into their camp,
leaving a large number of dead on and below the ramparts.

Among the dead was the gypsy Sangarre, who had vainly endeavored to join
Ivan Ogareff.

For two days the besiegers attempted no fresh assault. They were
discouraged by the death of Ogareff. This man was the mainspring of
the invasion, and he alone, by his plots long since contrived, had had
sufficient influence over the khans and their hordes to bring them to
the conquest of Asiatic Russia.

However, the defenders of Irkutsk kept on their guard, and the
investment still continued; but on the 7th of October, at daybreak,
cannon boomed out from the heights around Irkutsk. It was the succoring
army under the command of General Kisselef, and it was thus that he made
known his welcome arrival to the Grand Duke.

The Tartars did not wait to be attacked. Not daring to run the risk of a
battle under the walls of Irkutsk, they immediately broke up the Angara
camp. Irkutsk was at last relieved.

With the first Russian soldiers, two of Michael's friends entered the
city. They were the inseparable Blount and Jolivet. On gaining the right
bank of the Angara by means of the icy barrier, they had escaped, as had
the other fugitives, before the flames had reached their raft. This
had been noted by Alcide Jolivet in his book in this way: "Ran a narrow
chance of being finished up like a lemon in a bowl of punch!"

Their joy was great on finding Nadia and Michael safe and sound; above
all, when they learnt that their brave companion was not blind. Harry
Blount inscribed this observation: "Red-hot iron is insufficient in some
cases to destroy the sensibility of the optic nerve."

Then the two correspondents, settled for a time in Irkutsk, busied
themselves in putting the notes and impressions of their journey in
order. Thence were sent to London and Paris two interesting articles
relative to the Tartar invasion, and which--a rare thing--did not
contradict each other even on the least important points.

The remainder of the campaign was unfortunate to the Emir and his
allies. This invasion, futile as all which attack the Russian Colossus
must be, was very fatal to them. They soon found themselves cut off by
the Czar's troops, who retook in succession all the conquered towns.
Besides this, the winter was terrible, and, decimated by the cold, only
a small part of these hordes returned to the steppes of Tartary.

The Irkutsk road, by way of the Ural Mountains