，whenhecouldhimselfdirectitseffects，themodificationshehadadoptedwithregardtoapplicationsfortheformerlyterribleukases，warrantedthebeliefthathewasnotmistaken。

ButevenwithoutthispowerfulelementofsuccessinregardtotheTartarrebellion，circumstanceswerenotthelessveryserious；

foritwastobefearedthatalargepartoftheKirghizpopulationwouldjointherebels。

TheKirghizaredividedintothreehordes，thegreater，thelesser，andthemiddle，andnumbernearlyfourhundredthousand“tents，“

ortwomillionsouls。OfthedifferenttribessomeareindependentandothersrecognizeeitherthesovereigntyofRussiaorthatoftheKhansofKhiva，Khokhand，andBokhara，themostformidablechiefsofTurkestan。Themiddlehorde，therichest，isalsothelargest，anditsencampmentsoccupyallthespacebetweentheriversSaraSou，Irtish，andtheUpperIshim，LakeSaisangandLakeAksakal。Thegreaterhorde，occupyingthecountriessituatedtotheeastofthemiddleone，extendsasfarasthegovernmentsofOmskandTobolsk。Therefore，iftheKirghizpopulationshouldrise，itwouldbetherebellionofAsiaticRussia，andthefirstthingwouldbetheseparationofSiberia，totheeastoftheYenisei。

ItistruethattheseKirghiz，merenovicesintheartofwar，arerathernocturnalthievesandplunderersofcaravansthanregularsoldiers。

AsM。Levchinesays，“afirmfrontorasquareofgoodinfantrycouldrepeltentimesthenumberofKirghiz；andasinglecannonmightdestroyafrightfulnumber。“

Thatmaybe；buttodothisitisnecessaryforthesquareofgoodinfantrytoreachtherebelliouscountry，andthecannontoleavethearsenalsoftheRussianprovinces，perhapstwoorthreethousandverstsdistant。Now，exceptbythedirectroutefromEkaterenburgtoIrkutsk，theoftenmarshysteppesarenoteasilypracticable，andsomeweeksmustcertainlypassbeforetheRussiantroopscouldreachtheTartarhordes。

OmskisthecenterofthatmilitaryorganizationofWesternSiberiawhichisintendedtooverawetheKirghizpopulation。Herearethebounds，morethanonceinfringedbythehalf-subduednomads，andtherewaseveryreasontobelievethatOmskwasalreadyindanger。

Thelineofmilitarystations，thatistosay，thoseCossackpostswhicharerangedinechelonfromOmsktoSemipolatinsk，musthavebeenbrokeninseveralplaces。Now，itwastobefearedthatthe“GrandSultans，“whogoverntheKirghizdistrictswouldeithervoluntarilyaccept，orinvoluntarilysubmitto，thedominionofTartars，Mussulmenlikethemselves，andthattothehatecausedbyslaverywasnotunitedthehateduetotheantagonismoftheGreekandMussulmanreligions。

Forsometime，indeed，theTartarsofTurkestanhadendeavored，bothbyforceandpersuasion，tosubduetheKirghizhordes。

AfewwordsonlywithrespecttotheseTartars。TheTartarsbelongmoreespeciallytotwodistinctraces，theCaucasianandtheMongolian。TheCaucasianrace，which，asAbeldeRemusatsays，“isregardedinEuropeasthetypeofbeautyinourspecies，becauseallthenationsinthispartoftheworldhavesprungfromit，“

includesalsotheTurksandthePersians。ThepurelyMongolianracecomprisestheMongols，Manchoux，andThibetans。

TheTartarswhonowthreatenedtheRussianEmpire，belongedtotheCaucasianrace，andoccupiedTurkestan。Thisimmensecountryisdividedintodifferentstates，governedbyKhans，andhencetermedKhanats。TheprincipalkhanatsarethoseofBokhara，Khokhand，Koondooz，etc。Atthisperiod，themostimportantandthemostformidablekhanatwasthatofBokhara。Russiahadalreadybeenseveraltimesatwarwithitschiefs，who，fortheirowninterests，hadsupportedtheindependenceoftheKirghizagainsttheMuscovitedominion。

Thepresentchief，Feofar-Khan，followedinthestepsofhispredecessors。

ThekhanatofBokharahasapopulationoftwomillionfivehundredthousandinhabitants，anarmyofsixtythousandmen，trebledintimeofwar，andthirtythousandhorsemen。

Itisarichcountry，withvariedanimal，vegetable，andmineralproducts，andhasbeenincreasedbytheaccessionoftheterritoriesofBalkh，Aukoi，andMeimaneh。Itpossessesnineteenlargetowns。Bokhara，surroundedbyawallmeasuringmorethaneightEnglishmiles，andflankedwithtowers，agloriouscity，madeillustriousbyAvicennaandotherlearnedmenofthetenthcentury，isregardedasthecenterofMussulmanscience，andranksamongthemostcelebratedcitiesofCentralAsia。Samarcand，whichcontainsthetombofTamerlaneandthefamouspalacewherethebluestoneiskeptonwhicheachnewkhanmustseathimselfonhisaccession，isdefendedbyaverystrongcitadel。Karschi，withitstriplecordon，situatedinanoasis，surroundedbyamarshpeopledwithtortoisesandlizards，isalmostimpregnable，Is-chardjouiisdefendedbyapopulationoftwentythousandsouls。

Protectedbyitsmountains，andisolatedbyitssteppes，thekhanatofBokharaisamostformidablestate；andRussiawouldneedalargeforcetosubdueit。

ThefierceandambitiousFeofarnowgovernedthiscornerofTartary。Relyingontheotherkhans——principallythoseofKhokhandandKoondooz，cruelandrapaciouswarriors，allreadytojoinanenterprisesodeartoTartarinstincts——aidedbythechiefswhoruledallthehordesofCentralAsia，hehadplacedhimselfattheheadoftherebellionofwhichIvanOgareffwastheinstigator。

Thistraitor，impelledbyinsaneambitionasmuchasbyhate，hadorderedthemovementsoastoattackSiberia。Madindeedhewas，ifhehopedtorupturetheMuscoviteEmpire。Actingunderhissuggestion，theEmir——whichisthetitletakenbythekhansofBokhara——hadpouredhishordesovertheRussianfrontier。

HeinvadedthegovernmentofSemipolatinsk，andtheCossacks，whowereonlyinsmallforcethere，hadbeenobligedtoretirebeforehim。HehadadvancedfartherthanLakeBalkhash，gainingovertheKirghizpopulationonhisway。Pillaging，ravaging，enrollingthosewhosubmitted，takingprisonersthosewhoresisted，hemarchedfromonetowntoanother，followedbythoseimpedimentaofOrientalsovereigntywhichmaybecalledhishousehold，hiswivesandhisslaves——allwiththecoolaudacityofamodernGhengis-Khan。Itwasimpossibletoascertainwherehenowwas；

howfarhissoldiershadmarchedbeforethenewsoftherebellionreachedMoscow；ortowhatpartofSiberiatheRussiantroopshadbeenforcedtoretire。Allcommunicationwasinterrupted。

HadthewirebetweenKolyvanandTomskbeencutbyTartarscouts，orhadtheEmirhimselfarrivedattheYeniseiskprovinces？

WasallthelowerpartofWesternSiberiainaferment？

Hadtherebellionalreadyspreadtotheeasternregions？

Noonecouldsay。Theonlyagentwhichfearsneithercoldnorheat，whichcanneitherbestoppedbytherigorsofwinternortheheatofsummer，andwhichflieswiththerapidityoflightning——

theelectriccurrent——waspreventedfromtraversingthesteppes，anditwasnolongerpossibletowarntheGrandDuke，shutupinIrkutsk，ofthedangerthreateninghimfromthetreasonofIvanOgareff。

Acourieronlycouldsupplytheplaceoftheinterruptedcurrent。

ItwouldtakethismansometimetotraversethefivethousandtwohundredverstsbetweenMoscowandIrkutsk。Topasstheranksoftherebelsandinvadershemustdisplayalmostsuperhumancourageandintelligence。

Butwithaclearheadandafirmheartmuchcanbedone。

“ShallIbeabletofindthisheadandheart？“thoughttheCzar。