horse, and I shared my meager pittance with it.  I went out every day beyond the ramparts to skirmish with Pougatcheff’s advance guards.  The rebels had the best of it; they had plenty of food and were well mounted.  Our poor cavalry were in no condition to oppose them.  Sometimes our half-starved infantry went into the field; but the depth of the snow hindered them from acting successfully against the flying cavalry of the enemy.  The artillery vainly thundered from the ramparts, and in the field it could not advance, because of the weakness of our attenuated horses.  This was our way of making war; this is what the civil service employes of Orenbourg called prudence and foresight.

One day when we had routed and driven before us quite a large troop, I overtook a straggling Cossack; my Turkish sabre was uplifted to strike him when he doffed his cap and cried out:  “Good day, Peter, how fares your health?”

I recognized our Corporal.  I was delighted to see him.

“Good day, Maxim.  How long since you left Belogorsk?”

“Not long, Peter.  I came yesterday.  I have a letter for you.”

“Where is it?” I cried, delighted.

“Here,” replied Maxim, putting his hand in his bosom.  “I promised Polacca to try and give it to you.”  He gave me a folded paper, and set off on a gallop.  I read with agitation the following lines: 

“By the will of God I am deprived of my parents, and except you, Peter, I know of no one who can protect me; Alexis commands in place of my late father.  He so terrified Father Garasim that I was obliged to go and live at our house, where I am cruelly treated by Alexis.  He will force me to become his wife.  He says he saved my life by not betraying the trick of passing for the niece of Accoulina.  I could rather die than be his wife.  I have three days to accept his offer; after that I need expect no mercy from him.  O, Peter! entreat your General to send us help, and if possible, come yourself.  MARIE MIRONOFF.”

This letter nearly crazed me.  I rushed back to the city, not sparing the spur to my poor horse.  A thousand projects flashed through my mind to rescue her.  Arrived in the city, I hurried to the General’s and ran into his room.  He was walking up and down smoking his meerschaum.  Seeing me he stopped, alarmed at my abrupt entrance.

“Your Excellency, I come to you, as to my own father; do not refuse me; the happiness of my life depends upon it.”

“But what is it?” said the General; “what can I do for you?”

“Your Excellency, permit me to take a battalion of soldiers and half a hundred Cossacks, to go and storm the fortress of Belogorsk.”

“Storm the fortress?” said the General.

“I answer for the success of the attack, only let me go.”

“No, young man,” said he; “at so great a distance the enemy would easily cut off all communication with the principal strategic point.”