MichaelStrogoffresignedhimselfthereforetopassthenightatElamsk，togivehishorsetwelvehours’rest。HerecalledtheinstructionswhichhadbeengiventohimatMoscow——tocrossSiberiaincognito，toarriveatIrkutsk，butnottosacrificesuccesstotherapidityofthejourney；
andconsequentlyitwasnecessarythatheshouldhusbandthesolemeansoftransportwhichremainedtohim。
Onthemorrow，MichaelStrogoffleftElamskatthemomentwhenthefirstTartarscoutsweresignaledtenverstsbehindupontheroadtotheBaraba，andheplungedagainintotheswampyregion。
Theroadwaslevel，whichmadeiteasy，butverytortuous，andthereforelong。Itwasimpossible，moreover，toleaveit，andtostrikeastraightlineacrossthatimpassablenetworkofpoolsandbogs。
Onthenextday，the1stofAugust，eightymilesfarther，MichaelStrogoffarrivedatmiddayatthetownofSpaskoe，andattwoo’clockhehaltedatPokrowskoe。Hishorse，jadedsincehisdeparturefromElamsk，couldnothavetakenasinglestepmore。
ThereMichaelStrogoffwasagaincompelledtolose，fornecessaryrest，theendofthatdayandtheentirenight；butstartingagainonthefollowingmorning，andstilltraversingthesemi-inundatedsoil，onthe2ndofAugust，atfouro’clockintheafternoon，afterastageoffiftymileshereachedKamsk。
Thecountryhadchanged。ThislittlevillageofKamsklies，likeanisland，habitableandhealthy，inthemidstoftheuninhabitabledistrict。ItissituatedintheverycenteroftheBaraba。TheemigrationcausedbytheTartarinvasionhadnotyetdepopulatedthislittletownofKamsk。ItsinhabitantsprobablyfanciedthemselvessafeinthecenteroftheBaraba，whenceatleasttheythoughttheywouldhavetimetofleeiftheyweredirectlymenaced。
MichaelStrogoff，althoughexceedinglyanxiousfornews，couldascertainnothingatthisplace。ItwouldhavebeenrathertohimthattheGovernorwouldhaveaddressedhimselfhadheknownwhothepretendedmerchantofIrkutskreallywas。
Kamsk，infact，byitsverysituationseemedtobeoutsidetheSiberianworldandthegraveeventswhichtroubledit。
Besides，MichaelStrogoffshowedhimselflittle，ifatall。
Tobeunperceivedwasnotnowenoughforhim:hewouldhavewishedtobeinvisible。Theexperienceofthepastmadehimmoreandmorecircumspectinthepresentandthefuture。
Thereforehesecludedhimself，andnotcaringtotraversethestreetsofthevillage，hewouldnotevenleavetheinnatwhichhehadhalted。
Asforhishorse，hedidnoteventhinkofexchanginghimforanotheranimal。Hehadbecomeaccustomedtothisbravecreature。
Heknewtowhatextenthecouldrelyuponhim。InbuyinghimatOmskhehadbeenlucky，andintakinghimtothepostmasterthegenerousmujikhadrenderedhimagreatservice。Besides，ifMichaelStrogoffhadalreadybecomeattachedtohishorse，thehorsehimselfseemedtobecomeinured，bydegrees，tothefatigueofsuchajourney，andprovidedthathegotseveralhoursofreposedaily，hisridermighthopethathewouldcarryhimbeyondtheinvadedprovinces。
So，duringtheeveningandnightofthe2ndofAugust，MichaelStrogoffremainedconfinedtohisinn，attheentranceofthetown；whichwaslittlefrequentedandoutofthewayoftheimportunateandcurious。
Exhaustedwithfatigue，hewenttobedafterhavingseenthathishorselackednothing；buthissleepwasbroken。WhathehadseensincehisdeparturefromMoscowshowedhimtheimportanceofhismission。
Therisingwasanextremelyseriousone，andthetreacheryofOgareffmadeitstillmoreformidable。Andwhenhiseyesfellupontheletterbearinguponittheauthorityoftheimperialseal——
theletterwhich，nodoubt，containedtheremedyforsomanyevils，thesafetyofallthiswar-ravagedcountry——MichaelStrogofffeltwithinhimselfafiercedesiretodashonacrossthesteppe，toaccomplishthedistancewhichseparatedhimfromIrkutskasthecrowwouldflyit，tobeaneaglethathemightovertopallobstacles，tobeahurricanethathemightsweepthroughtheairatahundredverstsanhour，andtobeatlastfacetofacewiththeGrandDuke，andtoexclaim:
“Yourhighness，fromhisMajestytheCzar！“
Onthenextmorningatsixo’clock，MichaelStrogoffstartedoffagain。
Thankstohisextremeprudencethispartofthejourneywassignalizedbynoincidentwhatever。AtOubinskhegavehishorseawholenight’srest，forhewishedonthenextdaytoaccomplishthehundredverstswhichliebetweenOubinskandIkoulskoewithouthalting。
Hestartedthereforeatdawn；butunfortunatelytheBarabaprovedmoredetestablethanever。
Infact，betweenOubinskandKamakoretheveryheavyrainsofsomepreviousweekswereretainedbythisshallowdepressionasinawater-tightbowl。Therewas，foralongdistance，nobreakinthesuccessionofswamps，pools，andlakes。Oneoftheselakes——
largeenoughtowarrantitsgeographicalnomenclature——Tchang，Chineseinname，hadtobecoastedformorethantwentyversts，andthiswiththegreatestdifficulty。Hencecertaindelaysoccurred，whichalltheimpatienceofMichaelStrogoffcouldnotavoid。
HehadbeenwelladvisedinnottakingacarriageatKamsk，forhishorsepassedplaceswhichwouldhavebeenimpracticableforaconveyanceonwheels。
Intheevening，atnineo’clock，MichaelStrogoffarrivedatIkoulskoe，andhaltedthereovernight。InthisremotevillageoftheBarabanewsofthewarwasutterlywanting。
Fromitssituation，thispartoftheprovince，lyingintheforkformedbythetwoTartarcolumnswhichhadbifurcated，oneuponOmskandtheotheruponTomsk，hadhithertoescapedthehorrorsoftheinvasion。
Butthenaturalobstacleswerenowabouttodisappear，for，ifheexperiencednodelay，MichaelStrogoffshouldonthemorrowbefreeoftheBarabaandarriveatKolyvan。TherehewouldbewithineightymilesofTomsk。Hewouldthenbeguidedbycircumstances，andveryprobablyhewoulddecidetogoaroundTomsk，which，ifthenewsweretrue，wasoccupiedbyFeofar-Khan。
ButifthesmalltownsofIkoulskoeandKarguinsk，whichhepassedonthenextday，werecomparativelyquiet，owingtotheirpositionintheBaraba，wasitnottobedreadedthat，upontherightbanksoftheObi，MichaelStrogoffwouldhavemuchmoretofearfromman？Itwasprobable。However，shoulditbecomenecessary，hewouldnothesitatetoabandonthebeatenpathtoIrkutsk。Tojourneythenacrossthesteppehewould，nodoubt，runtheriskoffindinghimselfwithoutsupplies。
Therewouldbe，infact，nolongerawell-markedroad。
Still，theremustbenohesitation。
Finally，towardshalfpastthreeintheafternoon，MichaelStrogoffleftthelastdepressionsoftheBaraba，andthedryandhardsoilofSiberiarangoutoncemorebeneathhishorse’shoofs。
HehadleftMoscowonthe15thofJuly。Thereforeonthisday，the5thofAugust，includingmorethanseventyhourslostonthebanksoftheIrtych，twentydayshadgonebysincehisdeparture。
OnethousandmilesstillseparatedhimfromIrkutsk。
CHAPTERXVIAFINALEFFORT
MICHAEL’SfearofmeetingtheTartarsintheplainsbeyondtheBarabawasbynomeansungrounded。Thefields，troddendownbyhorses’hoofs，affordedbuttooclearevidencethattheirhordeshadpassedthatway；thesame，indeed，mightbesaidofthesebarbariansasoftheTurks:“WheretheTurkgoes，nograssgrows。“
Michaelsawatoncethatintraversingthiscountrythegreatestcautionwasnecessary。Wreathsofsmokecurlingupwardsonthehorizonshowedthathutsandhamletswerestillburning。
Hadthesebeenfiredbytheadvanceguard，orhadtheEmir’sarmyalreadyadvancedbeyondtheboundariesoftheprovince？
WasFeofar-KhanhimselfinthegovernmentofYeniseisk？Michaelcouldsettleonnolineofactionuntilthesequestionswereanswered。
WasthecountrysodesertedthathecouldnotdiscoverasingleSiberiantoenlightenhim？
Michaelrodeonfortwoverstswithoutmeetingahumanbeing。
Helookedcarefullyforsomehousewhichhadnotbeendeserted。
Everyonewastenantless。
Onehut，however，whichhecouldjustseebetweenthetrees，wasstillsmoking。Asheapproachedheperceived，atsomeyardsfromtheruinsofthebuilding，anoldmansurroundedbyweepingchildren。
Awomanstillyoung，evidentlyhisdaughterandthemotherofthepoorchildren，kneelingontheground，wasgazingonthesceneofdesolation。Shehadatherbreastababybutafewmonthsold；
shortlyshewouldhavenoteventhatnourishmenttogiveit。
Ruinanddesolationwereallaround！
Michaelapproachedtheoldman。
“Willyouanswermeafewquestions？“heasked。
“Speak，“repliedtheoldman。
“HavetheTartarspassedthisway？“
“Yes，formyhouseisinflames。“
“Wasitanarmyoradetachment？“
“Anarmy，for，asfaraseyecanreach，ourfieldsarelaidwaste。“
“CommandedbytheEmir？“
“BytheEmir；fortheObi’swatersarered。“
“HasFeofar-KhanenteredTomsk？“
“Hehas。“
“DoyouknowifhismenhaveenteredKolyvan？“
“No；forKolyvandoesnotyetburn。“
“Thanks，friend。CanIaidyouandyours？“
“No。“
“Good-by。“
“Farewell。“
AndMichael，havingpresentedfiveandtwentyroublestotheunfortunatewoman，whohadnotevenstrengthtothankhim，putspurstohishorseoncemore。
Onethingheknew；hemustnotpassthroughTomsk。TogotoKolyvan，whichtheTartarshadnotyetreached，waspossible。Yes，thatiswhathemustdo；therehemustpreparehimselfforanotherlongstage。
Therewasnothingforitbut，havingcrossedtheObi，totaketheIrkutskroadandavoidTomsk。
Thisnewroutedecidedon，Michaelmustnotdelayaninstant。
Nordidhe，but，puttinghishorseintoasteadygallop，hetooktheroadtowardstheleftbankoftheObi，whichwasstillfortyverstsdistant。
Wouldtherebeaferryboatthere，orshouldhe，findingthattheTartarshaddestroyedalltheboats，beobligedtoswimacross？
Astohishorse，itwasbythistimeprettywellwornout，andMichaelintendedtomakeitperformthisstageonly，andthentoexchangeitforafreshoneatKolyvan。Kolyvanwouldbelikeafreshstartingpoint，foronleavingthattownhisjourneywouldtakeanewform。
Solongashetraversedadevastatedcountrythedifficultiesmustbeverygreat；butif，havingavoidedTomsk，hecouldr俿um？theroadtoIrkutskacrosstheprovinceofYeniseisk，whichwasnotyetlaidwaste，hewouldfinishhisjourneyinafewdays。
Nightcameon，bringingwithitrefreshingcoolnessaftertheheatoftheday。Atmidnightthesteppewasprofoundlydark。
Thesoundofthehorses’shoofsalonewasheardontheroad，exceptwhen，everynowandthen，itsmasterspokeafewencouragingwords。
Insuchdarknessasthisgreatcarewasnecessarylestheshouldleavetheroad，borderedbypoolsandstreams，tributariesoftheObi。Michaelthereforeadvancedasquicklyaswasconsistentwithsafety。Hetrustednolesstotheexcellenceofhiseyes，whichpenetratedthegloom，thantothewell-provedsagacityofhishorse。
JustasMichaeldismountedtodiscovertheexactdirectionoftheroad，heheardaconfusedmurmuringsoundfromthewest。Itwaslikethenoiseofhorses’hoofsatsomedistanceontheparchedground。
Michaellistenedattentively，puttinghiseartotheground。
“ItisadetachmentofcavalrycomingbytheroadfromOmsk，“
hesaidtohimself。“Theyaremarchingveryquickly，forthenoiseisincreasing。AretheyRussiansorTartars？“
Michaelagainlistened。“Yes，“saidhe，“theyareatasharptrot。
Myhorsecannotoutstripthem。IftheyareRussiansIwilljointhem；
ifTartarsImustavoidthem。Buthow？WherecanIhideinthissteppe？“
Hegavealookaround，and，throughthedarkness，discoveredaconfusedmassatahundredpacesbeforehimontheleftoftheroad。
“Thereisacopse！“heexclaimed。“Totakerefugethereistoruntheriskofbeingcaught，iftheyareinsearchofme；
butIhavenochoice。“。
