Itwas，however，necessarytofollowthisroaduntilitwasmanifestlyimpossibletodosolongerwithoutfallingintothehandsoftheinvaders。Theroadtheywerefollowingcouldnotbeabandoned，andyetthesignsofdevastationandruinincreasedateveryvillagetheypassedthrough。Thebloodofthevictimswasnotyetdry。
Astogaininginformationaboutwhathadoccurred，thatwasimpossible。
Therewasnotalivingbeinglefttotellthetale。
Aboutfouro’clockintheafternoonofthisday，NicholascaughtsightofthetallsteeplesofthechurchesofNijni-Oudinsk。Thickvapors，whichcouldnothavebeenclouds，werefloatingaroundthem。
NicholasandNadialooked，andcommunicatedtheresultoftheirobservationstoMichael。Theymustmakeuptheirmindswhattodo。
Ifthetownwasabandoned，theycouldpassthroughwithoutrisk，butif，bysomeinexplicablemaneuver，theTartarsoccupiedit，theymustateverycostavoidtheplace。
“Advancecautiously，“saidMichaelStrogoff，“butadvance！“
Averstwassoontraversed。
“Thosearenotclouds，thatissmoke！“exclaimedNadia。“Brother，theyareburningthetown！“
Itwas，indeed，onlytooplain。Flashesoflightappearedinthemidstofthevapor。Itbecamethickerandthickerasitmountedupwards。
ButweretheyTartarswhohaddonethis？TheymightbeRussians，obeyingtheordersoftheGrandDuke。HadthegovernmentoftheCzardeterminedthatfromKrasnoiarsk，fromtheYenisei，notatown，notavillageshouldofferarefugetotheEmir’ssoldiers？
WhatwasMichaeltodo？
Hewasundecided。However，havingweighedtheprosandcons，hethoughtthatwhatevermightbethedifficultiesofajourneyacrossthesteppewithoutabeatenpath，heoughtnottoriskcaptureasecondtimebytheTartars。HewasjustproposingtoNicholastoleavetheroad，whenashotwasheardontheirright。
Aballwhistled，andthehorseofthekibitkafelldead，shotthroughthehead。
Adozenhorsemendashedforward，andthekibitkawassurrounded。
Beforetheyknewwheretheywere，Michael，Nadia，andNicholaswereprisoners，andwerebeingdraggedrapidlytowardsNijni-Oudinsk。
Michael，inthissecondattack，hadlostnoneofhispresenceofmind。
Beingunabletoseehisenemies，hehadnotthoughtofdefendinghimself。
Evenhadhepossessedtheuseofhiseyes，hewouldnothaveattemptedit。Theconsequenceswouldhavebeenhisdeathandthatofhiscompanions。But，thoughhecouldnotsee，hecouldlistenandunderstandwhatwassaid。
FromtheirlanguagehefoundthatthesesoldierswereTartars，andfromtheirwords，thattheyprecededtheinvadingarmy。
Inshort，whatMichaellearntfromthetalkatthepresentmoment，aswellasfromthescrapsofconversationheoverheardlater，wasthis。ThesemenwerenotunderthedirectordersoftheEmir，whowasnowdetainedbeyondtheYenisei。TheymadepartofathirdcolumnchieflycomposedofTartarsfromthekhanatsofKhoklandandKoondooz，withwhichFeofar’sarmywastoaffectajunctionintheneighborhoodofIrkutsk。
ByOgareff’sadvice，inordertoassurethesuccessoftheinvasionintheEasternprovinces，thiscolumnhadskirtedthebaseoftheAltaiMountains。Pillagingandravaging，ithadreachedtheuppercourseoftheYenisei。There，guessingwhathadbeendoneatKrasnoiarskbyorderoftheCzar，andtofacilitatethepassageoftherivertotheEmir’stroops，thiscolumnhadlaunchedaflotillaofboats，whichwouldenableFeofartocrossandr俿um？theroadtoIrkutsk。Havingdonethis，ithaddescendedthevalleyoftheYeniseiandstrucktheroadonalevelwithAlsalevsk。FromthislittletownbeganthefrightfulcourseofruinwhichformsthechiefpartofTartarwarfare。
Nijni-Oudinskhadsharedthecommonfate，andtheTartars，tothenumberoffiftythousand，hadnowquittedittotakeupapositionbeforeIrkutsk。Beforelong，theywouldbereinforcedbytheEmir’stroops。
Suchwasthestateofaffairsatthisdate，mostseriousforthisisolatedpartofEasternSiberia，andforthecomparativelyfewdefendersofitscapital。
ItcanbeimaginedwithwhatthoughtsMichael’smindwasnowoccupied！
Whocouldhavebeenastonishedhadhe，inhispresentsituation，lostallhopeandallcourage？Nothingofthesort，however；hislipsmutterednootherwordsthanthese:“Iwillgetthere！“
HalfanhouraftertheattackoftheTartarhorsemen，MichaelStrogoff，Nadia，andNicholasenteredNijni-Oudinsk。Thefaithfuldogfollowedthem，thoughatadistance。
Theycouldnotstayinthetown，asitwasinflames，andabouttobeleftbythelastofthemarauders。
Theprisonerswerethereforethrownonhorsesandhurriedaway；
Nicholasresignedasusual，Nadia，herfaithinMichaelunshaken，andMichaelhimself，apparentlyindifferent，butreadytoseizeanyopportunityofescaping。
TheTartarswerenotlonginperceivingthatoneoftheirprisonerswasblind，andtheirnaturalbarbarityledthemtomakegameoftheirunfortunatevictim。Theyweretravelingfast。
Michael’shorse，havingnoonetoguidehim，oftenstartedaside，andsomadeconfusionamongtheranks。ThisdrewonhisridersuchabuseandbrutalityaswrungNadia’sheart，andfilledNicholaswithindignation。Butwhatcouldtheydo？TheycouldnotspeaktheTartarlanguage，andtheirassistancewasmercilesslyrefused。
Soonitoccurredtothesemen，inarefinementofcruelty，toexchangethehorseMichaelwasridingforonewhichwasblind。
ThemotiveofthechangewasexplainedbyaremarkwhichMichaeloverheard，“PerhapsthatRussiancansee，afterall！“
Michaelwasplacedonthishorse，andthereinsironicallyputintohishand。Then，bydintoflashing，throwingstones，andshouting，theanimalwasurgedintoagallop。
Thehorse，notbeingguidedbyhisrider，blindashimself，sometimesranintoatree，sometimeswentquiteofftheroad——
inconsequence，collisionsandfalls，whichmighthavebeenextremelydangerous。
Michaeldidnotcomplain。Notamurmurescapedhim。
Whenhishorsefell，hewaiteduntilitgotup。
Itwas，indeed，soonassistedup，andthecruelfuncontinued。
Atsightofthiswickedtreatment，Nicholascouldnotcontainhimself；heendeavoredtogotohisfriend’said。
Hewasprevented，andtreatedbrutally。
Thisgamewouldhavebeenprolonged，totheTartars’
greatamusement，hadnotaseriousaccidentputanendtoit。
Onthe10thofSeptembertheblindhorseranaway，andmadestraightforapit，somethirtyorfortyfeetdeep，atthesideoftheroad。
Nicholastriedtogoafterhim。Hewasheldback。
Thehorse，havingnoguide，fellwithhisridertothebottom。
NicholasandNadiautteredapiercingcry！Theybelievedthattheirunfortunatecompanionhadbeenkilled。
However，whentheywenttohisassistance，itwasfoundthatMichael，havingbeenabletothrowhimselfoutofthesaddle，wasunhurt，butthemiserablehorsehadtwolegsbroken，andwasquiteuseless。
Hewaslefttheretodiewithoutbeingputoutofhissuffering，andMichael，fastenedtoaTartar’ssaddle，wasobligedtofollowthedetachmentonfoot。
Evennow，notaprotest，notacomplaint！Hemarchedwitharapidstep，scarcelydrawnbythecordwhichtiedhim。
Hewasstill“theManofIron，“ofwhomGeneralKissoffhadspokentotheCzar！
Thenextday，the11thofSeptember，thedetachmentpassedthroughthevillageofChibarlinskoe。Hereanincidentoccurredwhichhadseriousconsequences。Itwasnightfall。
TheTartarhorsemen，havinghalted，weremoreorlessintoxicated。
Theywereabouttostart。Nadia，whotillthen，byamiracle，hadbeenrespectfullytreatedbythesoldiers，wasinsultedbyoneofthem。
Michaelcouldnotseetheinsult，northeinsulter，butNicholassawforhim。Then，quietly，withoutthinking，withoutperhapsknowingwhathewasdoing，Nicholaswalkedstraightuptotheman，and，beforethelattercouldmaketheleastmovementtostophim，hadseizedapistolfromhisholsteranddischargeditfullathisbreast。
Theofficerincommandofthedetachmenthasteneduponhearingthereport。ThesoldierswouldhavecuttheunfortunateNicholastopieces，butatasignfromtheirofficer，hewasboundinstead，placedacrossahorse，andthedetachmentgallopedoff。
TheropewhichfastenedMichael，gnawedthroughbyhim，brokebythesuddenstartofthehorse，andthehalf-tipsyridergallopedonwithoutperceivingthathisprisonerhadescaped。
MichaelandNadiafoundthemselvesaloneontheroad。
CHAPTERIXINTHESTEPPE
MICHAELSTROGOFFandNadiawereoncemoreasfreeastheyhadbeeninthejourneyfromPermtothebanksoftheIrtych。Buthowtheconditionsunderwhichtheytraveledwerealtered！
Then，acomfortabletarantass，freshhorses，well-keptpost-horsesassuredtherapidityoftheirjourney。Nowtheywereonfoot；
itwasutterlyimpossibletoprocureanyothermeansoflocomotion，theywerewithoutresources，notknowinghowtoobtainevenfood，andtheyhadstillnearlythreehundredmilestogo！
Moreover，MichaelcouldnowonlyseewithNadia’seyes。
Astothefriendwhomchancehadgiventhem，theyhadjustlosthim，andfearfulmightbehisfate。Michaelhadthrownhimselfdownunderthebrushwoodatthesideoftheroad。
Nadiastoodbesidehim，waitingforthewordfromhimtocontinuethemarch。
Itwasteno’clock。Thesunhadmorethanthreehoursbeforedisappearedbelowthehorizon。Therewasnotahouseinsight。
ThelastoftheTartarswaslostinthedistance。
MichaelandNadiawerequitealone。
“Whatwilltheydowithourfriend？“exclaimedthegirl。
“PoorNicholas！Ourmeetingwillhavebeenfataltohim！“
Michaelmadenoresponse。
“Michael，“continuedNadia，“doyounotknowthathedefendedyouwhenyouweretheTartars’sport；thatheriskedhislifeforme？“
Michaelwasstillsilent。Motionless，hisfaceburiedinhishands；
ofwhatwashethinking？Perhaps，althoughhedidnotanswer，heheardNadiaspeak。
Yes！heheardher，forwhentheyounggirladded，“WhereshallIleadyou，Michael？“
“ToIrkutsk！“hereplied。
“Bythehighroad？“
“Yes，Nadia。“
Michaelwasstillthesamemanwhohadsworn，whateverhappened，toaccomplishhisobject。Tofollowthehighroad，wascertainlytogotheshortestway。IfthevanguardofFeofar-Khan’stroopsappeared，itwouldthenbetimetostrikeacrossthecountry。
NadiatookMichael’shand，andtheystarted。
Thenextmorning，the13thofSeptember，twentyverstsfurther，theymadeashorthaltinthevillageofJoulounov-skoe。Itwasburntanddeserted。AllnightNadiahadtriedtoseeifthebodyofNicholashadnotbeenleftontheroad，butitwasinvainthatshelookedamongtheruins，andsearchedamongthedead。
WashereservedforsomecrueltortureatIrkutsk？
Nadia，exhaustedwithhunger，wasfortunateenoughtofindinoneofthehousesaquantityofdriedmeatand“soukharis，“piecesofbread，which，driedbyevaporation，preservetheirnutritivequalitiesforanindefinitetime。
Michaelandthegirlloadedthemselveswithasmuchastheycouldcarry。
Theyhadthusasupplyoffoodforseveraldays，andastowater，therewouldbenowantofthatinadistrictrenderedfertilebythenumerouslittleaffluentsoftheAngara。
Theycontinuedtheirjourney。Michaelwalkedwithafirmstep，andonlyslackenedhispaceforhiscompanion’ssake。
Nadia，notwishingtoretardhim，obligedherselftowalk。
Happily，hecouldnotseetowhatamiserablestatefatiguehadreducedher。
However，Michaelguessedit。“Youarequitedoneup，poorchild，“
hesaidsometimes。
“No，“shewouldreply。
“Whenyoucannolongerwalk，Iwillcarryyou。“
“Yes，Michael。“
