ButthispursuitcouldonlyterminatetoMichael’sdisadvantage。
Hishorsewasalmostexhausted。Hemanagedtoreachthebankoftheriver。TheUsbeckdetachmentwasnownotmorethanfiftypacesbehindhim。
TheObiwasdeserted——notaboatofanydescriptionwhichcouldtakehimoverthewater！
“Courage，mybravehorse！“criedMichael。“Come！Alasteffort！“
Andheplungedintotheriver，whichherewashalfaverstinwidth。
Itwouldhavebeendifficulttostandagainstthecurrent——
indeed，Michael’shorsecouldgetnofooting。Hemustthereforeswimacrosstheriver，althoughitwasrapidasatorrent。
EventoattemptitshowedMichael’smarvelouscourage。
Thesoldiersreachedthebank，buthesitatedtoplungein。
Thependja-baschiseizedhismusketandtookaimatMichael，whomhecouldseeinthemiddleofthestream。
Theshotwasfired，andMichael’shorse，struckintheside，wasborneawaybythecurrent。
Hismaster，speedilydisentanglinghimselffromhisstirrups，struckoutboldlyfortheshore。Inthemidstofahailstormofballshemanagedtoreachtheoppositeside，anddisappearedintherushes。
CHAPTERXVIITHERIVALS
MICHAELwasincomparativesafety，thoughhissituationwasstillterrible。Nowthatthefaithfulanimalwhohadsobravelybornehimhadmethisdeathinthewatersoftheriver，howwashetocontinuehisjourney？
Hewasonfoot，withoutprovisions，inacountrydevastatedbytheinvasion，overrunbytheEmir’sscouts，andstillataconsiderabledistancefromtheplacehewasstrivingtoreach。
“ByHeaven，Iwillgetthere！“heexclaimed，inreplytoallthereasonsforfaltering。“GodwillprotectoursacredRussia。“
MichaelwasoutofreachoftheUsbeckhorsemen。
Theyhadnotdaredtopursuehimthroughtheriver。
OncemoreonsolidgroundMichaelstoppedtoconsiderwhatheshoulddonext。HewishedtoavoidTomsk，nowoccupiedbytheTartartroops。Nevertheless，hemustreachsometown，oratleastapost-house，wherehecouldprocureahorse。
Ahorseoncefound，hewouldthrowhimselfoutofthebeatentrack，andnotagaintaketotheIrkutskroaduntilintheneighborhoodofKrasnoiarsk。Fromthatplace，ifhewerequick，hehopedtofindthewaystillopen，andheintendedtogothroughtheLakeBaikalprovincesinasoutheasterlydirection。
Michaelbeganbygoingeastward。ByfollowingthecourseoftheObitwoverstsfurther，hereachedapicturesquelittletownlyingonasmallhill。Afewchurches，withByzantinecupolascoloredgreenandgold，stoodupagainstthegraysky。
ThisisKolyvan，wheretheofficersandpeopleemployedatKamskandothertownstakerefugeduringthesummerfromtheunhealthyclimateoftheBaraba。AccordingtothelatestnewsobtainedbytheCzar’scourier，Kolyvancouldnotbeyetinthehandsoftheinvaders。TheTartartroops，dividedintotwocolumns，hadmarchedtotheleftonOmsk，totherightonTomsk，neglectingtheintermediatecountry。
MichaelStrogoff’splanwassimplythis——toreachKolyvanbeforethearrivaloftheUsbeckhorsemen，whowouldascendtheotherbankoftheObitotheferry。Therehewouldprocureclothesandahorse，andr俿um？theroadtoIrkutskacrossthesouthernsteppe。
Itwasnowthreeo’clockinthemorning。TheneighborhoodofKolyvanwasverystill，andappearedtohavebeentotallyabandoned。
Thecountrypopulationhadevidentlyfledtothenorthwards，totheprovinceofYeniseisk，dreadingtheinvasion，whichtheycouldnotresist。
MichaelwaswalkingatarapidpacetowardsKolyvanwhendistantfiringstruckhisear。Hestopped，andclearlydistinguishedthedullroarofartillery，andaboveitacrisprattlewhichcouldnotbemistaken。
“Itiscannonandmusketry！“saidhe。“ThelittleRussianbodyisengagedwiththeTartararmy！PrayHeaventhatImayarriveatKolyvanbeforethem！“
Thefiringbecamegraduallylouder，andsoontotheleftofKolyvanamistcollected——notsmoke，butthosegreatwhitecloudsproducedbydischargesofartillery。
TheUsbeckhorsemenstoppedontheleftoftheObi，toawaittheresultofthebattle。FromthemMichaelhadnothingtofearashehastenedtowardsthetown。
Inthemeanwhilethefiringincreased，andbecamesensiblynearer。
Itwasnolongeraconfusedroar，butdistinctreports。
Atthesametimethesmokepartiallycleared，anditbecameevidentthatthecombatantswererapidlymovingsouthwards。
ItappearedthatKolyvanwastobeattackedonthenorthside。
ButweretheRussiansdefendingitortheTartars？Itbeingimpossibletodecidethis，Michaelbecamegreatlyperplexed。
HewasnotmorethanhalfaverstfromKolyvanwhenheobservedflamesshootingupamongthehousesofthetown，andthesteepleofachurchfellinthemidstofcloudsofsmokeandfire。
Wasthestruggle，then，inKolyvan？Michaelwascompelledtothinkso。
ItwasevidentthatRussiansandTartarswerefightinginthestreetsofthetown。Wasthisatimetoseekrefugethere？
Wouldhenotrunariskofbeingtakenprisoner？ShouldhesucceedinescapingfromKolyvan，ashehadescapedfromOmsk？Hehesitatedandstoppedamoment。Woulditnotbebettertotry，evenonfoot，toreachsomesmalltown，andthereprocureahorseatanyprice？
Thiswastheonlythingtobedone；andMichael，leavingtheObi，wentforwardtotherightofKolyvan。
Thefiringhadnowincreasedinviolence。Flamessoonsprangupontheleftofthetown。FirewasdevouringoneentirequarterofKolyvan。
MichaelwasrunningacrossthesteppeendeavoringtogainthecovertofsometreeswhenadetachmentofTartarcavalryappearedontheright。
Hedarednotcontinueinthatdirection。Thehorsemenadvancedrapidly，anditwouldhavebeendifficulttoescapethem。
Suddenly，inathickclumpoftrees，hesawanisolatedhouse，whichitwouldbepossibletoreachbeforehewasperceived。
Michaelhadnochoicebuttorunthere，hidehimselfandaskortakesomethingtorecruithisstrength，forhewasexhaustedwithhungerandfatigue。
Heaccordinglyranontowardsthishouse，stillabouthalfaverstdistant。Asheapproached，hecouldseethatitwasatelegraphoffice。Twowiresleftitinwesterlyandeasterlydirections，andathirdwenttowardsKolyvan。
Itwastobesupposedthatunderthecircumstancesthisstationwasabandoned；butevenifitwas，Michaelcouldtakerefugethere，andwaittillnightfall，ifnecessary，toagainsetoutacrossthesteppecoveredwithTartarscouts。
Heranuptothedoorandpusheditopen。
Asinglepersonwasintheroomwhencethetelegraphicmessagesweredispatched。Thiswasaclerk，calm，phlegmatic，indifferenttoallthatwaspassingoutside。Faithfultohispost，hewaitedbehindhislittlewicketuntilthepublicclaimedhisservices。
Michaelranuptohim，andinavoicebrokenbyfatigue，“Whatdoyouknow？“heasked。
“Nothing，“answeredtheclerk，smiling。
“AretheRussiansandTartarsengaged？“
“Theysayso。“
“Butwhoarethevictors？“
“Idon’tknow。“
Suchcalmness，suchindifference，inthemidstoftheseterribleevents，wasscarcelycredible。
“Andisnotthewirecut？“saidMichael。
“ItiscutbetweenKolyvanandKrasnoiarsk，butitisstillworkingbetweenKolyvanandtheRussianfrontier。“
“Forthegovernment？“
“Forthegovernment，whenitthinksproper。Forthepublic，whentheypay。Tencopecksaword，wheneveryoulike，sir！“
Michaelwasabouttoreplytothisstrangeclerkthathehadnomessagetosend，thatheonlyimploredalittlebreadandwater，whenthedoorofthehousewasagainthrownopen。
ThinkingthatitwasinvadedbyTartars，Michaelmadereadytoleapoutofthewindow，whentwomenonlyenteredtheroomwhohadnothingoftheTartarsoldieraboutthem。Oneofthemheldadispatch，writteninpencil，inhishand，and，passingtheother，hehurrieduptothewicketoftheimperturbableclerk。
InthesetwomenMichaelrecognizedwithastonishment，whicheveryonewillunderstand，twopersonagesofwhomhewasnotthinkingatall，andwhomhehadneverexpectedtoseeagain。
Theywerethetworeporters，HarryBlountandAlcideJolivet，nolongertravelingcompanions，butrivals，enemies，nowthattheywereworkingonthefieldofbattle。
TheyhadleftIchimonlyafewhoursafterthedepartureofMichaelStrogoff，andtheyhadarrivedatKolyvanbeforehim，byfollowingthesameroad，inconsequenceofhislosingthreedaysonthebanksoftheIrtych。Andnow，afterbeingbothpresentattheengagementbetweentheRussiansandTartarsbeforethetown，theyhadleftjustasthestrugglebrokeoutinthestreets，andrantothetelegraphoffice，soastosendofftheirrivaldispatchestoEurope，andforestalleachotherintheirreportofevents。
Michaelstoodasideintheshadow，andwithoutbeingseenhimselfhecouldseeandhearallthatwasgoingon。
Hewouldnowhearinterestingnews，andwouldfindoutwhetherornothecouldenterKolyvan。
Blount，havingdistancedhiscompanion，tookpossessionofthewicket，whilstAlcideJolivet，contrarytohisusualhabit，stampedwithimpatience。
“Tencopecksaword，“saidtheclerk。
Blountdepositedapileofroublesontheshelf，whilsthisrivallookedonwithasortofstupefaction。
“Good，“saidtheclerk。Andwiththegreatestcoolnessintheworldhebegantotelegraphthefollowingdispatch:
“DailyTelegraph，London。
“FromKolyvan，GovernmentofOmsk，Siberia，6thAugust。
“EngagementbetweenRussianandTartartroops。“
Thereadingwasinadistinctvoice，sothatMichaelheardallthattheEnglishcorrespondentwassendingtohispaper。
“Russiansrepulsedwithgreatloss。TartarsenteredKolyvanto-day。“
Thesewordsendedthedispatch。
“Myturnnow，“criedAlcideJolivet，anxioustosendoffhisdispatch，addressedtohiscousin。
ButthatwasnotBlount’sidea，whodidnotintendtogiveupthewicket，buthaveitinhispowertosendoffthenewsjustastheeventsoccurred。Hewouldthereforenotmakewayforhiscompanion。
“Butyouhavefinished！“exclaimedJolivet。
“Ihavenotfinished，“returnedHarryBlountquietly。
Andheproceededtowritesomesentences，whichhehandedintotheclerk，whoreadoutinhiscalmvoice:“JohnGilpinwasacitizenofcreditandrenown；atrain-bandcaptainekewasheoffamousLondontown。“
HarryBlountwastelegraphingsomeverseslearnedinhischildhood，inordertoemploythetime，andnotgiveuphisplacetohisrival。
Itwouldperhapscosthispapersomethousandsofroubles，butitwouldbethefirstinformed。Francecouldwait。
Jolivet’sfurymaybeimagined，thoughunderanyothercircumstanceshewouldhavethoughtitfairwarfare。
Heevenendeavoredtoforcetheclerktotakehisdispatchinpreferencetothatofhisrival。
“Itisthatgentleman’sright，“answeredtheclerkcoolly，pointingtoBlount，andsmilinginthemostamiablemanner。
AndhecontinuedfaithfullytotransmittotheDailyTelegraphthewell-knownversesofCowper。
WhilsthewasworkingBlountwalkedtothewindowand，hisfieldglasstohiseyes，watchedallthatwasgoingonintheneighborhoodofKolyvan，soastocompletehisinformation。Inafewminutesheresumedhisplaceatthewicket，andaddedtohistelegram:
“Twochurchesareinflames。Thefireappearstogainontheright。
’JohnGilpin’sspousesaidtoherdear，Thoughweddedwehavebeenthesetwicetentediousyears，yetwenoholidayhaveseen。’“
AlcideJolivetwouldhavelikedtostranglethehonorablecorrespondentoftheDailyTelegraph。
Heagaininterruptedtheclerk，who，quiteunmoved，merelyreplied:
“Itishisright，sir，itishisright——attencopecksaword。“
Andhetelegraphedthefollowingnews，justbroughthimbyBlount:“Russianfugitivesareescapingfromthetown。
’AwaywentGilpin——whobuthe？Hisfamesoonspreadaround:
Hecarriesweight！heridesarace！’Tisforathousandpound！’“
AndBlountturnedroundwithaquizzicallookathisrival。
AlcideJolivetfumed。
