"Well, Jolivet, what do you think of Colonel Ivan Ogareff,
general-in-chief of the Tartar troops?" asked Blount.
"I think, my dear friend," replied Alcide, smiling, "that the housch-begui
made a very graceful gesture when he gave the order for our heads
to be cut off."
Whatever was the motive which led Ogareff to act thus in regard
to the two correspondents, they were free and could rove at their
pleasure over the scene of war. Their intention was not to leave it.
The sort of antipathy which formerly they had entertained for each
other had given place to a sincere friendship. Circumstances having
brought them together, they no longer thought of separating.
The petty questions of rivalry were forever extinguished.
Harry Blount could never forget what he owed his companion,
who, on the other hand, never tried to remind him of it.
This friendship too assisted the reporting operations, and was
thus to the advantage of their readers.
"And now," asked Blount, "what shall we do with our liberty?"
"Take advantage of it, of course," replied Alcide, "and go quietly
to Tomsk to see what is going on there."
"Until the time--very near, I hope--when we may rejoin
some Russian regiment?"
"As you say, my dear Blount, it won't do to Tartarise ourselves
too much. The best side is that of the most civilized army,
and it is evident that the people of Central Asia will have
everything to lose and absolutely nothing to gain from
this invasion, while the Russians will soon repulse them.
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