HeexaminedparticularlytheBolchaiaGate，theonehewishedtodeliverup。
Twiceintheeveninghecameupontheglacisofthisgate。
Hewalkedupanddown，withoutfearofbeingdiscoveredbythebesiegers，whosenearestpostswereatleastamilefromtheramparts。
Hefanciedthathewasrecognizedbynoone，tillhecaughtsightofashadowglidingalongoutsidetheearthworks。
SangarrehadcomeattheriskofherlifeforthepurposeofputtingherselfincommunicationwithIvanOgareff。
FortwodaysthebesiegedhadenjoyedatranquillitytowhichtheTartarshadnotaccustomedthemsincethecommencementoftheinvestment。
ThiswasbyOgareff’sorders。Feofar-Khan’slieutenantwishedthatallattemptstotakethetownbyforceshouldbesuspended。
Hehopedthewatchfulnessofthebesiegedwouldrelax。Atanyrate，severalthousandTartarswerekeptinreadinessattheoutposts，toattackthegate，deserted，asOgareffanticipatedthatitwouldbe，byitsdefenders，wheneverheshouldsummonthebesiegerstotheassault。
Thishecouldnotnowdelayindoing。AllmustbeoverbythetimethattheRussiantroopsshouldcomeinsightofIrkutsk。Ogareff’sarrangementsweremade，andonthiseveninganotefellfromthetopoftheearthworksintoSangarre’shands。
Onthenextday，thatistosayduringthehoursofdarknessfromthe5thtothe6thofOctober，attwoo’clockinthemorning，IvanOgareffhadresolvedtodeliverupIrkutsk。
IVANOGAREFF’Splanhadbeencontrivedwiththegreatestcare，andexceptforsomeunforeseenaccidenthebelievedthatitmustsucceed。
ItwasofimportancethattheBolchaiaGateshouldbeunguardedoronlyfeeblyheldwhenhegaveitup。Theattentionofthebesiegedwasthereforetobedrawntoanotherpartofthetown。
AdiversionwasagreeduponwiththeEmir。
Thisdiversionwastobeeffectedbothupanddowntheriver，ontheIrkutskbank。Theattackonthesetwopointswastobeconductedinearnest，andatthesametimeafeignedattemptatcrossingtheAngarafromtheleftbankwastobemade。
TheBolchaiaGate，wouldbeprobablydeserted，somuchthemorebecauseonthissidetheTartaroutpostshavingdrawnback，wouldappeartohavebrokenup。
Itwasthe5thofOctober。Infourandtwentyhours，thecapitalofEasternSiberiawouldbeinthehandsoftheEmir，andtheGrandDukeinthepowerofIvanOgareff。
Duringtheday，anunusualstirwasgoingonintheAngaracamp。
Fromthewindowsofthepalaceimportantpreparationsontheoppositeshorecouldbedistinctlyseen。
NumerousTartardetachmentswereconvergingtowardsthecamp，andfromhourtohourreinforcedtheEmir’stroops。
Thesemovements，intendedtodeceivethebesieged，wereconductedinthemostopenmannerpossiblebeforetheireyes。
OgareffhadwarnedtheGrandDukethatanattackwastobefeared。
Heknew，hesaid，thatanassaultwastobemade，bothaboveandbelowthetown，andhecounselledtheDuketoreinforcethetwodirectlythreatenedpoints。Accordingly，afteracouncilofwarhadbeenheldinthepalace，orderswereissuedtoconcentratethedefenseonthebankoftheAngaraandatthetwoendsofthetown，wheretheearthworksprotectedtheriver。
ThiswasexactlywhatOgareffwished。HedidnotexpectthattheBolchaiaGatewouldbeleftentirelywithoutdefenders，butthattherewouldonlybeasmallnumber。Besides，Ogareffmeanttogivesuchimportancetothediversion，thattheGrandDukewouldbeobligedtoopposeitwithallhisavailableforces。
Thetraitorplannedalsotoproducesofrightfulacatastrophethatterrormustinevitablyoverwhelmtheheartsofthebesieged。
AlldaythegarrisonandpopulationofIrkutskwereonthealert。
Themeasurestorepelanattackonthepointshithertounassailedhadbeentaken。TheGrandDukeandGeneralVoranzoffvisitedtheposts，strengthenedbytheirorders。WassiliFedor’scorpsoccupiedtheNorthofthetown，butwithorderstothrowthemselveswherethedangerwasgreatest。TherightbankoftheAngarahadbeenprotectedwiththefewgunspossessedbythedefenders。Withthesemeasures，takenintime，thankstotheadvicesoopportunelygivenbyIvanOgareff，therewasgoodreasontohopethattheexpectedattackwouldberepulsed。
InthatcasetheTartars，momentarilydiscouraged，wouldnodoubtnotmakeanotherattemptagainstthetownforseveraldays。
NowthetroopsexpectedbytheGrandDukemightarriveatanyhour。
ThesafetyorthelossofIrkutskhungonlybyathread。
Onthisday，thesunwhichhadrisenattwentyminutestosix，setatfortyminutespastfive，havingtraceditsdiurnalarcforelevenhoursabovethehorizon。Thetwilightwouldstrugglewiththenightforanothertwohours。Thenitwouldbeintenselydark，fortheskywascloudy，andtherewouldbenomoon。
ThisgloomwouldfavortheplansofIvanOgareff。
ForafewdaysalreadyasharpfrosthadgivenwarningoftheapproachingrigoroftheSiberianwinter，andthiseveningitwasespeciallysevere。TheRussianspostedbythebankoftheAngara，obligedtoconcealtheirposition，lightednofires。
Theysufferedcruellyfromthelowtemperature。Afewfeetbelowthem，theiceinlargemassesdrifteddownthecurrent。
Alldaythesemasseshadbeenseenpassingrapidlybetweenthetwobanks。
ThishadbeenconsideredbytheGrandDukeandhisofficersasfortunate。
ShouldthechanneloftheAngaracontinuetobethusobstructed，thepassagemustbeimpracticable。TheTartarscoulduseneitherraftsnorboats。Astotheircrossingtheriverontheice，thatwasnotpossible。Thenewly-frozenplaincouldnotbeartheweightofanassaultingcolumn。
Thiscircumstance，asitappearedfavorabletothedefendersofIrkutsk，Ogareffmighthaveregretted。Hedidnotdoso，however。
ThetraitorknewwellthattheTartarswouldnottrytopasstheAngara，andthat，onitssideatleast，theirattemptwasonlyafeint。
Abouttenintheevening，thestateoftheriversensiblyimproved，tothegreatsurpriseofthebesiegedandstillmoretotheirdisadvantage。
Thepassagetillthenimpracticable，becameallatoncepossible。
ThebedoftheAngarawasclear。Theblocksofice，whichhadforsomedaysdriftedpastinlargenumbers，disappeareddownthecurrent，andfiveorsixonlynowoccupiedthespacebetweenthebanks。
TheRussianofficersreportedthischangeintherivertotheGrandDuke。TheysuggestedthatitwasprobablycausedbythecircumstancethatinsomenarrowerpartoftheAngara，theblockshadaccumulatedsoastoformabarrier。
Weknowthiswasthecase。ThepassageoftheAngarawasthusopentothebesiegers。TherewasgreatreasonfortheRussianstobeontheirguard。
Uptomidnightnothinghadoccurred。OntheEasternside，beyondtheBolchaiaGate，allwasquiet。Notaglimmerwasseeninthedenseforest，whichappearedconfoundedonthehorizonwiththemassesofcloudshanginglowdowninthesky。
LightsflittingtoandfrointheAngaracamp，showedthataconsiderablemovementwastakingplace。Fromaverstaboveandbelowthepointwherethescarpmettheriver’sbank，cameadullmurmur，provingthattheTartarswereonfoot，expectingsomesignal。
Anhourpassed。Nothingnew。
ThebelloftheIrkutskcathedralwasabouttostriketwoo’clockinthemorning，andnotamovementamongstthebesiegershadyetshownthattheywereabouttocommencetheassault。TheGrandDukeandhisofficersbegantosuspectthattheyhadbeenmistaken。
HaditreallybeentheTartars’plantosurprisethetown？
Theprecedingnightshadnotbeennearlysoquiet——musketryrattlingfromtheoutposts，shellswhistlingthroughtheair；andthistime，nothing。Theofficerswaited，readytogivetheirorders，accordingtocircumstances。
WehavesaidthatOgareffoccupiedaroominthepalace。
Itwasalargechamberonthegroundfloor，itswindowsopeningonasideterrace。Bytakingafewstepsalongthisterrace，aviewoftherivercouldbeobtained。
Profounddarknessreignedintheroom。Ogareffstoodbyawindow，awaitingthehourtoact。Thesignal，ofcourse，couldcomefromhim，alone。Thissignaloncegiven，whenthegreaterpartofthedefendersofIrkutskwouldbesummonedtothepointsopenlyattacked，hisplanwastoleavethepalaceandhurrytotheBolchaiaGate。Ifitwasunguarded，hewouldopenit；
oratleasthewoulddirecttheoverwhelmingmassofitsassailantsagainstthefewdefenders。
Henowcrouchedintheshadow，likeawildbeastreadytospringonitsprey。Afewminutesbeforetwoo’clock，theGrandDukedesiredthatMichaelStrogoff——whichwastheonlynametheycouldgivetoIvanOgareff——shouldbebroughttohim。
Anaide-de-campcametotheroom，thedoorofwhichwasclosed。
Hecalled。
Ogareff，motionlessnearthewindow，andinvisibleintheshadedidnotanswer。TheGrandDukewasthereforeinformedthattheCzar’scourierwasnotatthatmomentinthepalace。
Twoo’clockstruck。NowwasthetimetocausethediversionagreeduponwiththeTartars，waitingfortheassault。
IvanOgareffopenedthewindowandstationedhimselfattheNorthangleofthesideterrace。
BelowhimflowedtheroaringwatersoftheAngara。Ogarefftookamatchfromhispocket，struckitandlightedasmallbunchoftow，impregnatedwithprimingpowder，whichhethrewintotheriver。
ItwasbytheordersofIvanOgareffthatthetorrentsofmineraloilhadbeenthrownonthesurfaceoftheAngara！TherearenumerousnaphthaspringsaboveIrkutsk，ontherightbank，betweenthesuburbofPoshkavskandthetown。OgareffhadresolvedtoemploythisterriblemeanstocarryfireintoIrkutsk。Hethereforetookpossessionoftheimmensereservoirswhichcontainedthecombustibleliquid。
Itwasonlynecessarytodemolishapieceofwallinordertoallowittoflowoutinavaststream。
Thishadbeendonethatnight，afewhourspreviously，andthiswasthereasonthattheraftwhichcarriedthetrueCourieroftheCzar，Nadia，andthefugitives，floatedonacurrentofmineraloil。
Throughthebreachesinthesereservoirsofenormousdimensionsrushedthenaphthaintorrents，and，followingtheinclinationoftheground，itspreadoverthesurfaceoftheriver，whereitsdensityallowedittofloat。ThiswasthewayIvanOgareffcarriedonwarfare！
AlliedwithTartars，heactedlikeaTartar，andagainsthisowncountrymen！
ThetowhadbeenthrownonthewatersoftheAngara。Inaninstant，withelectricalrapidity，asifthecurrenthadbeenofalcohol，thewholeriverwasinablazeaboveandbelowthetown。
Columnsofblueflamesranbetweenthetwobanks。Volumesofvaporcurledupabove。Thefewpiecesoficewhichstilldriftedwereseizedbytheburningliquid，andmeltedlikewaxonthetopofafurnace，theevaporatedwaterescapinginshrillhisses。
Atthesamemoment，firingbrokeoutontheNorthandSouthofthetown。
Theenemy’sbatteriesdischargedtheirgunsatrandom。
SeveralthousandTartarsrushedtotheassaultoftheearth-works。
Thehousesonthebank，builtofwood，tookfireineverydirection。
Abrightlightdissipatedthedarknessofthenight。
“Atlast！“saidIvanOgareff。
Hehadgoodreasonforcongratulatinghimself。Thediversionwhichhehadplannedwasterrible。ThedefendersofIrkutskfoundthemselvesbetweentheattackoftheTartarsandthefearfuleffectsoffire。
Thebellsrang，andalltheable-bodiedofthepopulationran，sometowardsthepointsattacked，andotherstowardsthehousesinthegraspoftheflames，whichitseemedtooprobablewoulderelongenvelopthewholetown。
TheGateofBolchaiawasnearlyfree。Onlyaverysmallguardhadbeenleftthere。Andbythetraitor’ssuggestion，andinorderthattheeventmightbeexplainedapartfromhim，asifbypoliticalhate，thissmallguardhadbeenchosenfromthelittlebandofexiles。
Ogareffre-enteredhisroom，nowbrilliantlylightedbytheflamesfromtheAngara；thenhemadereadytogoout。
