ed the sea of steers,
Blows that beat blood into my eyes,
And when I could rise--
Lasca was dead!
I gouged out a grave a few feet deep,
And there in Earth's arms I laid her to sleep;
And there she is lying, and no one knows;
And the summer shines and the winter snows;
For many a day the flowers have spread
A pall of petals over her head;
And the little gray hawk hangs aloft in the air,
And the sly coyote trots here and there,
And the black snake glides and glitters and slides
Into a rift in a cotton-wood tree;
And the buzzard sails on,
And comes and is gone,
Stately and still like a ship at sea;
And I wonder why I do not care
For the things that are like the things that were.
Does half my heart lie buried there
In Texas, down by the Rio Grande?

MICHAEL STROGOFF, COURIER OF THE CZAR

JULES VERNE

Russia was threatened by a Tartar invasion. The commander of the Russian
troops was the Czar's brother, the Grand Duke, now stationed at Irkutsk.
Suddenly all communication between him and the Czar was cut off by the
enemy, under the leadership of Ivan Ogareff, a traitor, who had sworn to
betray Russia and to kill the Grand Duke. It became necessary to send a
messenger to the Grand Duke to warn him of his danger, and Michael
Strogoff was chosen for that purpose. He was brought before the Czar,
who looked this magnificent specimen of manhood full in the face. Then:
"Thy name?"

"Michael Strogoff, sire."

"Thy rank?"

"Captain in the Corps of Couriers to the Czar."

"Thou dost know Siberia?"

"I am a Siberian."

"A native of--?"

"Omsk, sire."

"Hast thou relations there?"

"Yes, sire, my aged mother."

The Czar suspended his questions for a moment; then pointed to a letter
which he held in his hand: "Here is a letter which I charge thee,
Michael Strogoff, to deliver into the hands of the Grand Duke, and to no
one but him."

"I will deliver it, sire."

"The Grand Duke is at Irkutsk. Thou wilt have to traverse a rebellious
country, invaded by Tartars, whose interest it will be to intercept this
letter."

"I will traverse it."

"Above all, beware of the traitor, Ivan Ogareff, who will perhaps meet
thee on the way."

"I will beware of him."

"Michael Strogoff, take this letter. On it depends the safety of all
Siberia, and perhaps the life of my brother, the Grand Duke." (Hands him
let