InthemeanwhileHarryBlounthadreturnedtothewindow，butthistimehisattentionwasdivertedbytheinterestofthescenebeforehim。Therefore，whentheclerkhadfinishedtelegraphingthelastlinesdictatedbyBlount，AlcideJolivetnoiselesslytookhisplaceatthewicket，and，justashisrivalhaddone，afterquietlydepositingarespectablepileofroublesontheshelf，hedeliveredhisdispatch，whichtheclerkreadaloud:
“MadeleineJolivet，10，FaubourgMontmartre，Paris。
“FromKolyvan，GovernmentofOmsk，Siberia，6thAugust。
“Fugitivesareescapingfromthetown。Russiansdefeated。
FiercelypursuedbytheTartarcavalry。“
AndasHarryBlountreturnedheheardJolivetcompletinghistelegrambysinginginamockingtone:
“IIestunpetithomme，Touthabilledegris，DansParis！“
Imitatinghisrival，AlcideJolivethadusedamerryrefrainofBeranger。
“Hallo！“saidHarryBlount。
“Justso，“answeredJolivet。
InthemeantimethesituationatKolyvanwasalarmingintheextreme。
Thebattlewasragingnearer，andthefiringwasincessant。
Atthatmomentthetelegraphofficeshooktoitsfoundations。
Ashellhadmadeaholeinthewall，andacloudofdustfilledtheoffice。
Alcidewasjustfinishingwritinghislines；buttostop，dartontheshell，seizeitinbothhands，throwitoutofthewindow，andreturntothewicket，wasonlytheaffairofamoment。
Fivesecondslatertheshellburstoutside。Continuingwiththegreatestpossiblecoolness，Alcidewrote:“Asix-inchshellhasjustblownupthewallofthetelegraphoffice。
Expectingafewmoreofthesamesize。“
MichaelStrogoffhadnodoubtthattheRussiansweredrivenoutofKolyvan。Hislastresourcewastosetoutacrossthesouthernsteppe。
Justthenrenewedfiringbrokeoutclosetothetelegraphhouse，andaperfectshowerofbulletssmashedalltheglassinthewindows。
HarryBlountfelltothegroundwoundedintheshoulder。
Jolivetevenatsuchamoment，wasabouttoaddthispostscripttohisdispatch:“HarryBlount，correspondentoftheDailyTelegraph，hasfallenatmysidestruckby——“whentheimperturbableclerksaidcalmly:“Sir，thewirehasbroken。“And，leavinghiswicket，hequietlytookhishat，brusheditroundwithhissleeve，and，stillsmiling，disappearedthroughalittledoorwhichMichaelhadnotbeforeperceived。
ThehousewassurroundedbyTartarsoldiers，andneitherMichaelnorthereporterscouldeffecttheirretreat。
AlcideJolivet，hisuselessdispatchinhishand，hadruntoBlount，stretchedontheground，andhadbravelyliftedhimonhisshoulders，withtheintentionofflyingwithhim。
Hewastoolate！
Bothwereprisoners；and，atthesametime，Michael，takenunawaresashewasabouttoleapfromthewindow，fellintothehandsoftheTartars！
ATaday’smarchfromKolyvan，severalverstsbeyondthetownofDiachinks，stretchesawideplain，plantedhereandtherewithgreattrees，principallypinesandcedars。
ThispartofthesteppeisusuallyoccupiedduringthewarmseasonbySiberianshepherds，andtheirnumerousflocks。
Butnowitmighthavebeensearchedinvainforoneofitsnomadinhabitants。Notthattheplainwasdeserted。
Itpresentedamostanimatedappearance。
TherestoodtheTartartents；thereFeofar-Khan，theterribleEmirofBokhara，wasencamped；andthereonthefollowingday，the7thofAugust，werebroughttheprisonerstakenatKolyvanaftertheannihilationoftheRussianforce，whichhadvainlyattemptedtoopposetheprogressoftheinvaders。
Ofthetwothousandmenwhohadengagedwiththetwocolumnsoftheenemy，thebasesofwhichrestedonTomskandOmsk，onlyafewhundredremained。Thuseventsweregoingbadly，andtheimperialgovernmentappearedtohavelostitspowerbeyondthefrontiersoftheUral——foratimeatleast，fortheRussianscouldnotfaileventuallytodefeatthesavagehordesoftheinvaders。
ButinthemeantimetheinvasionhadreachedthecenterofSiberia，anditwasspreadingthroughtherevoltedcountrybothtotheeastern，andthewesternprovinces。
IfthetroopsoftheAmoorandtheprovinceofTakutskdidnotarriveintimetooccupyit，Irkutsk，thecapitalofAsiaticRussia，beinginsufficientlygarrisoned，wouldfallintothehandsoftheTartars，andtheGrandDuke，brotheroftheEmperor，wouldbesacrificedtothevengeanceofIvanOgareff。
WhathadbecomeofMichaelStrogoff？Hadhebrokendownundertheweightofsomanytrials？Didheconsiderhimselfconqueredbytheseriesofdisasterswhich，sincetheadventureofIchim，hadincreasedinmagnitude？Didhethinkhiscauselost？thathismissionhadfailed？thathisorderscouldnolongerbeobeyed？
Michaelwasoneofthosemenwhonevergiveinwhilelifeexists。
Hewasyetalive；hestillhadtheimperiallettersafe；hisdisguisehadbeenundiscovered。HewasincludedamongstthenumerousprisonerswhomtheTartarsweredraggingwiththemlikecattle；
butbyapproachingTomskhewasatthesametimedrawingnearertoIrkutsk。Besides，hewasstillinfrontofIvanOgareff。
“Iwillgetthere！“herepeatedtohimself。
SincetheaffairofKolyvanallthepowersofhismindwereconcentratedononeobject——tobecomefree！HowshouldheescapefromtheEmir’ssoldiers？
Feofar’scamppresentedamagnificentspectacle。
Numberlesstents，ofskin，felt，orsilk，glistenedintheraysofthesun。Theloftyplumeswhichsurmountedtheirconicaltopswavedamidstbanners，flags，andpennonsofeverycolor。
TherichestofthesetentsbelongedtotheSeidesandKhodjas，whoaretheprincipalpersonagesofthekhanat。
Aspecialpavilion，ornamentedwithahorse’stailissuingfromasheafofredandwhitesticksartisticallyinterlaced，indicatedthehighrankoftheseTartarchiefs。
TheninthedistanceroseseveralthousandoftheTurcomantents，called“karaoy，“whichhadbeencarriedonthebacksofcamels。
Thecampcontainedatleastahundredandfiftythousandsoldiers，asmanyfootashorsesoldiers，collectedunderthenameofAlamanes。Amongstthem，andastheprincipaltypesofTurkestan，wouldhavebeendirectlyremarkedtheTadjiks，fromtheirregularfeatures，whiteskin，tallforms，andblackeyesandhair；theyformedthebulkoftheTartararmy，andofthemthekhanatsofKhokhandandKoundougehadfurnishedacontingentnearlyequaltothatofBokhara。WiththeTadjiksweremingledspecimensofdifferentraceswhoeitherresideinTurkestanorwhosenativecountriesborderonit。
TherewereUsbecks，red-bearded，smallinstature，similartothosewhohadpursuedMichael。HerewereKirghiz，withflatfacesliketheKalmucks，dressedincoatsofmail:
somecarriedthelance，bows，andarrowsofAsiaticmanufacture；
somethesaber，amatchlockgun，andthe“tschakane，“alittleshort-handledax，thewoundsfromwhichinvariablyprovefatal。
TherewereMongols——ofmiddleheight，withblackhairplaitedintopigtails，whichhungdowntheirback；roundfaces，swarthycomplexions，livelydeep-seteyes，scantybeards——
dressedinbluenankeentrimmedwithblackplush，sword-beltsofleatherwithsilverbuckles，coatsgaylybraided，andsilkcapsedgedwithfurandthreeribbonsflutteringbehind。
Brown-skinnedAfghans，too，mighthavebeenseen。
Arabs，havingtheprimitivetypeofthebeautifulSemiticraces；
andTurcomans，witheyeswhichlookedasiftheyhadlostthepupil，——allenrolledundertheEmir’sflag，theflagofincendiariesanddevastators。
Amongthesefreesoldierswereacertainnumberofslavesoldiers，principallyPersians，commandedbyofficersofthesamenation，andtheywerecertainlynottheleastesteemedofFeofar-Khan’sarmy。
IftothislistareaddedtheJews，whoactedasservants，theirrobesconfinedwithacord，andwearingontheirheadsinsteadoftheturban，whichisforbiddenthem，littlecapsofdarkcloth；
ifwiththesegroupsaremingledsomehundredsof“kalenders，“asortofreligiousmendicants，clothedinrags，coveredbyaleopardskin，someideamaybeformedoftheenormousagglomerationsofdifferenttribesincludedunderthegeneraldenominationoftheTartararmy。
Nothingcouldbemoreromanticthanthispicture，indelineatingwhichthemostskillfulartistwouldhaveexhaustedallthecolorsofhispalette。
Feofar’stentoverlookedtheothers。Drapedinlargefoldsofabrilliantsilkloopedwithgoldencordsandtassels，surmountedbytallplumeswhichwavedinthewindlikefans，itoccupiedthecenterofawideclearing，shelteredbyagroveofmagnificentbirchandpinetrees。Beforethistent，onajapannedtableinlaidwithpreciousstones，wasplacedthesacredbookoftheKoran，itspagesbeingofthingold-leafdelicatelyengraved。
AbovefloatedtheTartarflag，quarteredwiththeEmir’sarms。
InasemicircleroundtheclearingstoodthetentsofthegreatfunctionariesofBokhara。Thereresidedthechiefofthestables，whohastherighttofollowtheEmironhorsebackevenintothecourtofhispalace；thegrandfalconer；the“housch-begui，“beareroftheroyalseal；the“toptschi-baschi，“grandmasteroftheartillery；
the“khodja，“chiefofthecouncil，whoreceivestheprince’skiss，andmaypresenthimselfbeforehimwithhisgirdleuntied；
the“scheikh-oul-islam，“chiefoftheUlemas，representingthepriests；
the“cazi-askev，“who，intheEmir’sabsencesettlesalldisputesraisedamongthesoldiers；andlastly，thechiefoftheastrologers，whosegreatbusinessistoconsultthestarseverytimetheKhanthinksofchanginghisquarters。
Whentheprisonerswerebroughtintothecamp，theEmirwasinhistent。
Hedidnotshowhimself。Thiswasfortunate，nodoubt。Asign，awordfromhimmighthavebeenthesignalforsomebloodyexecution。
ButheintrenchedhimselfinthatisolationwhichconstitutesinpartthemajestyofEasternkings。Hewhodoesnotshowhimselfisadmired，and，aboveall，feared。
Astotheprisoners，theyweretobepennedupinsomeenclosure，where，ill-treated，poorlyfed，andexposedtoalltheinclemenciesoftheweather，theywouldawaitFeofar’spleasure。
ThemostdocileandpatientofthemallwasundoubtedlyMichaelStrogoff。Heallowedhimselftobeled，fortheywereleadinghimwherehewishedtogo，andunderconditionsofsafetywhichfreehecouldnothavefoundontheroadfromKolyvantoTomsk。Toescapebeforereachingthattownwastoriskagainfallingintothehandsofthescouts，whowerescouringthesteppe。ThemosteasternlineoccupiedbytheTartarcolumnswasnotsituatedbeyondtheeighty-fifthmeridian，whichpassesthroughTomsk。Thismeridianoncepassed，Michaelconsideredthatheshouldbebeyondthehostilezones，thathecouldtraverseGenisciwithoutdanger，andgainKrasnoiarskbeforeFeofar-Khanhadinvadedtheprovince。
“OnceatTomsk，“herepeatedtohimself，torepresssomefeelingsofimpatiencewhichhecouldnotentirelymaster，“inafewminutesIshouldbebeyondtheoutposts；andtwelvehoursgainedonFeofar，twelvehoursonOgareff，thatsurelywouldbeenoughtogivemeastartofthemtoIrkutsk。“
ThethingthatMichaeldreadedmorethaneverythingelsewasthepresenceofIvanOgareffintheTartarcamp。Besidesthedangerofbeingrecognized，hefelt，byasortofinstinct，thatthiswasthetraitorwhomitwasespeciallynecessarytoprecede。
Heunderstood，too，thattheunionofOgareff’stroopswiththoseofFeofarwouldcompletetheinvadingarmy，andthatthejunctiononceeffected，thearmywouldmarchenmasseonthecapitalofEasternSiberia。Allhisapprehensionscamefromthisquarter，andhedreadedeveryinstanttohearsomeflourishoftrumpets，announcingthearrivalofthelieutenantoftheEmir。
Tothiswasaddedthethoughtofhismother，ofNadia，——
theoneaprisoneratOmsk；theotherdraggedonboardtheIrtychboats，andnodoubtacaptive，asMarfaStrogoffwas。