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。