TherethewatersoftheAngaraagainflowedfreely。
Severalpiecesofice，detachedgraduallyfromthefloe，weresweptalonginthecurrentdowntowardsthetown。
NadiaguessedwhatMichaelwishedtoattempt。Oneoftheblockswasonlyheldonbyanarrowstrip。
“Come，“saidNadia。Andthetwocrouchedonthepieceofice，whichtheirweightdetachedfromthefloe。
Itbegantodrift。Theriverwidened，thewaywasopen。
MichaelandNadiaheardtheshots，thecriesofdistress，theyellsoftheTartars。Then，littlebylittle，thesoundsofagonyandofferociousjoygrewfaintinthedistance。
“Ourpoorcompanions！“murmuredNadia。
ForhalfanhourthecurrenthurriedalongtheblockoficewhichboreMichaelandNadia。Theyfearedeverymomentthatitwouldgivewaybeneaththem。Sweptalonginthemiddleofthecurrent，itwasunnecessarytogiveitanobliquedirectionuntiltheydrewnearthequaysofIrkutsk。Michael，histeethtightset，hisearonthestrain，didnotutteraword。Neverhadhebeensonearhisobject。
Hefeltthathewasabouttoattainit！
TowardstwointhemorningadoublerowoflightsglitteredonthedarkhorizoninwhichwereconfoundedthetwobanksoftheAngara。OntherighthandwerethelightsofIrkutsk；
ontheleft，thefiresoftheTartarcamp。
MichaelStrogoffwasnotmorethanhalfaverstfromthetown。
“Atlast！“hemurmured。
ButsuddenlyNadiautteredacry。
AtthecryMichaelstoodupontheice，whichwaswavering。
HishandwasextendeduptheAngara。Hisface，onwhichabluishlightcastapeculiarhue，becamealmostfearfultolookat，andthen，asifhiseyeshadbeenopenedtothebrightblazespreadingacrosstheriver，“Ah！“heexclaimed，“thenHeavenitselfisagainstus！“
IRKUTSK，thecapitalofEasternSiberia，isapopuloustown，containing，inordinarytimes，thirtythousandinhabitants。
OntherightsideoftheAngararisesahill，onwhicharebuiltnumerouschurches，aloftycathedral，anddwellingsdisposedinpicturesquedisorder。
Seenatadistance，fromthetopofthemountainwhichrisesatabouttwentyverstsoffalongtheSiberianhighroad，thistown，withitscupolas，itsbell-towers，itssteeplesslenderasminarets，itsdomeslikepot-belliedChinesejars，presentssomethingofanorientalaspect。Butthissimilarityvanishesasthetravelerenters。
Thetown，halfByzantine，halfChinese，becomesEuropeanassoonasheseesitsmacadamizedroads，borderedwithpavements，traversedbycanals，plantedwithgiganticbirches，itshousesofbrickandwood，someofwhichhaveseveralstories，thenumerousequipageswhichdrivealong，notonlytarantassesbutbroughamsandcoaches；lastly，itsnumerousinhabitantsfaradvancedincivilization，towhomthelatestParisfashionsarenotunknown。
BeingtherefugeforalltheSiberiansoftheprovince，Irkutskwasatthistimeveryfull。Storesofeverykindhadbeencollectedinabundance。IrkutskistheemporiumoftheinnumerablekindsofmerchandisewhichareexchangedbetweenChina，CentralAsia，andEurope。TheauthoritieshadthereforenofearwithregardtoadmittingthepeasantsofthevalleyoftheAngara，andleavingadesertbetweentheinvadersandthetown。
Irkutskistheresidenceofthegovernor-generalofEasternSiberia。Belowhimactsacivilgovernor，inwhosehandsistheadministrationoftheprovince；aheadofpolice，whohasmuchtodoinatownwhereexilesabound；and，lastly，amayor，chiefofthemerchants，andapersonofsomeimportance，fromhisimmensefortuneandtheinfluencewhichheexercisesoverthepeople。
ThegarrisonofIrkutskwasatthattimecomposedofaninfantryregimentofCossacks，consistingoftwothousandmen，andabodyofpolicewearinghelmetsandblueuniformslacedwithsilver。
Besides，ashasbeensaid，inconsequenceoftheeventswhichhadoccurred，thebrotheroftheCzarhadbeenshutupinthetownsincethebeginningoftheinvasion。
AjourneyofpoliticalimportancehadtakentheGrandDuketothesedistantprovincesofCentralAsia。AfterpassingthroughtheprincipalSiberiancities，theGrandDuke，whotraveledenmilitaireratherthanenprince，withoutanyparade，accompaniedbyhisofficers，andescortedbyaregimentofCossacks，arrivedintheTrans-Baikalcineprovinces。
Nikolaevsk，thelastRussiantownsituatedontheshoreoftheSeaofOkhotsk，hadbeenhonoredbyavisitfromhim。
ArrivedontheconfinesoftheimmenseMuscoviteEmpire，theGrandDukewasreturningtowardsIrkutsk，fromwhichplaceheintendedtoretaketheroadtoMoscow，when，suddenasathunderclap，camethenewsoftheinvasion。
Hehastenedtothecapital，butonlyreacheditjustbeforecommunicationwithRussiahadbeeninterrupted。TherewastimetoreceiveonlyafewtelegramsfromSt。PetersburgandMoscow，andwithdifficultytoanswerthembeforethewirewascut。
Irkutskwasisolatedfromtherestoftheworld。
TheGrandDukehadnowonlytoprepareforresistance，andthishedidwiththatdeterminationandcoolnessofwhich，underothercircumstances，hehadgivenincontestableproofs。
ThenewsofthetakingofIchim，Omsk，andTomsk，successivelyreachedIrkutsk。ItwasnecessaryatanypricetosavethecapitalofSiberia。Reinforcementscouldnotbeexpectedforsometime。ThefewtroopsscatteredaboutintheprovincesofSiberiacouldnotarriveinsufficientlylargenumberstoarresttheprogressoftheTartarcolumns。
SincethereforeitwasimpossibleforIrkutsktoescapeattack，themostimportantthingtobedonewastoputthetowninastatetosustainasiegeofsomeduration。
ThepreparationswerebegunonthedayTomskfellintothehandsoftheTartars。Atthesametimewiththislastnews，theGrandDukeheardthattheEmirofBokharaandthealliedKhansweredirectingtheinvasioninperson，butwhathedidnotknowwas，thatthelieutenantofthesebarbarouschiefswasIvanOgareff，aRussianofficerwhomhehadhimselfreducedtotheranks，butwithwhosepersonhewasnotacquainted。
Firstofall，aswehaveseen，theinhabitantsoftheprovinceofIrkutskwerecompelledtoabandonthetownsandvillages。ThosewhodidnottakerefugeinthecapitalhadtoretirebeyondLakeBaikal，adistricttowhichtheinvasionwouldprobablynotextenditsravages。
Theharvestsofcornandfodderwerecollectedandstoredupinthetown，andIrkutsk，thelastbulwarkoftheMuscovitepowerintheFarEast，wasputinaconditiontoresisttheenemyforalengthenedperiod。
Irkutsk，foundedin1611，issituatedattheconfluenceoftheIrkutandtheAngara，ontherightbankofthelatterriver。
Twowoodendraw-bridges，builtonpiles，connectedthetownwithitssuburbsontheleftbank。Onthisside，defencewaseasy。
Thesuburbswereabandoned，thebridgesdestroyed。
TheAngarabeinghereverywide，itwouldnotbepossibletopassitunderthefireofthebesieged。
Buttherivermightbecrossedbothaboveandbelowthetown，andconsequently，Irkutskranariskofbeingattackedonitseastside，onwhichtherewasnowalltoprotectit。
Thewholepopulationwereimmediatelysettoworkonthefortifications。
Theylaboreddayandnight。TheGrandDukeobservedwithsatisfactionthezealexhibitedbythepeopleinthework，whomerelonghewouldfindequallycourageousinthedefense。Soldiers，merchants，exiles，peasants，alldevotedthemselvestothecommonsafety。AweekbeforetheTartarsappearedontheAngara，earth-workshadbeenraised。
Afosse，floodedbythewatersoftheAngara，wasdugbetweenthescarpandcounterscarp。Thetowncouldnotnowbetakenbyacoupdemain。
Itmustbeinvestedandbesieged。
ThethirdTartarcolumn——theonewhichcameupthevalleyoftheYeniseionthe24thofSeptember——appearedinsightofIrkutsk。Itimmediatelyoccupiedthedesertedsuburbs，everybuildinginwhichhadbeendestroyedsoasnottoimpedethefireoftheGrandDuke’sguns，unfortunatelybutfewinnumberandofsmallcaliber。
TheTartartroopsastheyarrivedorganizedacamponthebankoftheAngara，whilstwaitingthearrivalofthetwoothercolumns，commandedbytheEmirandhisallies。
Thejunctionofthesedifferentbodieswaseffectedonthe25thofSeptember，intheAngaracamp，andthewholeoftheinvadingarmy，exceptthegarrisonsleftintheprincipalconqueredtowns，wasconcentratedunderthecommandofFeofar-Khan。
ThepassageoftheAngarainfrontofIrkutskhavingbeenregardedbyOgareffasimpracticable，astrongbodyoftroopscrossed，severalverstsuptheriver，bymeansofbridgesformedwithboats。
TheGrandDukedidnotattempttoopposetheenemyintheirpassage。
Hecouldonlyimpede，notpreventit，havingnofield-artilleryathisdisposal，andhethereforeremainedinIrkutsk。
TheTartarsnowoccupiedtherightbankoftheriver；
then，advancingtowardsthetown，theyburnt，inpassing，thesummer-houseofthegovernor-general，andatlasthavingentirelyinvestedIrkutsk，tookuptheirpositionsforthesiege。
IvanOgareff，whowasacleverengineer，wasperfectlycompetenttodirectaregularsiege；buthedidnotpossessthematerialsforoperatingrapidly。Hewasdisappointedtoointhechiefobjectofallhisefforts——thesurpriseofIrkutsk。Thingshadnotturnedoutashehoped。First，themarchoftheTartararmywasdelayedbythebattleofTomsk；andsecondly，thepreparationsforthedefenseweremadefarmorerapidlythanhehadsupposedpossible；thesetwothingshadbalkedhisplans。
Hewasnowunderthenecessityofinstitutingaregularsiegeofthetown。
However，byhissuggestion，theEmirtwiceattemptedthecaptureoftheplace，atthecostofalargesacrificeofmen。
Hethrewsoldiersontheearth-workswhichpresentedanyweakpoint；
butthesetwoassaultswererepulsedwiththegreatestcourage。
TheGrandDukeandhisofficersdidnotsparethemselvesonthisoccasion。Theyappearedinperson；theyledthecivilpopulationtotheramparts。Citizensandpeasantsbothdidtheirduty。
Atthesecondattack，theTartarsmanagedtoforceoneofthegates。
AfighttookplaceattheheadofBolchaiaStreet，twoverstslong，onthebanksoftheAngara。ButtheCossacks，thepolice，thecitizens，unitedinsofiercearesistancethattheTartarsweredrivenout。
IvanOgareffthenthoughtofobtainingbystratagemwhathecouldnotgainbyforce。Wehavesaidthathisplanwastopenetrateintothetown，makehiswaytotheGrandDuke，gainhisconfidence，and，whenthetimecame，giveupthegatestothebesiegers；and，thatdone，wreakhisvengeanceonthebrotheroftheCzar。TheTsiganeSangarre，whohadaccompaniedhimtotheAngara，urgedhimtoputthisplaninexecution。
Indeed，itwasnecessarytoactwithoutdelay。
TheRussiantroopsfromthegovernmentofYakutskwereadvancingtowardsIrkutsk。TheyhadconcentratedalongtheuppercourseoftheLena。Insixdaystheywouldarrive。
Therefore，beforesixdayshadpassed，Irkutskmustbebetrayed。
Ogareffhesitatednolonger。
Oneevening，the2dofOctober，acouncilofwarwasheldinthegrandsaloonofthepalaceofthegovernor-general。Thispalace，standingattheendofBolchaiaStreet，overlookedtheriver。
FromitswindowscouldbeseenthecampoftheTartars，andhadtheinvaderspossessedgunsofwiderrange，theywouldhaverenderedthepalaceuninhabitable。
TheGrandDuke，GeneralVoranzoff，thegovernorofthetown，andthechiefofthemerchants，withseveralofficers，hadcollectedtodetermineuponvariousproposals。
“Gentlemen，“saidtheGrandDuke，“youknowoursituationexactly。
IhavethefirmhopethatweshallbeabletoholdoutuntilthearrivaloftheYakutsktroops。Weshallthenbeabletodriveoffthesebarbarianhordes，anditwillnotbemyfaultiftheydonotpaydearlyforthisinvasionoftheMuscoviteterritory。“
“YourHighnessknowsthatallthepopulationofIrkutskmaybereliedon，“
saidGeneralVoranzoff。