along the plains to Csika's splendid camp. So unexpected, so daring, so
little to be credited, was this move of his, that when he fell on
Csika's vanguard at one o'clock one morning nobody opposed him. The
alarmed rebels hurried headlong to the camp, and left two guns in the
hands of Michelson. The Swedish hero knew well enough that the 3,000 men
of the enemy who occupied the mountain pass would at once appear in
answer to the sound of the guns, and that he would thus be caught
between two fires; so he hastily directed his men to entrench themselves
beneath their sledges in the road, and left two hundred infantry with
two guns to defend them, whilst with the remaining troops he made his
way towards the town of Csernakuka, whither Csika's troops had fled.
Michelson saw that he had no time to lose. He placed himself at the head
of his hussars, sounded the charge, and attacked the bulk of his
opponents. For this they were not prepared. The bold attack caused
confusion amongst them, and in a few moments the centre of the camp was
cut through, and the first battery captured. He then immediately turned
his attention to the two wings of the camp. After this, flight became
general, and Csika's troops were dispersed like a cloud of mosquitos,
leaving behind them forty-eight cannon and eight small guns. The victor
now returned with his small body of troops to the sledges they had left
behind, and he then entirely surrounded the 3,000 rebels. Those who were
not slaughtered were captured. The victorious hero sent word to the
commander of the Ufa garrison that the road was clear, and that the
cannon taken from his opponents should be drawn thither. A hundred and
twenty versts from Ufa he reached the flying Csika. The Generalissimus
then had only forty-two officers, whilst his privates had disappeared in
every direction of the wind. Michelson got hold of them all, and if he
did not hang them it was only because on the six days' desert march not
a single tree was to be found. In the meantime, Prince Galiczin, whose
troops consisted of 6,000 men, went in pursuit of Pugasceff. On this