InthemeanwhileHarryBlounthadreturnedtothewindow，butthistimehisattentionwasdivertedbytheinterestofthescenebeforehim。Therefore，whentheclerkhadfinishedtelegraphingthelastlinesdictatedbyBlount，AlcideJolivetnoiselesslytookhisplaceatthewicket，and，justashisrivalhaddone，afterquietlydepositingarespectablepileofroublesontheshelf，hedeliveredhisdispatch，whichtheclerkreadaloud:
“MadeleineJolivet，10，FaubourgMontmartre，Paris。
“FromKolyvan，GovernmentofOmsk，Siberia，6thAugust。
“Fugitivesareescapingfromthetown。Russiansdefeated。
FiercelypursuedbytheTartarcavalry。“