Michael Strogoff; Or, The Courier of the Czar

  CHAPTER IV THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

  TOMSK, founded in 1604, nearly in the heart of the Siberian provinces,is one of the most important towns in Asiatic Russia. Tobolsk, situatedabove the sixtieth parallel; Irkutsk, built beyond the hundredthmeridian--have seen Tomsk increase at their expense.

  And yet Tomsk, as has been said, is not the capital of this importantprovince. It is at Omsk that the Governor-General of the province andthe official world reside. But Tomsk is the most considerable town ofthat territory. The country being rich, the town is so likewise, forit is in the center of fruitful mines. In the luxury of its houses, itsarrangements, and its equipages, it might rival the greatest Europeancapitals. It is a city of millionaires, enriched by the spade andpickax, and though it has not the honor of being the residence of theCzar's representative, it can boast of including in the first rankof its notables the chief of the merchants of the town, the principalgrantees of the imperial government's mines.

  But the millionaires were fled now, and except for the crouching poor,the town stood empty to the hordes of Feofar-Khan. At four o'clock theEmir made his entry into the square, greeted by a flourish of trumpets,the rolling sound of the big drums, salvoes of artillery and musketry.

  Feofar mounted his favorite horse, which carried on its head an aigretteof diamonds. The Emir still wore his uniform. He was accompanied bya numerous staff, and beside him walked the Khans of Khokhand andKoundouge and the grand dignitaries of the Khanats.

  At the same moment appeared on the terrace the chief of Feofar's wives,the queen, if this title may be given to the sultana of the statesof Bokhara. But, queen or slave, this woman of Persian origin waswonderfully beautiful. Contrary to the Mahometan custom, and no doubt bysome caprice of the Emir, she had her face uncovered. Her hair, dividedinto four plaits, fell over her dazzling white shoulders, scarcelyconcealed by a veil of silk worked in gold, which fell from the backof a cap studded with gems of the highest value. Under her blue-silkpetticoat, fell the "zirdjameh" of silken gauze, and above the sashlay the "pirahn." But from the head to the little feet, such was theprofusion of jewels--gold beads strung on silver threads, chaplets ofturquoises, "firouzehs" from the celebrated mines of Elbourz, necklacesof cornelians, agates, emeralds, opals, and sapphires--that her dressseemed to be literally made of precious stones. The thousands ofdiamonds which sparkled on her neck, arms, hands, at her waist, and ather feet might have been valued at almost countless millions of roubles.

  The Emir and the Khans dismounted, as did the dignitaries who escortedthem. All entered a magnificent tent erected on the center of the firstterrace. Before the tent, as usual, the Koran was laid.

  Feofar's lieutenant did not make them wait, and before five o'clock thetrumpets announced his arrival. Ivan Ogareff--the Scarred Cheek, ashe was already nick-named--wearing the uniform of a Tartar officer,dismounted before the Emir's tent. He was accompanied by a party ofsoldiers from the camp at Zabediero, who ranged up at the sides of thesquare, in the middle of which a place for the sports was reserved. Alarge scar could be distinctly seen cut obliquely across the traitor'sface.

  Ogareff presented his principal officers to the Emir, who, withoutdeparting from the coldness which composed the main part of his dignity,received them in a way which satisfied them that they stood well in thegood graces of their chief.

  At least so thought Harry Blount and Alcide Jolivet, the twoinseparables, now associated together in the chase after news. Afterleaving Zabediero, they had proceeded rapidly to Tomsk. The plan theyhad agreed upon was to leave the Tartars as soon as possible, and tojoin a Russian regiment, and, if they could, to go with them to Irkutsk.All that they had seen of the invasion, its burnings, its pillages, itsmurders, had perfectly sickened them, and they longed to be among theranks of the Siberian army. Jolivet had told his companion that he couldnot leave Tomsk without making a sketch of the triumphal entry of theTartar troops, if it was only to satisfy his cousin's curiosity; but thesame evening they both intended to take the road to Irkutsk, and beingwell mounted hoped to distance the Emir's scouts.

  Alcide and Blount mingled therefore in the crowd, so as to lose nodetail of a festival which ought to supply them with a hundred goodlines for an article. They admired the magnificence of Feofar-Khan, hiswives, his officers, his guards, and all the Eastern pomp, of which theceremonies of Europe can give not the least idea. But they turned awaywith disgust when Ivan Ogareff presented himself before the Emir, andwaited with some impatience for the amusements to begin.

  "You see, my dear Blount," said Alcide, "we have come too soon, likehonest citizens who like to get their money's worth. All this is beforethe curtain rises, it would have been better to arrive only for theballet."

  "What ballet?" asked Blount.

  "The compulsory ballet, to be sure. But see, the curtain is going torise." Alcide Jolivet spoke as if he had been at the Opera, and takinghis glass from its case, he prepared, with the air of a connoisseur, "toexamine the first act of Feofar's company."

  A painful ceremony was to precede the sports. In fact, the triumph ofthe vanquisher could not be complete without the public humiliation ofthe vanquished. This was why several hundreds of prisoners were broughtunder the soldiers' whips. They were destined to march past Feofar-Khanand his allies before being crammed with their companions into theprisons in the town.

  In the first ranks of these prisoners figured Michael Strogoff. AsOgareff had ordered, he was specially guarded by a file of soldiers. Hismother and Nadia were there also.

  The old Siberian, although energetic enough when her own safety was inquestion, was frightfully pale. She expected some terrible scene. It wasnot without reason that her son had been brought before the Emir. Shetherefore trembled for him. Ivan Ogareff was not a man to forgivehaving been struck in public by the knout, and his vengeance wouldbe merciless. Some frightful punishment familiar to the barbariansof Central Asia would, no doubt, be inflicted on Michael Ogareff hadprotected him against the soldiers because he well knew what wouldhappen by reserving him for the justice of the Emir.

  The mother and son had not been able to speak together since theterrible scene in the camp at Zabediero. They had been pitilessly keptapart--a bitter aggravation of their misery, for it would have been someconsolation to have been together during these days of captivity. Marfalonged to ask her son's pardon for the harm she had unintentionally donehim, for she reproached herself with not having commanded her maternalfeelings. If she had restrained herself in that post-house at Omsk,when she found herself face to face with him, Michael would have passedunrecognized, and all these misfortunes would have been avoided.

  Michael, on his side, thought that if his mother was there, if Ogareffhad brought her with him, it was to make her suffer with the sight ofhis own punishment, or perhaps some frightful death was reserved for heralso.

  As to Nadia, she only asked herself how she could save them both, howcome to the aid of son and mother. As yet she could only wonder, butshe felt instinctively that she must above everything avoid drawingattention upon herself, that she must conceal herself, make herselfinsignificant. Perhaps she might at least gnaw through the meshes whichimprisoned the lion. At any rate if any opportunity was given her shewould seize upon it, and sacrifice herself, if need be, for the son ofMarfa Strogoff.

  In the meantime the greater part of the prisoners were passing beforethe Emir, and as they passed each was obliged to prostrate himself,with his forehead in the dust, in token of servitude. Slavery begins byhumiliation. When the unfortunate people were too slow in bending, therough guards threw them violently to the ground.

  Alcide Jolivet and his companion could not witness such a sight withoutfeeling indignant.

  "It is cowardly--let us go," said Alcide.

  "No," answered Blount; "we must see it all."

  "See it all!--ah!" cried Alcide, suddenly, grasping his companion's arm.

  "What is the matter with you?" asked the latter.

  "Look, Blount; it is she!"

/>   "What she?"

  "The sister of our traveling companion--alone, and a prisoner! We mustsave her."

  "Calm yourself," replied Blount coolly. "Any interference on our part inbehalf of the young girl would be worse than useless."

  Alcide Jolivet, who had been about to rush forward, stopped, andNadia--who had not perceived them, her features being half hidden byher hair--passed in her turn before the Emir without attracting hisattention.

  However, after Nadia came Marfa Strogoff; and as she did not throwherself quickly in the dust, the guards brutally pushed her. She fell.

  Her son struggled so violently that the soldiers who were guarding himcould scarcely hold him back. But the old woman rose, and they wereabout to drag her on, when Ogareff interposed, saying, "Let that womanstay!"

  As to Nadia, she happily regained the crowd of prisoners. Ivan Ogareffhad taken no notice of her.

  Michael was then led before the Emir, and there he remained standing,without casting down his eyes.

  "Your forehead to the ground!" cried Ogareff.

  "No!" answered Michael.

  Two soldiers endeavored to make him bend, but they were themselves laidon the ground by a buffet from the young man's fist.

  Ogareff approached Michael. "You shall die!" he said.

  "I can die," answered Michael fiercely; "but your traitor's face, Ivan,will not the less carry forever the infamous brand of the knout."

  At this reply Ivan Ogareff became perfectly livid.

  "Who is this prisoner?" asked the Emir, in a tone of voice terrible fromits very calmness.

  "A Russian spy," answered Ogareff. In asserting that Michael was a spyhe knew that the sentence pronounced against him would be terrible.

  The Emir made a sign at which all the crowd bent low their heads. Thenhe pointed with his hand to the Koran, which was brought him. He openedthe sacred book and placed his finger on one of its pages.

  It was chance, or rather, according to the ideas of these Orientals, GodHimself who was about to decide the fate of Michael Strogoff. The peopleof Central Asia give the name of "fal" to this practice. After havinginterpreted the sense of the verse touched by the judge's finger, theyapply the sentence whatever it may be.

  The Emir had let his finger rest on the page of the Koran. The chief ofthe Ulemas then approached, and read in a loud voice a verse which endedwith these words, "And he will no more see the things of this earth."

  "Russian spy!" exclaimed Feofar-Kahn in a voice trembling with fury,"you have come to see what is going on in the Tartar camp. Then lookwhile you may."