“Ishallnotgoandseeher。“
“Youwillnotseeher？“
“No，Nadia，“saidMichael，hischestheavingashefelthecouldnotgoonreplyingtothegirl’squestions。
“Yousayno！Why，brother，ifyourmotherisstillatOmsk，forwhatreasoncouldyourefusetoseeher？“
“Forwhatreason，Nadia？Youaskmeforwhatreason，“exclaimedMichael，insochangedavoicethattheyounggirlstarted。“Forthesamereasonasthatwhichmademepatienteventocowardicewiththevillainwho——“
Hecouldnotfinishhissentence。
“Calmyourself，brother，“saidNadiainagentlevoice。
“Ionlyknowonething，orratherIdonotknowit，Ifeelit。
Itisthatallyourconductisnowdirectedbythesentimentofadutymoresacred——iftherecanbeone——thanthatwhichunitesthesontothemother。“
Nadiawassilent，andfromthatmomentavoidedeverysubjectwhichinanywaytouchedonMichael’speculiarsituation。
Hehadasecretmotivewhichshemustrespect。Sherespectedit。
Thenextday，July25th，atthreeo’clockinthemorning，thetarantassarrivedatTioukalmsk，havingaccomplishedadistanceofeightymilessinceithadcrossedtheIchim。Theyrapidlychangedhorses。
Here，however，forthefirsttime，theiemschikmadedifficultiesaboutstarting，declaringthatdetachmentsofTartarswererovingacrossthesteppe，andthattravelers，horses，andcarriageswouldbeafineprizeforthem。
OnlybydintofalargebribecouldMichaelgetovertheunwillingnessoftheiemschik，forinthisinstance，asinmanyothers，hedidnotwishtoshowhispodorojna。
Thelastukase，havingbeentransmittedbytelegraph，wasknownintheSiberianprovinces；andaRussianspeciallyexemptedfromobeyingthesewordswouldcertainlyhavedrawnpublicattentiontohimself——athingabovealltobeavoidedbytheCzar’scourier。
Astotheiemschik’shesitation，eithertherascaltradedonthetraveler’simpatienceorhereallyhadgoodreasontofear。
However，atlastthetarantassstarted，andmadesuchgoodwaythatbythreeintheafternoonithadreachedKoulatsinskoe，fiftymilesfartheron。AnhourafterthisitwasonthebanksoftheIrtych。Omskwasnowonlyfourteenmilesdistant。
TheIrtychisalargeriver，andoneoftheprincipalofthosewhichflowtowardsthenorthofAsia。RisingintheAltaiMountains，itflowsfromthesoutheasttothenorthwestandemptiesitselfintotheObi，afteracourseoffourthousandmiles。
Atthistimeofyear，whenalltheriversoftheSiberianbasinaremuchswollen，thewatersoftheIrtychwereveryhigh。
Inconsequencethecurrentwaschangedtoaregulartorrent，renderingthepassagedifficultenough。Aswimmercouldnothavecrossed，howeverpowerful；andeveninaferryboattherewouldbesomedanger。
ButMichaelandNadia，determinedtobraveallperilswhatevertheymightbe，didnotdreamofshrinkingfromthisone。
Michaelproposedtohisyoungcompanionthatheshouldcrossfirst，embarkingintheferryboatwiththetarantassandhorses，ashefearedthattheweightofthisloadwouldrenderitlesssafe。
AfterlandingthecarriagehewouldreturnandfetchNadia。
Thegirlrefused。Itwouldbethedelayofanhour，andshewouldnot，forhersafetyalone，bethecauseofit。
Theembarkationwasmadenotwithoutdifficulty，forthebankswerepartlyfloodedandtheboatcouldnotgetinnearenough。
However，afterhalfanhour’sexertion，theboatmengotthetarantassandthethreehorsesonboard。Thepassengersembarkedalso，andtheyshovedoff。
Forafewminutesallwentwell。Alittlewayuptheriverthecurrentwasbrokenbyalongpointprojectingfromthebank，andforminganeddyeasilycrossedbytheboat。Thetwoboatmenpropelledtheirbargewithlongpoles，whichtheyhandledcleverly；
butastheygainedthemiddleofthestreamitgrewdeeperanddeeper，untilatlasttheycouldonlyjustreachthebottom。
Theendsofthepoleswereonlyafootabovethewater，whichrenderedtheirusedifficult。MichaelandNadia，seatedinthesternoftheboat，andalwaysindreadofadelay，watchedtheboatmenwithsomeuneasiness。
“Lookout！“criedoneofthemtohiscomrade。
Theshoutwasoccasionedbythenewdirectiontheboatwasrapidlytaking。Ithadgotintothedirectcurrentandwasbeingsweptdowntheriver。Bydiligentuseofthepoles，puttingtheendsinaseriesofnotchescutbelowthegunwale，theboatmenmanagedtokeepthecraftagainstthestream，andslowlyurgeditinaslantingdirectiontowardstherightbank。
Theycalculatedonreachingitsomefiveorsixverstsbelowthelandingplace；but，afterall，thatwouldnotmattersolongasmenandbeastscoulddisembarkwithoutaccident。
Thetwostoutboatmen，stimulatedmoreoverbythepromiseofdoublefare，didnotdoubtofsucceedinginthisdifficultpassageoftheIrtych。
Buttheyreckonedwithoutanaccidentwhichtheywerepowerlesstoprevent，andneithertheirzealnortheirskill-fulnesscould，underthecircumstances，havedonemore。
Theboatwasinthemiddleofthecurrent，atnearlyequaldistancesfromeithershore，andbeingcarrieddownattherateoftwoverstsanhour，whenMichael，springingtohisfeet，benthisgazeuptheriver。
Severalboats，aidedbyoarsaswellasbythecurrent，werecomingswiftlydownuponthem。
Michael’sbrowcontracted，andacryescapedhim。
“Whatisthematter？“askedthegirl。
ButbeforeMichaelhadtimetoreplyoneoftheboatmenexclaimedinanaccentofterror:
“TheTartars！theTartars！“
Therewereindeedboatsfullofsoldiers，andinafewminutestheymustreachtheferryboat，itbeingtooheavilyladentoescapefromthem。
Theterrifiedboatmenutteredexclamationsofdespairanddroppedtheirpoles。
“Courage，myfriends！“criedMichael；“courage！Fiftyroublesforyouifwereachtherightbankbeforetheboatsovertakeus。“
Incitedbythesewords，theboatmenagainworkedmanfullybutitsoonbecomeevidentthattheycouldnotescapetheTartars。
Itwasscarcelyprobablethattheywouldpasswithoutattackingthem。
Onthecontrary，therewaseverythingtobefearedfromrobberssuchasthese。
“Donotbeafraid，Nadia，“saidMichael；“butbereadyforanything。“
“Iamready，“repliedNadia。
“EventoleapintothewaterwhenItellyou？“
“Wheneveryoutellme。“
“Haveconfidenceinme，Nadia。“
“Ihave，indeed！“
TheTartarboatswerenowonlyahundredfeetdistant。
TheycarriedadetachmentofBokhariansoldiers，ontheirwaytoreconnoiteraroundOmsk。
Theferryboatwasstilltwolengthsfromtheshore。
Theboatmenredoubledtheirefforts。Michaelhimselfseizedapoleandwieldeditwithsuperhumanstrength。
Ifhecouldlandthetarantassandhorses，anddashoffwiththem，therewassomechanceofescapingtheTartars，whowerenotmounted。
Butalltheireffortswereinvain。“Sarynnakitchou！“
shoutedthesoldiersfromthefirstboat。
MichaelrecognizedtheTartarwar-cry，whichisusuallyansweredbylyingflatontheground。Asneitherhenortheboatmenobeyedavolleywasletfly，andtwoofthehorsesweremortallywounded。
Atthenextmomentaviolentblowwasfelt。Theboatshadrunintotheferryboat。
“Come，Nadia！“criedMichael，readytojumpoverboard。
Thegirlwasabouttofollowhim，whenablowfromalancestruckhim，andhewasthrownintothewater。Thecurrentswepthimaway，hishandraisedforaninstantabovethewaves，andthenhedisappeared。
Nadiautteredacry，butbeforeshehadtimetothrowherselfafterhimshewasseizedanddraggedintooneoftheboats。
Theboatmenwerekilled，theferryboatlefttodriftaway，andtheTartarscontinuedtodescendtheIrtych。
OMSKistheofficialcapitalofWesternSiberia。Itisnotthemostimportantcityofthegovernmentofthatname，forTomskhasmoreinhabitantsandislarger。ButitisatOmskthattheGovernor-GeneralofthisthefirsthalfofAsiaticRussiaresides。
Omsk，properlysocalled，iscomposedoftwodistincttowns:
onewhichisexclusivelyinhabitedbytheauthoritiesandofficials；
theothermoreespeciallydevotedtotheSiberianmerchants，although，indeed，thetradeofthetownisofsmallimportance。
Thiscityhasabout12，000to13，000inhabitants。
Itisdefendedbywalls，butthesearemerelyofearth，andcouldaffordonlyinsufficientprotection。TheTartars，whowerewellawareofthisfact，consequentlytriedatthisperiodtocarryitbymainforce，andinthistheysucceeded，afteraninvestmentofafewdays。
ThegarrisonofOmsk，reducedtotwothousandmen，resistedvaliantly。
Butdrivenback，littlebylittle，fromthemercantileportionoftheplace，theywerecompelledtotakerefugeintheuppertown。
ItwastherethattheGovernor-General，hisofficers，andsoldiershadentrenchedthemselves。TheyhadmadetheupperquarterofOmskakindofcitadel，andhithertotheyheldoutwellinthisspeciesofimprovised“kreml，“butwithoutmuchhopeofthepromisedsuccor。
TheTartartroops，whoweredescendingtheIrtych，receivedeverydayfreshreinforcements，and，whatwasmoreserious，theywereledbyanofficer，atraitortohiscountry，butamanofmuchnote，andofanaudacityequaltoanyemergency。
ThismanwasColonelIvanOgareff。
IvanOgareff，terribleasanyofthemostsavageTartarchieftains，wasaneducatedsoldier。Possessingonhismother’ssidesomeMongolianblood，hedelightedindeceptivestrategyandambuscades，stoppingshortofnothingwhenhedesiredtofathomsomesecretortosetsometrap。Deceitfulbynature，hewillinglyhadrecoursetothevilesttrickery；lyingwhenoccasiondemanded，excellingintheadoptionofalldisguisesandineveryspeciesofdeception。
Further，hewascruel，andhadevenactedasanexecutioner。
Feofar-Khanpossessedinhimalieutenantwellcapableofsecondinghisdesignsinthissavagewar。
WhenMichaelStrogoffarrivedonthebanksoftheIrtych，IvanOgareffwasalreadymasterofOmsk，andwaspressingthesiegeoftheupperquarterofthetownallthemoreeagerlybecausehemusthastentoTomsk，wherethemainbodyoftheTartararmywasconcentrated。
Tomsk，infact，hadbeentakenbyFeofar-Khansomedayspreviously，anditwasthencethattheinvaders，mastersofCentralSiberia，weretomarchuponIrkutsk。
IrkutskwastherealobjectofIvanOgareff。TheplanofthetraitorwastoreachtheGrandDukeunderafalsename，togainhisconfidence，andtodeliverintoTartarhandsthetownandtheGrandDukehimself。
Withsuchatown，andsuchahostage，allAsiaticSiberiamustnecessarilyfallintothehandsoftheinvaders。NowitwasknownthattheCzarwasacquaintedwiththisconspiracy，andthatitwasforthepurposeofbafflingitthatacourierhadbeenintrustedwiththeimportantwarning。
Hence，therefore，theverystringentinstructionswhichhadbeengiventotheyoungcouriertopassincognitothroughtheinvadeddistrict。
Thismissionhehadsofarfaithfullyperformed，butnowcouldhecarryittoasuccessfulcompletion？
TheblowwhichhadstruckMichaelStrogoffwasnotmortal。
Byswimminginamannerbywhichhehadeffectuallyconcealedhimself，hehadreachedtherightbank，wherehefellexhaustedamongthebushes。
Whenherecoveredhissenses，hefoundhimselfinthecabinofamujik，whohadpickedhimupandcaredforhim。ForhowlongatimehadhebeentheguestofthisbraveSiberian？Hecouldnotguess。
Butwhenheopenedhiseyeshesawthehandsomebeardedfacebendingoverhim，andregardinghimwithpityingeyes。
“Donotspeak，littlefather，“saidthemujik，“Donotspeak！
Thouartstilltooweak。Iwilltelltheewherethouartandeverythingthathaspassed。“
