sometimes a northern, sometimes a southern province, collected forces,
captured towns, drove out all officials, and put new ones in their
places, so that it was necessary to send forces against them. If one was
subjugated and driven away into the ice deserts, or captured and hung on
the next tree, another Czar Peter would rise up in his place and cause
rebellion, alarming the Court circle whilst they were enjoying
themselves; and so things went on continually and continually. The
murdered husband remained unburied, for to-day he might be put in the
earth and to-morrow he would rise again, one hundred miles off, and
exclaim, "I still live!" He might be killed there, but would pop out his
head again from the earth, saying, "Still I live." He had a hundred
lives! When five of these Peter pretenders went the way of the real Czar
a sixth rose, and this one was the most dreaded and most daring of all,
whose name will perpetually be inscribed in the chronicles of the
Russian people as a dreadful example to all who will not be taught
wisdom, and his name is Jemeljan Pugasceff! He was born as an ordinary
Cossack in the Don province, and took part in the Prussian campaign, at
first as a paid soldier of Prussia, later as an adherent of the Czar. At
the bombardment of Bender he had become a Cossack hetman. His
extraordinary physical strength, his natural common sense and inventive
power, had distinguished him even at this time, but the peace which was
concluded barred before him the gate of progress. He was sent with many
discharged officers back to the Don. Let them go again and look after
their field labors! Pugasceff's head, however, was full of other ideas
than that of again commencing cheese-making, from which occupation he
had been called ten years before. He hated the Czarina, and adored her!
He hated the proud woman who had no right to tread upon the neck of the
Russians, and he adored the beautiful woman who possessed the right to
tread upon every Russian's heart! He became possessed with the mad idea
that he would tear down that woman from her throne, and take her