he half of his escort before they could embark.
With sixty men he succeeded in escaping into the desert, and at last
it was evident that his game was played out. The only three outlets
were soon closed by separate detachments of the imperial troops, and
the fugitives were thus confined in an arid waste without shelter,
without provisions, and without water. The situation was so hopeless
that each man only thought of saving himself, and Pugatscheff's
companions were not slow to perceive that their sole chance of life
lay in sacrificing their leader. Accordingly, they fell upon him while
he was ravenously devouring a piece of horseflesh--the only food which
he could command--and, having bound him, handed him over to his
enemies. As Moscow had shown some sympathy for him, he was carried in
chains to that city, and was there condemned to death. Several of his
principal adherents likewise suffered punishment at the same time.

On the 23d of January 1775, Pugatscheff and his followers were led to
the place of execution, where a large scaffold had been erected. Some
had their tongues cut out, the noses of others were cut off, eighteen
were knouted and sent to Siberia, and the chief was decapitated--his
body being afterwards cut in pieces and exposed in different parts of
the town. He met his fate with the utmost fortitude.

OTREFIEF--THE SHAM PRINCE DIMITRI.

On the death of Feodor, son of Ivan the Terrible, the Russian throne
was occupied by Boris Godunoff, who had contrived to procure the
murder of Dimitri, or Demetrius, the younger brother of Feodor. For a
time he governed well; but the crafty nobles beginning to plot against
him, he had recourse to measures of extreme cruelty and severity, so
that even the affections of the common people were alienated from him,
and universal confusion ensued. Advantage was taken of this state of
affairs by a monk named Otrefief, who bore an almost miraculous
likeness to the murdered Dimitri, to assume the name of the royal
heir. At first he proceeded cautiously, and, retiring to Poland, by
degrees made public the marvellous tale of his wrongs and of his
escape from his assassins. Many of the leading nobles listened to his
recitals and believed them. In order to render his campaign more
certain, the pretender set himself to learn the Polish language, and
acquired it with remarkable rapidity. Nor did he rest here. He
represented to the Poles that he was disposed to embrace the Cat