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Ivan Ogareff's only reply was to give an order to one of his officers. Then the ranks of prisoners were brutally hurried up by the soldiers. The unfortunate people, driven on with whips, or pushed on with lances, arranged themselves round the camp. A strong guard of soldiers drawn up behind, rendered escape impossible.
Though I must expect no help either from the East or from the West, even were these barbarians six hundred thousand strong, I will never give up Irkutsk!" Ogareff's evil eye slightly contracted. The traitor thought to himself that the brother of the Czar did not reckon the result of treason.
She had not caught sight of Michael, for he disappeared before she had time to look around; but the mother's gesture as she kept back Nadia had not escaped her, and the look in Marfa's eyes told her all. It was now beyond doubt that Marfa Strogoff's son, the Czar's courier, was at this moment in Zabediero, among Ivan Ogareff's prisoners. Sangarre did not know him, but she knew that he was there.
Ivan Ogareff's soldiers halted at the outposts of the camp. They received no orders to bivouac. Their chief's plan, doubtless, was not to halt there, but to press on and reach Tomsk in the shortest possible time, it being an important town, naturally intended to become the center of future operations.
Ogareff's arrangements were made, and on this evening a note fell from the top of the earthworks into Sangarre's hands. On the next day, that is to say during the hours of darkness from the 5th to the 6th of October, at two o'clock in the morning, Ivan Ogareff had resolved to deliver up Irkutsk.
But he did not know that part of this scene, although it passed so rapidly, had been observed by Sangarre, Ogareff's spy. The Tsigane was there, a few paces off, on the bank, as usual, watching the old Siberian woman.
"At about four hundred thousand men." Another exaggeration of Ogareff's in the estimate of the Tartar army, with the same object as before. "And I must not expect any help from the West provinces?" asked the Grand Duke. "None, your Highness, at any rate before the end of the winter." "Well, hear this, Michael Strogoff.
He understood, too, that the union of Ogareff's troops with those of Feofar would complete the invading army, and that the junction once effected, the army would march en masse on the capital of Eastern Siberia. All his apprehensions came from this quarter, and he dreaded every instant to hear some flourish of trumpets, announcing the arrival of the lieutenant of the Emir.
What, then, hindered him from putting an end to his blind antagonist? At last, with a spring he drove his sword full at Michael's breast. An imperceptible movement of the blind man's knife turned aside the blow. Michael had not been touched, and coolly he awaited a second attack. Cold drops stood on Ogareff's brow. He drew back a step, then again leaped forward.
The Russian had perceived that these prisoners were strangers, and he ordered them to be brought to him. They were Harry Blount and Alcide jolivet. On Ogareff's arrival in the camp, they had demanded to be conducted to his presence. The soldiers had refused.
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