Nadia，whowaskneelinginprayer，arose。“Look，look！“saidhe。
“TheTartars！“shewhispered。
ItwasindeedtheEmir’sadvance-guard，passingrapidlyalongtheroadtoIrkutsk。
“Theyshallnotpreventmefromburyinghim！“saidMichael。Andhecontinuedhiswork。
Soon，thebodyofNicholas，thehandscrossedonthebreast，waslaidinthegrave。MichaelandNadia，kneeling，prayedalasttimeforthepoorfellow，inoffensiveandgood，whohadpaidforhisdevotiontowardsthemwithhislife。
“Andnow，“saidMichael，ashethrewintheearth，“thewolvesofthesteppewillnotdevourhim。“
Thenheshookhisfistatthetroopofhorsemenwhowerepassing。
“Forward，Nadia！“hesaid。
Michaelcouldnotfollowtheroad，nowoccupiedbytheTartars。HemustcrossthesteppeandturntoIrkutsk。HehadnotnowtotroublehimselfaboutcrossingtheDinka。Nadiacouldnotmove，butshecouldseeforhim。Hetookherinhisarmsandwentontowardsthesouthwestoftheprovince。
Ahundredandfortymilesstillremainedtobetraversed。
Howwasthedistancetobeperformed？Shouldtheynotsuccumbtosuchfatigue？Onwhatweretheytoliveontheway？
BywhatsuperhumanenergyweretheytopasstheslopesoftheSayanskMountains？NeitherhenorNadiacouldanswerthis！
Andyet，twelvedaysafter，onthe2dofOctober，atsixo’clockintheevening，awidesheetofwaterlayatMichaelStrogoff’sfeet。
ItwasLakeBaikal。
LAKEBAIKALissituatedseventeenhundredfeetabovethelevelofthesea。Itslengthisaboutsixhundredmiles，itsbreadthseventy。
Itsdepthisnotknown。MadamedeBourboulonstatesthat，accordingtotheboatmen，itlikestobespokenofas“MadamSea。“Ifitiscalled“SirLake，“itimmediatelylashesitselfintofury。
However，itisreportedandbelievedbytheSiberiansthataRussianisneverdrownedinit。
Thisimmensebasinoffreshwater，fedbymorethanthreehundredrivers，issurroundedbymagnificentvolcanicmountains。
IthasnootheroutletthantheAngara，whichafterpassingIrkutskthrowsitselfintotheYenisei，alittleabovethetownofYeniseisk。Astothemountainswhichencaseit，theyformabranchoftheToungouzes，andarederivedfromthevastsystemoftheAltai。
Inthisterritory，subjecttopeculiarclimaticalconditions，theautumnappearstobeabsorbedintheprecociouswinter。
ItwasnowthebeginningofOctober。Thesunsetatfiveo’clockintheevening，andduringthelongnightsthetemperaturefelltozero。
Thefirstsnows，whichwouldlasttillsummer，alreadywhitenedthesummitsoftheneighboringhills。DuringtheSiberianwinterthisinlandseaisfrozenovertoathicknessofseveralfeet，andiscrossedbythesleighsofcaravans。
Eitherbecausetherearepeoplewhoaresowantinginpolitenessastocallit“SirLake，“orforsomemoremeteorologicalreason，LakeBaikalissubjecttoviolenttempests。Itswaves，shortlikethoseofallinlandseas，aremuchfearedbytherafts，prahms，andsteamboats，whichfurrowitduringthesummer。
ItwasthesouthwestpointofthelakewhichMichaelhadnowreached，carryingNadia，whosewholelife，sotospeak，wasconcentratedinhereyes。Butwhatcouldthesetwoexpect，inthiswildregion，ifitwasnottodieofexhaustionandfamine？
Andyet，whatremainedofthelongjourneyoffourthousandmilesfortheCzar’scouriertoreachhisend？NothingbutfortymilesontheshoreofthelakeuptothemouthoftheAngara，andsixtymilesfromthemouthoftheAngaratoIrkutsk；
inall，ahundredmiles，orthreedays’journeyforastrongman，evenonfoot。
CouldMichaelStrogoffstillbethatman？
Heaven，nodoubt，didnotwishtoputhimtothistrial。
Thefatalitywhichhadhithertopursuedhisstepsseemedforatimetosparehim。ThisendoftheBaikal，thispartofthesteppe，whichhebelievedtobeadesert，whichitusuallyis，wasnotsonow。
Aboutfiftypeoplewerecollectedattheangleformedbytheendofthelake。
Nadiaimmediatelycaughtsightofthisgroup，whenMichael，carryingherinhisarms，issuedfromthemountainpass。
ThegirlfearedforamomentthatitwasaTartardetachment，senttobeattheshoresoftheBaikal，inwhichcaseflightwouldhavebeenimpossibletothemboth。ButNadiawassoonreassured。
“Russians！“sheexclaimed。Andwiththislasteffort，hereyesclosedandherheadfellonMichael’sbreast。
Buttheyhadbeenseen，andsomeoftheseRussians，runningtothem，ledtheblindmanandthegirltoalittlepointatwhichwasmooredaraft。
Theraftwasjustgoingtostart。TheseRussianswerefugitivesofdifferentconditions，whomthesameinteresthadunitedatLakeBaikal。DrivenbackbytheTartarscouts，theyhopedtoobtainarefugeatIrkutsk，butnotbeingabletogettherebyland，theinvadershavingoccupiedbothbanksoftheAngara，theyhopedtoreachitbydescendingtheriverwhichflowsthroughthetown。
TheirplanmadeMichael’sheartleap；alastchancewasbeforehim，buthehadstrengthtoconcealthis，wishingtokeephisincognitomorestrictlythanever。
Thefugitives’planwasverysimple。AcurrentinthelakerunsalongbytheupperbanktothemouthoftheAngara；thiscurrenttheyhopedtoutilize，andwithitsassistancetoreachtheoutletofLakeBaikal。FromthispointtoIrkutsk，therapidwatersoftheriverwouldbearthemalongatarateofeightmilesanhour。
Inadayandahalftheymighthopetobeinsightofthetown。
Nokindofboatwastobefound；theyhadbeenobligedtomakeone；
araft，orratherafloatofwood，similartothosewhichusuallyaredrifteddownSiberianrivers，wasconstructed。Aforestoffirs，growingonthebank，hadsuppliedthenecessarymaterials；thetrunks，fastenedtogetherwithosiers，madeaplatformonwhichahundredpeoplecouldhaveeasilyfoundroom。
OnboardthisraftMichaelandNadiaweretaken。Thegirlhadreturnedtoherself；somefoodwasgiventoheraswellastohercompanion。
Then，lyingonabedofleaves，shesoonfellintoadeepsleep。
Tothosewhoquestionedhim，MichaelStrogoffsaidnothingofwhathadtakenplaceatTomsk。HegavehimselfoutasaninhabitantofKrasnoiarsk，whohadnotbeenabletogettoIrkutskbeforetheEmir’stroopsarrivedontheleftbankoftheDinka，andheaddedthat，veryprobably，thebulkoftheTartarforceshadtakenupapositionbeforetheSiberiancapital。
Therewasnotamomenttobelost；besides，thecoldwasbecomingmoreandmoresevere。Duringthenightthetemperaturefellbelowzero；
icewasalreadyformingonthesurfaceoftheBaikal。Althoughtheraftmanagedtopasseasilyoverthelake，itmightnotbesoeasybetweenthebanksoftheAngara，shouldpiecesoficebefoundtoblockupitscourse。
Ateightintheeveningthemooringswerecastoff，andtheraftdriftedinthecurrentalongtheshore。Itwassteeredbymeansoflongpoles，underthemanagementofseveralmuscularmoujiks。
AnoldBaikalboatmantookcommandoftheraft。
Hewasamanofsixty-five，brownedbythesun，andlakebreezes。
Athickwhitebeardflowedoverhischest；afurcapcoveredhishead；hisaspectwasgraveandaustere。Hislargegreat-coat，fastenedinatthewaist，reacheddowntohisheels。
Thistaciturnoldfellowwasseatedinthestern，andissuedhiscommandsbygestures。Besides，thechiefworkconsistedinkeepingtheraftinthecurrent，whichranalongtheshore，withoutdriftingoutintotheopen。
IthasbeenalreadysaidthatRussiansofallconditionshadfoundaplaceontheraft。Indeed，tothepoormoujiks，thewomen，oldmen，andchildren，werejoinedtwoorthreepilgrims，surprisedontheirjourneybytheinvasion；afewmonks，andapriest。
Thepilgrimscarriedastaff，agourdhungatthebelt，andtheychantedpsalmsinaplaintivevoice:onecamefromtheUkraine，anotherfromtheYellowsea，andathirdfromtheFinlandprovinces。
Thislast，whowasanagedman，carriedathiswaistalittlepadlockedcollecting-box，asifithadbeenhungatachurchdoor。
Ofallthathecollectedduringhislongandfatiguingpilgrimage，nothingwasforhimself；hedidnotevenpossessthekeyofthebox，whichwouldonlybeopenedonhisreturn。
ThemonkscamefromtheNorthoftheEmpire。ThreemonthsbeforetheyhadleftthetownofArchangel。TheyhadvisitedthesacredislandsnearthecoastofCarelia，theconventofSolovetsk，theconventofTroitsa，thoseofSaintAntonyandSaintTheodosia，atKiev，thatofKazan，aswellasthechurchoftheOldBelievers，andtheywerenowontheirwaytoIrkutsk，wearingtherobe，thecowl，andtheclothesofserge。
Astothepapa，orpriest，hewasaplainvillagepastor，oneofthesixhundredthousandpopularpastorswhichtheRussianEmpirecontains。
Hewasclothedasmiserablyasthemoujiks，notbeingabovetheminsocialposition；infact，laboringlikeapeasantonhisplotofground；baptis-ing，marrying，burying。HehadbeenabletoprotecthiswifeandchildrenfromthebrutalityoftheTartarsbysendingthemawayintotheNorthernprovinces。
Hehimselfhadstayedinhisparishuptothelastmoment；
thenhewasobligedtofly，and，theIrkutskroadbeingstopped，hadcometoLakeBaikal。
Thesepriests，groupedintheforwardpartoftheraft，prayedatregularintervals，raisingtheirvoicesinthesilentnight，andattheendofeachsentenceoftheirprayer，the“SlavaBogu，“GlorytoGod！issuedfromtheirlips。
Noincidenttookplaceduringthenight。Nadiaremainedinasortofstupor，andMichaelwatchedbesideher；sleeponlyovertookhimatlongintervals，andeventhenhisbraindidnotrest。
Atbreakofday，theraft，delayedbyastrongbreeze，whichcounteractedthecourseofthecurrent，wasstillfortyverstsfromthemouthoftheAngara。Itseemedprobablethatthefugitivescouldnotreachitbeforethreeorfouro’clockintheevening。
Thisdidnottroublethem；onthecontrary，fortheywouldthendescendtheriverduringthenight，andthedarknesswouldalsofavortheirentranceintoIrkutsk。
Theonlyanxietyexhibitedattimesbytheoldboatmanwasconcerningtheformationoficeonthesurfaceofthewater。
Thenighthadbeenexcessivelycold；piecesoficecouldbeseendriftingtowardstheWest。Nothingwastobedreadedfromthese，sincetheycouldnotdriftintotheAngara，havingalreadypassedthemouth；butpiecesfromtheEasternendofthelakemightbedrawnbythecurrentbetweenthebanksoftheriver；
thiswouldcausedifficulty，possiblydelay，andperhapsevenaninsurmountableobstaclewhichwouldstoptheraft。
Michaelthereforetookimmenseinterestinascertainingwhatwasthestateofthelake，andwhetheranylargenumberoficeblocksappeared。
Nadiabeingnowawake，hequestionedheroften，andshegavehimanaccountofallthatwasgoingon。
Whilsttheblockswerethusdrifting，curiousphenomenaweretakingplaceonthesurfaceoftheBaikal。Magnificentjets，fromspringsofboilingwater，shotupfromsomeofthoseartesianwellswhichNaturehasboredintheverybedofthelake。
Thesejetsrosetoagreatheightandspreadoutinvapor，whichwasilluminatedbythesolarrays，andalmostimmediatelycondensedbythecold。ThiscurioussightwouldhaveassuredlyamazedatouristtravelinginpeacefultimesonthisSiberiansea。
Atfourintheevening，themouthoftheAngarawassignaledbytheoldboatman，betweenthehighgraniterocksoftheshore。
OntherightbankcouldbeseenthelittleportofLivenitchnaia，itschurch，anditsfewhousesbuiltonthebank。ButtheseriousthingwasthattheiceblocksfromtheEastwerealreadydriftingbetweenthebanksoftheAngara，andconsequentlyweredescendingtowardsIrkutsk。However，theirnumberwasnotyetgreatenoughtoobstructthecourseoftheraft，northecoldgreatenoughtoincreasetheirnumber。
Theraftarrivedatthelittleportandtherestopped。Theoldboatmanwishedtoputintoharborforanhour，inordertomakesomerepairs。
Thetrunksthreatenedtoseparate，anditwasimportanttofastenthemmoresecurelytogethertoresisttherapidcurrentoftheAngara。
TheoldboatmandidnotexpecttoreceiveanyfreshfugitivesatLivenitchnaia，andyet，themomenttherafttouched，twopassengers，issuingfromadesertedhouse，ranasfastastheycouldtowardsthebeach。
Nadiaseatedontheraft，wasabstractedlygazingattheshore。
Acrywasabouttoescapeher。SheseizedMichael’shand，whoatthatmomentraisedhishead。
