Book: Stories by Foreign Authors: Polish

V >> Various >> Stories by Foreign Authors: Polish




Here Siberia commences, and here Russia has no longer villages, but only
military settlements which are divided from each other by a day's march,
across plains and the ancient forests, along the ranges of the Ural
Mountains--the so-called factories.

The Woszkrezenszki factory, situated one day's walk into the desert, is
divided by uncut forests from the Szimszki factory, in both of which
cinnamon and tin paints are made, and here are to be seen the powder
factory of Usiska and the bomb factory of Szatkin, where the exiled
Russian convicts work. At the meeting of the rivers are the small towns
of Stepnaja, Troiczka Uszt, Magitnaja, Petroluskaja, Kojelga, guarded by
native Cossacks, whilst others are garrisoned by disgraced battalions.
Hither came Pugasceff with the remnants of his army. Galiczin pursued
him for some time, but finally came to the conclusion that in this
uninhabited country, where the solitary road is only indicated by snow-
covered trenches, he could not, with his regular troops, reach an
opponent whose tactics were to run away as far and as fast as possible.

Pugasceff rallied to him all the tribes along the Ural district, who
deserted their homesteads and followed him.

The winter suddenly disappeared, and those mild, short April days
commenced which one can only realize in Siberia, when at night the water
freezes, while in the daytime the melting snow covers the expanse of
waste, every mountain stream becomes a torrent, and the traveler finds
in the place of every brook a vast sea. The runaway might still proceed
by sledge, but the pursuer would only find before him fathomless
morasses. Only one leader had the courage to pursue Pugasceff even into
this land--this was Michelson. Just as the Siberian wolf who has tasted
the blood of the wild boar does not swerve from the track, but pursues
him even amongst reeds and morasses, so the daring leader chased his
opponent from plain to plain. He never had more than 1,000 men, cavalry,
artillery, and gunners, all told. Every one had to carry provisions for
two weeks and 100 cartridges. The cavalry had guns as well as sabres, so
that they might also fight on foot, and the artillery were supplied with
axes, so that, if necessary, they might serve as carpenters, and all
prepared to swim should the necessity arise. With this small force
Michelson followed Pugasceff amid the horde of insurrectionary tribes,
surrounded on every side by people upon whose mercy he could not count,
whose language he did not understand, and whose motto was death. Yet he
went amongst them in cold blood, as the sailor braves the terrors of the
ocean. On the 7th of May he was attacked by the father of the pretty
Ulijanka, near the Szimszki factory, with 2,000 Baskirs, who were about
to join Pugasceff. Michelson dispersed them, captured their guns, and
discovered from the Baskir captives that Beloborodoff, one of the dukes
created by Pugasceff, was approaching with a large force of renegade
Russian soldiers. Michelson caught up with them near the Jeresen stream,
and drove them into the Szatkin factory. Riding all by himself, so close
to them that his voice could be heard, he commenced by admonishing them
to rejoin the standard of the Czarina. He was fired at more than 2,000
times from the windows of the factory, but when they saw that he was
invulnerable they suddenly threw open the gates and joined his forces.
From them he discovered the whereabouts of the mock Czar, who had at the
time once more recovered himself, had captured three strongholds,
Magitnaja, Stepnaja, and Petroluskaja, and was just then besieging
Troiczka. This place he took before the arrival of Michelson, who found
in lieu of a stronghold nothing but ruins, dead bodies, and Russian
officers hanging from the trees. Pugasceff heard of the approach of his
opponent, and, with savage cunning, laid a snare to capture the daring
pursuer. He dressed his soldiers in the uniform of the dead Russian
soldiers, and sent messengers to Michelson in the name of Colonel Colon
that be should join him beyond Varlamora. Michelson only perceived the
trick when his vanguard was attacked and two of his guns captured.

Although surrounded, he immediately fell upon the flower of Pugasceff's
guard, and cut his way through just where the enemy was strongest. The
net was torn asunder. It was not strong enough. Pugasceff fled before
Michelson, and, with a few hundred followers, escaped into the interior
of Siberia, near the lake of Arga. All of a sudden Michelson found
Szalavatka at his rear with Baskir troops who had already captured the
Szatkin factory, and put to the sword men, women, and children.
Michelson turned back suddenly, and found the Baskir camp strongly
intrenched near the river Aj. The enemy had destroyed the bridges over
the river, and confidently awaited the Imperial troops. At daybreak
Michelson ordered up forty horsemen and placed a rifleman behind the
saddle of each, telling them to swim the river and defend themselves
until the remainder of the troops joined them. His commands were carried
out to the letter, amidst the most furious firing of the enemy, and the
Russians gained the other side of the river without a bridge, drawing
with them their cannon bound to trees. The Baskirs were dispersed and
fled, but whilst Michelson was pursuing them with his cavalry, he
received news that his artillery was attacked by a fresh force, and he
had to return to their aid. Pugasceff himself, who again was the
aggressor, stood with a regular army on the plains. The battle lasted
till late at night in the forest. Finally the rebels retreated, and
Michelson discovered that his opponents meant to take by surprise the
Fort of Ufa. He speedily cut his way through the forest, and when
Pugasceff thought himself a day's distance from his opponent, he found
him face to face outside the Fort of Ufa. Michelson proved again
victorious, but by this time his soldiers had not a decent piece of
clothing left, nor a wearable shoe, and each man had not more than two
charges. He therefore had to retreat to Ufa for fresh ammunition. It
appears that Michelson was just such a dreaded opponent to Pugasceff as
the man not born of a woman was to Macbeth. Immediately he disappeared
from the horizon, he arose anew, and at each encounter with the
pretender beat him right and left. When Michelson drove him away from
Ufa, Pugasceff totally defeated the Russian leaders approaching from
other directions, London, Melgunoff, Duve, and Jacubovics were swept
away before him, and he burned before their very eyes the town of
Birszk. With drawn sword he occupied the stronghold of Ossa, where he
acquired guns, and, advancing with lightning rapidity, he stood before
Kazan, which is one of the most noted towns of the province; it is the
seat of an Archbishop, and there is kept the crown which the Russian
Czars use at their coronation. This crown was required by the mock Czar.
If he could get hold of it, and the Archbishop of Kazan would place it
on his head, who could deny that he was the anointed Czar? Generals
Brand and Banner had but 1,500 musketry for the defense of Kazan, but
the citizens of the town took also to the guns to defend themselves from
within their ancient walls. The day before the bombardment, General
Potemkin, accompanied by General Larionoff, arrived at Kazan. The
Imperialists had as many generals and colonels in their camp as
Pugasceff had corporals who had deserted their colors, yet the horde led
by the rebel stormed the stronghold of the generals. Pugasceff was the
first to scale the wall, standard in hand, upon which the generals took
refuge in the citadel. Larionoff fled, and on his flight to Nijni
Novgorod did not once look back.

Pugasceff captured the town of Kazan, and gave it up to pillage. The
Archbishop of Kazan received him before the cathedral, bestowed upon him
gold to the value of half a million roubles, and promised that he would
place the crown on his head immediately he procured it; it being in the
citadel. Pugasceff set fire to the town in all directions, as he wanted
to effect the surrender of the citadel garrison by that means. Just at
this moment Michelson was on his way. The heroic General hardly allowed
his troops time for rest, but again started in pursuit of Pugasceff. No
news of him was heard, his footsteps alone could be traced. At Burnova
he was attacked by a gang of rebels, whom he dispersed, but they were
not the troops of Pugasceff. At Brajevana he came upon a detachment, but
this also was not the one he was looking for. He then turned towards the
Fort of Ossa, where he found a group of Baskir horsemen, whom he
dispersed, capturing many others, from whom he learned that Pugasceff
had crossed the river Kuma; and he knew that he would find the rebel at
Kazan. He hastened after him, meeting right and left with camps and
troops belonging to his adventurous opponent. He found no boats on the
river Kuma, so he swam it. Two other rivers lay in his way, but neither
of these prevented his progress, and when he arrived at Arksz he heard
firing in the direction of Kazan. Allowing but one hour's repose to his
troops, he marched through the night, and at daybreak the thick dark
smoke on the horizon told him that Kazan was in flames. Pugasceff's
patrols communicated to their leader that Michelson was again at hand.
The mock Czar cursed upon hearing the news. Was it a devil who was again
at his heels, when he believed him 300 miles off? He decided that this
must not be known to the garrison, who had been forced into the citadel.
He collected from his troops those whom he could spare, and stationed
them in the town of Taziczin, seven miles from Kazan, to prevent the
advance of the dreaded enemy. Just as he was proclaiming himself Czar
Peter III. in the market-place of Taziczin, a miserable-looking woman
rushed in, and fell at his feet, embracing him, and covering him with
kisses. This woman was Pugasceff's wife, who thought her husband lost
long ago. They had been married very young, and Pugasceff himself
believed her no longer living, but the poor woman recognized him by his
voice. Pugasceff did not lose his presence of mind, but, gently lifting
the woman up, he said to his officers: "Look after this woman; her
husband was a great friend of mine and I owe him much." But every one
knew that the sham Czar was no other than the husband of Marianka, and
no doubt the appearance of the peasant woman told on the spirits of the
insurgent troops. The most bitter and decisive battle of the
insurrection awaited them. The night divided the two armies, and it was
only in the morning that Michelson could force his way into the town,
whence he sent word to the people of Kazan to come to his assistance.
Pugasceff again attacked him with embittered fury, and as he could not
dislodge him he withdrew the remainder of his troops from Kazan and
encamped on the plain. The third day of the battle, fortune turned to
the side of Pugasceff. They fought for four hours, and Michelson was
already surrounded, when the hero put himself at the head of his small
army and made a desperate rush upon Pugasceff.

The insurrectionary forces were broken asunder. They left 3,000 men on
the battlefield, and 5,000 captives fell into the hands of the victors.

Kazan was free, but the Russian Empire was not so yet.

Pugasceff, trodden a hundred times to the ground, rose once more. After
his defeat at Kazan, he fled, not towards the interior of Siberia, but
straight towards the heart of the Russian Empire--towards Moscow. Out of
his army which was split asunder at Kazan he formed 100 battalions, and
with a small number of these crossed the Volga. Immediately he appeared
on the opposite banks of the river, and the entire province was
enkindled: the peasantry rose in revolt against the aristocracy. Within
a district of 100 miles every castle was destroyed, and one town after
the other opened its gates to the mock Czar. The further he advanced the
more his army increased and the faster his insurrectionary red flag
travelled towards the gates of Moscow. On their way the rebels occupied
forts, pillaged and destroyed the towns, and the troops which were sent
against them were captured. Before the Fort of Zariczin an Imperial
force challenged their advance. In the ensuing battle, every Russian
officer fell, and the entire force was captured. Again Pugasceff had
25.000 men and a large number of guns, and his road would have been
clear to Moscow if the ubiquitous Michelson had not been at his back!
This wonderful hero did not dread his opponents, however numerous, and
like the panther which drives before him the herd of buffaloes, so he
drove with his small body Pugasceff's tremendous army. The rebel felt
that this man had a magic power over him, and that he was in league with
fate. Finally, he found a convenient place outside Sarepta, and here he
awaited his opponent. It is a height which a steep mountain footpath
divides, and this path is intersected by another. Pugasceff placed a
portion of his best troops on the ascending path, whilst to the riff-
raff he entrusted his two wings. If Michelson had caught the bull by the
horns with his ordinary tactics he ought to have cut through the little
footpath leading to the steep road, and if he had succeeded then, the
troops which were at the point of intersection would have fallen between
two fires, from which they could not have escaped. But Michelson changed
his system of attack. Whilst the bombardment was going on, he, together
with Colonel Melin, rushed upon the wings of the opposing forces.
Pugasceff saw himself fall into the pit he had dug for others. The rebel
army, terror-struck, rushed towards his camp. The forces that flew to
his rescue fell at the mouth of his guns, and he had to cut his way
through his own troops in order to escape from the trap. This was his
last battle. He escaped with sixty men, crossed the Volga, and hid
amongst the bushes of an uninhabited plain.

The Russian troops surrounded the plain whence Pugasceff and his men
could not escape. And yet he still dreamt of future glory! Amidst the
great desert his old ambition came back to him--he pictured the golden
dome of the Kremlin, and the conquered Czarina. And with these dreams he
suffered the tortures of hunger. For days and days he had no nourishment
but horseflesh roasted on the reeds, which was made palatable by meadow-
grass in place of salt. One night, as he was sitting over the fire and
roasting his meagre dinner on a wooden spit, one of the three Cossacks
who formed his body-guard said to him, "You have played your comedy long
enough, Pugasceff!" The adventurer sprang up from his place.

"Slave, I am your Czar!" and whilst saying this he slew the speaker. The
two others made a rush at him, struck him to the ground, bound him, tied
him to a horse, and thus took him to Ural Sorodok and delivered him to
General Szuvarof. It was the very same Ural Sorodok whence he had
started upon his bold undertaking. From here he was taken to Moscow. The
sentence passed upon him was that he should be cut up alive into small
pieces. The Czarina confirmed the sentence, though her beautiful eyes
had had great share of responsibility for the sinner's fate. The hangman
was more merciful. It was not specified in the sentence where he should
commence the work of slaughter, so he began at once with his head, and
for this oversight he was sent to Siberia! Katharine about this time
changed her favorite. Instead of Orloff, Potemkin, a fine fellow, was
chosen.

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