Traubenberg to reduce the army to obedience
ended in his cruel murder, and a rising that
cost much blood. By severe imperial punishments
this rising had been suppressed; and
it was only some time after my arrival at
Bélogorsk that the authorities perceived how
ineffectual their cruel punishments had been.

One evening when I was sitting alone in
my room, thinking of doleful things, I was
sent for by the commandant. I found him in
consultation with Chvabrine, Ivan Ignatiitch,
and the ouriadnik of the Cossacks. Neither
Marie nor her mother appeared. The subject
of our conference was the rising of the
Cossacks under Pougatcheff, and his assumption
of the style and title of Peter the Third. The
commandant had received orders to be on his
guard; and, if possible, to exterminate the
enemy. Putting on his spectacles, he began
to bustle about, and to issue orders to have
the cannon cleaned; and to have the
Cossacks kept true to the imperial cause.

The ouriadnik had already deserted to the
rebel's camp. A Bachkir had been taken
prisoner, with seditious papers upon his
person. This prisoner had been bound and
secured in the commandant's loft; and it was
resolved that he should be conducted before
us, and be subjected to the torture, in order
to extract from him a description of his
leader's strength.

The commandant had scarcely ordered the
Bachkir into his presence, when Vassilissa
rushed into the chamber, and cried out
that the rebels had taken the fortress of
Nijnéosern, had hanged all the officers, and
were now marching upon Bélogorsk. I
thought of Marie, and trembled; but my
energy increased with the occasion, and I
at once advised the commandant to send
the ladies to Orenberg. But Vassilissa would
not hear of this. She declared that she
would live and die with her husband, but
that she thought Marie should be sent away;
and that evening—the last Marie might
possibly spend at Bélogorsk—the supper-table
was surrounded by gloomy faces; and
no face I think, was gloomier than mine. We
parted early, but I contrived to forget my
sword, that I might have an excuse for
returning to bid Marie good-bye alone. When
I returned, I clasped her in my arms; she
sobbed bitterly; and thus we parted. I went
home, and, without undressing myself, lay
down to sleep.

I was aroused by the entrance of the
corporal, who came to announce to me that
the Cossack soldiers had all deserted the
fortress, and that bands of strange men
surrounded us. I thought, with horror, that
Marie's retreat was cut off. Having given
some necessary orders to the bearer of this
unwelcome news, I hurried off to the
commandant's house, as the day was dawning.
On the way I was met by Ivan Ignatiitch,
who told me that the commandant was
already upon the ramparts, and that it was
too late for the commandant's daughter to
be safely conveyed to Orenberg. Terribly
agitated, I followed the one-eyed officer to
that little eminence protected by a pallisade,
which was the only fortification of Bélogorsk,
The captain was arranging his soldiers in
order of battle. In the dreary distance of the
steppe, I could plainly see the Cossacks and
the Bachkirs. The commandant ordered Ivan
Ignatiitch to point the cannon upon the
enemy, and the soldiers all vowed that they
would fight to the death.

Presently, as the enemy began to advance
in a compact mass, Vassilissa, accompanied
by Marie, who would not leave her mother,
appeared, to know how affairs stood.
Marie's pale face was turned upon me, and I
burned to prove to her that I had a brave
spirit worthy of her love. In the midst of
the advancing enemy, Pougatcheff, the
renowned rebel leader, could be distinguished,
mounted upon a white horse. In a few
minutes four horsemen advanced from the
main body, and rode close up to the ramparts.
They were four traitors from the fortress.
They called upon us not to resist. The captain
replied by a volley which killed one of the
four, and the rest rode back to join the
advancing army. The balls now began to whistle
about us; and at this moment the commandant
ordered Vassilissa and Marie to withdraw.
The old man blessed his child, embraced
his wife, and bade her put a sarafan upon
Marie, lest she should require it; the sarafan
being the rich robe in which the dead are
buried. The pale girl came back to make to
me the sign of a last farewell, and then went
away with her mother.

The fall of the fortress was soon
accomplished. Our soldiers would not fight
(though they had very much affected me
when they swore to do it), but threw down
their arms after the first assault. We were
taken prisoners, and dragged by the triumphant
rebels through the streets, to an open
place, where Pougatcheff was seated
surrounded by his officers. He was
handsomely dressed; and, as I caught a glimpse
of his face through the crowd, I thought
it was one I had seen before. Pougatcheff
ordered the commandant to swear fidelity to
him as his lawful czar. Ivan Kourmitch
replied with a defiance. Pougatcheff fluttered
a white handkerchief in the air, and in a few
moments our poor commandant was swinging
from a gibbet. Ivan Ignatiitch shared his
commander's fate: and then my turn came.
I was ready to follow my brave brother
officers; when Chvabrine, who had found time
to cut his hair short and provide himself with
a Cossack caftan, to desert to the enemy,
whispered something in the chief's ear.
Pougatcheff, without looking at me, said,
"Hang him at once!"

The rope was round my neck, and my
thoughts were with Heaven, when I was
suddenly released. I found that Savéliitch had