Hecoulddonothingforthem。Shouldheeverseethemagain？
Atthisquestion，towhichhedarednotreply，hisheartsankverylow。
AtthesametimewithMichaelStrogoffandsomanyotherprisonersHarryBlountandAlcideJolivethadalsobeentakentotheTartarcamp。
Theirformertravelingcompanion，capturedlikethematthetelegraphoffice，knewthattheywerepennedupwithhimintheenclosure，guardedbynumeroussentinels，buthedidnotwishtoaccostthem。
Itmatteredlittletohim，atthistimeespecially，whattheymightthinkofhimsincetheaffairatIchim。Besides，hedesiredtobealone，thathemightactalone，ifnecessary。Hethereforeheldhimselfalooffromhisformeracquaintances。
FromthemomentthatHarryBlounthadfallenbyhisside，Jolivethadnotceasedhisattentionstohim。DuringthejourneyfromKolyvantothecamp——thatistosay，forseveralhours——Blount，byleaningonhiscompanion’sarm，hadbeenenabledtofollowtherestoftheprisoners。
HetriedtomakeknownthathewasaBritishsubject；butithadnoeffectonthebarbarians，whoonlyrepliedbyprodswithalanceorsword。
ThecorrespondentoftheDailyTelegraphwas，therefore，obligedtosubmittothecommonlot，resolvingtoprotestlater，andobtainsatisfactionforsuchtreatment。Butthejourneywasnotthelessdisagreeabletohim，forhiswoundcausedhimmuchpain，andwithoutAlcideJolivet’sassistancehemightneverhavereachedthecamp。
Jolivet，whosepracticalphilosophyneverabandonedhim，hadphysicallyandmorallystrengthenedhiscompanionbyeverymeansinhispower。
Hisfirstcare，whentheyfoundthemselvesdefinitelyestablishedintheenclosure，wastoexamineBlount’swound。Havingmanagedcarefullytodrawoffhiscoat，hefoundthattheshoulderhadbeenonlygrazedbytheshot。
“Thisisnothing，“hesaid。“Amerescratch！Aftertwoorthreedressingsyouwillbealltorights。“
“Butthesedressings？“askedBlount。
“Iwillmakethemforyoumyself。“
“Thenyouaresomethingofadoctor？“
“AllFrenchmenaresomethingofdoctors。“
AndonthisaffirmationAlcide，tearinghishandkerchief，madelintofonepiece，bandagesoftheother，tooksomewaterfromawellduginthemiddleoftheenclosure，bathedthewound，andskillfullyplacedthewetragonHarryBlount’sshoulder。
“Itreatyouwithwater，“hesaid。“Thisliquidisthemostefficacioussedativeknownforthetreatmentofwounds，andisthemostemployednow。
Doctorshavetakensixthousandyearstodiscoverthat！Yes，sixthousandyearsinroundnumbers！“
“Ithankyou，M。Jolivet，“answeredHarry，stretchinghimselfonabedofdryleaves，whichhiscompanionhadarrangedforhimintheshadeofabirchtree。
“Bah！it’snothing！Youwoulddoasmuchforme。“
“Iamnotquitesosure，“saidBlountcandidly。
“Nonsense，stupid！AllEnglisharegenerous。“
“Doubtless；buttheFrench？“
“Well，theFrench——theyarebrutes，ifyoulike！
ButwhatredeemsthemisthattheyareFrench。Saynothingmoreaboutthat，orrather，saynothingmoreatall。
Restisabsolutelynecessaryforyou。“
ButHarryBlounthadnowishtobesilent。Ifthewound，inprudence，requiredrest，thecorrespondentoftheDailyTelegraphwasnotamantoindulgehimself。
“M。Jolivet，“heasked，“doyouthinkthatourlastdispatcheshavebeenabletopasstheRussianfrontier？“
“Whynot？“answeredAlcide。“BythistimeyoumaybesurethatmybelovedcousinknowsallabouttheaffairatKolyvan。“
“Howmanycopiesdoesyourcousinworkoffofherdispatches？“
askedBlount，forthefirsttimeputtinghisquestiondirecttohiscompanion。
“Well，“answeredAlcide，laughing，“mycousinisaverydiscreetperson，whodoesnotliketobetalkedabout，andwhowouldbeindespairifshetroubledthesleepofwhichyouareinneed。“
“Idon’twishtosleep，“repliedtheEnglishman。“WhatwillyourcousinthinkoftheaffairsofRussia？“
“Thattheyseemforthetimeinabadway。But，bah！theMuscovitegovernmentispowerful；itcannotbereallyuneasyataninvasionofbarbarians。“
“Toomuchambitionhaslostthegreatestempires，“answeredBlount，whowasnotexemptfromacertainEnglishjealousywithregardtoRussianpretensionsinCentralAsia。
“Oh，donotletustalkpolitics，“criedJolivet。“Itisforbiddenbythefaculty。Nothingcanbeworseforwoundsintheshoulder——
unlessitwastoputyoutosleep。“
“Letus，then，talkofwhatweoughttodo，“repliedBlount。
“M。Jolivet，IhavenointentionatallofremainingaprisonertotheseTartarsforanindefinitetime。“
“NorI，either，byJove！“
“Wewillescapeonthefirstopportunity？“
“Yes，ifthereisnootherwayofregainingourliberty。“
“Doyouknowofanyother？“askedBlount，lookingathiscompanion。
“Certainly。Wearenotbelligerents；weareneutral，andwewillclaimourfreedom。“
“FromthatbruteofaFeofar-Khan？“
“No；hewouldnotunderstand，“answeredJolivet；“butfromhislieutenant，IvanOgareff。“
“Heisavillain。“
“Nodoubt；butthevillainisaRussian。Heknowsthatitdoesnotdototriflewiththerightsofmen，andhehasnointeresttoretainus；
onthecontrary。Buttoaskafavorofthatgentlemandoesnotquitesuitmytaste。“
“Butthatgentlemanisnotinthecamp，oratleastIhavenotseenhimhere，“observedBlount。
“Hewillcome。Hewillnotfailtodothat。HemustjointheEmir。Siberiaiscutintwonow，andverycertainlyFeofar’sarmyisonlywaitingforhimtoadvanceonIrkutsk。“
“Andoncefree，whatshallwedo？“
“Oncefree，wewillcontinueourcampaign，andfollowtheTartars，untilthetimecomeswhenwecanmakeourwayintotheRussiancamp。
Wemustnotgiveupthegame。No，indeed；wehaveonlyjustbegun。
You，friend，havealreadyhadthehonorofbeingwoundedintheserviceoftheDailyTelegraph，whilstI——Ihaveasyetsufferednothinginmycousin’sservice。Well，well！Good，“murmuredAlcideJolivet；
“thereheisasleep。Afewhours’sleepandafewcoldwatercompressesareallthatarerequiredtosetanEnglishmanonhislegsagain。
Thesefellowsaremadeofcastiron。“
AndwhilstHarryBlountrested，Alcidewatchednearhim，afterhavingdrawnouthisnotebook，whichheloadedwithnotes，determinedbesidestosharethemwithhiscompanion，forthegreatersatisfactionofthereadersoftheDailyTelegraph。Eventshadunitedthemonewiththeother。Theywerenolongerjealousofeachother。So，then，thethingthatMichaelStrogoffdreadedaboveeverythingwasthemostlivelydesireofthetwocorrespondents。
IvanOgareff’sarrivalwouldevidentlybeofusetothem。
BlountandJolivet’sinterestwas，therefore，contrarytothatofMichael。Thelatterwellunderstoodthesituation，anditwasonereason，addedtomanyothers，whichpreventedhimfromapproachinghisformertravelingcompanions。
Hethereforemanagedsoasnottobeseenbythem。
Fourdayspassedthuswithoutthestateofthingsbeinginanywisealtered。TheprisonersheardnotalkofthebreakingupoftheTartarcamp。Theywerestrictlyguarded。
Itwouldhavebeenimpossibleforthemtopassthecordonoffootandhorsesoldiers，whichwatchedthemnightandday。
Astothefoodwhichwasgiventhemitwasbarelysufficient。
Twiceinthetwenty-fourhourstheywerethrownapieceoftheintestinesofgoatsgrilledonthecoals，orafewbitsofthatcheesecalled“kroute，“madeofsourewe’smilk，andwhich，soakedinmare’smilk，formstheKirghizdish，commonlycalled“koumyss。“Andthiswasall。
Itmaybeaddedthattheweatherhadbecomedetestable。
Therewereconsiderableatmosphericcommotions，bringingsquallsmingledwithrain。Theunfortunateprisoners，destituteofshelter，hadtobearalltheinclemenciesoftheweather，norwastheretheslightestalleviationtotheirmisery。
Severalwoundedwomenandchildrendied，andtheprisonerswerethemselvescompelledtodiggravesforthebodiesofthosewhomtheirjailerswouldnoteventakethetroubletobury。
DuringthistryingperiodAlcideJolivetandMichaelStrogoffworkedhard，eachintheportionsoftheenclosureinwhichtheyfoundthemselves。
Healthyandvigorous，theysufferedlessthansomanyothers，andcouldbetterendurethehardshipstowhichtheywereexposed。
Bytheiradvice，andtheassistancetheyrendered，theywereofthegreatestpossibleusetotheirsufferinganddespairingfellow-captives。
Wasthisstateofthingstolast？WouldFeofar-Khan，satisfiedwithhisfirstsuccess，waitsometimebeforemarchingonIrkutsk？Such，itwastobefeared，wouldbethecase。
Butitwasnotso。TheeventsomuchwishedforbyJolivetandBlount，somuchdreadedbyMichael，occurredonthemorningofthe12thofAugust。
Onthatdaythetrumpetssounded，thedrumsbeat，thecannonroared。
AhugecloudofdustsweptalongtheroadfromKolyvan。IvanOgareff，followedbyseveralthousandmen，madehisentryintotheTartarcamp。
IVANOGAREFFwasbringingupthemainbodyofthearmyoftheEmir。ThecavalryandinfantrynowunderhimhadformedpartofthecolumnwhichhadtakenOmsk。Ogareff，nothavingbeenabletoreducethehightown，inwhich，itmustberemembered，thegovernorandgarrisonhadsoughtrefuge，haddecidedtopasson，notwishingtodelayoperationswhichoughttoleadtotheconquestofEasternSiberia。HethereforeleftagarrisoninOmsk，and，reinforcinghimselfenroutewiththeconquerorsofKolyvan，joinedFeofar’sarmy。
IvanOgareff’ssoldiershaltedattheoutpostsofthecamp。
Theyreceivednoorderstobivouac。Theirchief’splan，doubtless，wasnottohaltthere，buttopressonandreachTomskintheshortestpossibletime，itbeinganimportanttown，naturallyintendedtobecomethecenteroffutureoperations。
Besideshissoldiers，OgareffwasbringingaconvoyofRussianandSiberianprisoners，capturedeitheratOmskorKolyvan。Theseunhappycreatureswerenotledtotheenclosure——alreadytoocrowded——butwereforcedtoremainattheoutpostswithoutshelter，almostwithoutnourishment。
WhatfatewasFeofar-Khanreservingfortheseunfortunates？
WouldheimprisontheminTomsk，orwouldsomebloodyexecution，familiartotheTartarchiefs，removethemwhentheywerefoundtooinconvenient？ThiswasthesecretofthecapriciousEmir。
ThisarmyhadnotcomefromOmskandKolyvanwithoutbringinginitstraintheusualcrowdofbeggars，freebooters，pedlars，andgypsies，whichcomposetherear-guardofanarmyonthemarch。
Allthesepeoplelivedonthecountrytraversed，andleftlittleofanythingbehindthem。Therewas，therefore，anecessityforpushingforward，ifonlytosecureprovisionsforthetroops。ThewholeregionbetweenIchimandtheObi，nowcompletelydevastated，nolongerofferedanyresources。
TheTartarsleftadesertbehindthem。
ConspicuousamongthegypsieswhohadhastenedfromthewesternprovinceswastheTsiganetroop，whichhadaccompaniedMichaelStrogoffasfarasPerm。Sangarrewasthere。Thisfiercespy，thetoolofIvanOgareff，hadnotdesertedhermaster。OgareffhadtraveledrapidlytoIchim，whilstSangarreandherbandhadproceededtoOmskbythesouthernpartoftheprovince。
ItmaybeeasilyunderstoodhowusefulthiswomanwastoOgareff。Withhergypsy-bandshecouldpenetrateanywhere。
IvanOgareffwaskeptacquaintedwithallthatwasgoingonintheveryheartoftheinvadedprovinces。Therewereahundredeyes，ahundredears，openinhisservice。Besides，hepaidliberallyforthisespionage，fromwhichhederivedsomuchadvantage。
OnceSangarre，beingimplicatedinaveryseriousaffair，hadbeensavedbytheRussianofficer。Sheneverforgotwhatsheowedhim，andhaddevotedherselftohisservicebodyandsoul。
