“Come，“saidtheofficer，MarfaStrogoff，withfirmstep，followedtheTartar。SomemomentsafterwardsshefoundherselfinthechiefsquareinthepresenceofIvanOgareff，towhomallthedetailsofthisscenehadbeenimmediatelyreported。
Ogareff，suspectingthetruth，interrogatedtheoldSiberianwoman。
“Thyname？“heaskedinaroughvoice。
“MarfaStrogoff。“
“Thouhastason？“
“Yes。“
“HeisacourieroftheCzar？“
“Yes。“
“Whereishe？“
“AtMoscow。“
“Thouhastnonewsofhim？“
“Nonews。“
“Sincehowlong？“
“Sincetwomonths。“
“Who，then，wasthatyoungmanwhomthoudidstcallthysonafewmomentsagoattheposting-house？“
“AyoungSiberianwhomItookforhim，“repliedMarfaStrogoff。“ThisisthetenthmaninwhomIhavethoughtIrecognizedmysonsincethetownhasbeensofullofstrangers。IthinkIseehimeverywhere。“
“SothisyoungmanwasnotMichaelStrogoff？“
“ItwasnotMichaelStrogoff。“
“Dostthouknow，oldwoman，thatIcantorturetheeuntilthouavowestthetruth？“
“Ihavespokenthetruth，andtorturewillnotcausemetoaltermywordsinanyway。“
“ThisSiberianwasnotMichaelStrogoff？“askedasecondtimeIvanOgareff。
“No，itwasnothe，“repliedasecondtimeMarfaStrogoff。“DoyouthinkthatforanythingintheworldIwoulddenyasonwhomGodhasgivenme？“
IvanOgareffregardedwithanevileyetheoldwomanwhobravedhimtotheface。HedidnotdoubtbutthatshehadrecognizedhersoninthisyoungSiberian。Nowifthissonhadfirstrenouncedhismother，andifhismotherrenouncedhiminherturn，itcouldoccuronlyfromthemostweightymotive。OgareffhadthereforenodoubtthatthepretendedNicholasKorpanoffwasMichaelStrogoff，courieroftheCzar，seekingconcealmentunderafalsename，andchargedwithsomemissionwhichitwouldhavebeenimportantforhimtoknow。Hethereforeatoncegaveordersforhispursuit。
Then“LetthiswomanbeconductedtoTomsk，“hesaid。
Whilethesoldiersbrutallydraggedheroff，headdedbetweenhisteeth，“WhenthemomentarrivesIshallknowhowtomakeherspeak，thisoldsorceress！“
ITwasfortunatethatMichaelStrogoffhadlefttheposting-housesopromptly。TheordersofIvanOgareffhadbeenimmediatelytransmittedtoalltheapproachesofthecity，andafulldescriptionofMichaelsenttoallthevariouscommandants，inordertopreventhisdeparturefromOmsk。Buthehadalreadypassedthroughoneofthebreachesinthewall；
hishorsewasgallopingoverthesteppe，andthechancesofescapewereinhisfavor。
Itwasonthe29thofJuly，ateighto’clockintheevening，thatMichaelStrogoffhadleftOmsk。ThistownissituatedabouthalfwaybetweenMoscowandIrkutsk，whereitwasnecessarythatheshouldarrivewithintendaysifhewishedtogetaheadoftheTartarcolumns。
Itwasevidentthattheunluckychancewhichhadbroughthimintothepresenceofhismotherhadbetrayedhisincognito。
IvanOgareffwasnolongerignorantofthefactthatacourieroftheCzarhadjustpassedOmsk，takingthedirectionofIrkutsk。Thedispatcheswhichthiscourierboremusthavebeenofimmenseimportance。
MichaelStrogoffknew，therefore，thateveryeffortwouldbemadetocapturehim。
Butwhathedidnotknow，andcouldnotknow，wasthatMarfaStrogoffwasinthehandsofIvanOgareff，andthatshewasabouttoatone，perhapswithherlife，forthatnaturalexhibitionofherfeelingswhichshehadbeenunabletorestrainwhenshesuddenlyfoundherselfinthepresenceofherson。Anditwasfortunatethathewasignorantofit。
Couldhehavewithstoodthisfreshtrial？
MichaelStrogoffurgedonhishorse，imbuinghimwithallhisownfeverishimpatience，requiringofhimonethingonly，namely，tobearhimrapidlytothenextposting-house，wherehecouldbeexchangedforaquickerconveyance。
Atmidnighthehadclearedfiftymiles，andhaltedatthestationofKoulikovo。Butthere，ashehadfeared，hefoundneitherhorsesnorcarriages。SeveralTartardetachmentshadpassedalongthehighwayofthesteppe。Everythinghadbeenstolenorrequisitionedbothinthevillagesandintheposting-houses。
ItwaswithdifficultythatMichaelStrogoffwasevenabletoobtainsomerefreshmentforhishorseandhimself。
Itwasofgreatimportance，therefore，tosparehishorse，forhecouldnottellwhenorhowhemightbeabletoreplaceit。Desiring，however，toputthegreatestpossibledistancebetweenhimselfandthehorsemenwhohadnodoubtbeendispatchedinpursuit，heresolvedtopushon。
Afteronehour’srestheresumedhiscourseacrossthesteppe。
Hithertotheweatherhadbeenpropitiousforhisjourney。
Thetemperaturewasendurable。Thenightsatthistimeoftheyearareveryshort，andastheyarelightedbythemoon，therouteoverthesteppeispracticable。MichaelStrogoff，moreover，wasamancertainofhisroadanddevoidofdoubtorhesitation，andinspiteofthemelancholythoughtswhichpossessedhimhehadpreservedhisclearnessofmind，andmadeforhisdestinedpointasthoughitwerevisibleuponthehorizon。
Whenhedidhaltforamomentatsometurnintheroaditwastobreathehishorse。Nowhewoulddismounttoeasehissteedforamoment，andagainhewouldplacehiseartothegroundtolistenforthesoundofgallopinghorsesuponthesteppe。
Nothingarousinghissuspicions，heresumedhisway。
Onthe30thofJuly，atnineo’clockinthemorning，MichaelStrogoffpassedthroughthestationofTouroumoffandenteredtheswampydistrictoftheBaraba。
There，foradistanceofthreehundredversts，thenaturalobstacleswouldbeextremelygreat。Heknewthis，buthealsoknewthathewouldcertainlysurmountthem。
ThesevastmarshesoftheBaraba，formthereservoirtoalltherain-waterwhichfindsnooutleteithertowardstheObiortowardstheIrtych。Thesoilofthisvastdepressionisentirelyargillaceous，andthereforeimpermeable，sothatthewatersremainthereandmakeofitaregionverydifficulttocrossduringthehotseason。There，however，liesthewaytoIrkutsk，anditisinthemidstofponds，pools，lakes，andswamps，fromwhichthesundrawspoisonousexhalations，thattheroadwinds，andentailsuponthetravelerthegreatestfatigueanddanger。
MichaelStrogoffspurredhishorseintothemidstofagrassyprairie，differinggreatlyfromtheclose-croppedsodofthesteppe，wherefeedtheimmenseSiberianherds。Thegrassherewasfiveorsixfeetinheight，andhadmaderoomforswamp-plants，towhichthedampnessoftheplace，assistedbytheheatofsummer，hadgivengiantproportions。
Thesewereprincipallycanesandrushes，whichformedatanglednetwork，animpenetrableundergrowth，sprinkledeverywherewithathousandflowersremarkableforthebrightnessoftheircolor。
MichaelStrogoff，gallopingamongstthisundergrowthofcane，wasnolongervisiblefromtheswampswhichborderedtheroad。
Thetallgrassroseabovehim，andhistrackwasindicatedonlybytheflightofinnumerableaquaticbirds，whichrosefromthesideoftheroadanddispersedintotheairinscreamingflocks。
Theway，however，wasclearlytraceable。Nowitwouldliestraightbetweenthedensethicketofmarsh-plants；againitwouldfollowthewindingshoresofvastpools，someofwhich，severalverstsinlengthandbreadth，deservethenameoflakes。
Inotherlocalitiesthestagnantwatersthroughwhichtheroadlayhadbeenavoided，notbybridges，butbytotteringplatformsballastedwiththicklayersofclay，whosejoistsshooklikeatooweakplankthrownacrossanabyss。
Someoftheseplatformsextendedoverthreehundredfeet，andtravelersbytarantass，whencrossingthemhaveexperiencedanausealikesea-sickness。
MichaelStrogoff，whetherthesoilbeneathhisfeetwassolidorwhetheritsankunderhim，gallopedonwithouthalt，leapingthespacebetweentherottenjoists；buthoweverfasttheytraveledthehorseandthehorsemanwereunabletoescapefromthestingofthetwo-wingedinsectswhichinfestthismarshycountry。
TravelerswhoareobligedtocrosstheBarabaduringthesummertakecaretoprovidethemselveswithmasksofhorse-hair，towhichisattachedacoatofmailofveryfinewire，whichcoverstheirshoulders。Notwithstandingtheseprecautions，therearefewwhocomeoutofthesemarsheswithouthavingtheirfaces，necks，andhandscoveredwithredspots。
Theatmospherethereseemstobristlewithfineneedles，andonewouldalmostsaythataknight’sarmorwouldnotprotecthimagainstthedartsofthesedipterals。Itisadrearyregion，whichmandearlydisputeswithtipulae，gnats，mosquitos，horse-flies，andmillionsofmicroscopicinsectswhicharenotvisibletothenakedeye；but，althoughtheyarenotseen，theymakethemselvesfeltbytheirintolerablestinging，towhichthemostcallousSiberianhuntershaveneverbeenabletoinurethemselves。
MichaelStrogoff’shorse，stungbythesevenomousinsects，sprangforwardasiftherowelsofathousandspurshadpiercedhisflanks。
Madwithrage，hetorealongoververstafterverstwiththespeedofanexpresstrain，lashinghissideswithhistail，seekingbytherapidityofhispaceanalleviationofhistorture。
ItrequiredasgoodahorsemanasMichaelStrogoffnottobethrownbytheplungingsofhishorse，andthesuddenstopsandboundswhichhemadetoescapefromthestingsofhispersecutors。
Havingbecomeinsensible，sotospeak，tophysicalsuffering，possessedonlywiththeonedesiretoarriveathisdestinationatwhatevercost，hesawduringthismadraceonlyonething——
thattheroadflewrapidlybehindhim。
WhowouldhavethoughtthatthisdistrictoftheBaraba，sounhealthyduringthesummer，couldhaveaffordedanasylumforhumanbeings？
Yetitdidso。SeveralSiberianhamletsappearedfromtimetotimeamongthegiantcanes。Men，women，children，andoldmen，cladintheskinsofbeasts，theirfacescoveredwithhardenedblistersofskin，pasturedtheirpoorherdsofsheep。
Inordertopreservetheanimalsfromtheattackoftheinsects，theydrovethemtotheleewardoffiresofgreenwood，whichwerekeptburningnightandday，andthepungentsmokeofwhichfloatedoverthevastswamp。
WhenMichaelStrogoffperceivedthathishorse，tiredout，wasonthepointofsuccumbing，hehaltedatoneofthesewretchedhamlets，andthere，forgettinghisownfatigue，hehimselfrubbedthewoundsofthepooranimalwithhotgreaseaccordingtotheSiberiancustom；
thenhegavehimagoodfeed；anditwasonlyafterhehadwellgroomedandprovidedforhimthathethoughtofhimself，andrecruitedhisstrengthbyahastymealofbreadandmeatandaglassofkwass。
Onehourafterwards，oratthemosttwo，heresumedwithallspeedtheinterminableroadtoIrkutsk。
Onthe30thofJuly，atfouro’clockintheafternoon，MichaelStrogoff，insensibleofeveryfatigue，arrivedatElamsk。Thereitbecamenecessarytogiveanight’sresttohishorse。
Thebraveanimalcouldnolongerhavecontinuedthejourney。
AtElamsk，asindeedelsewhere，thereexistednomeansoftransport，——
forthesamereasonsasatthepreviousvillages，neithercarriagesnorhorsesweretobehad
