“Whatisthematter，Nadia？“heasked。
“Ourtwotravelingcompanions，Michael。“
“TheFrenchmanandtheEnglishmanwhomwemetinthedefilesoftheUral？“
“Yes。“
Michaelstarted，forthestrictincognitowhichhewishedtokeepranariskofbeingbetrayed。Indeed，itwasnolongerasNicholasKorpanoffthatJolivetandBlountwouldnowseehim，butasthetrueMichaelStrogoff，CourieroftheCzar。ThetwocorrespondentshadalreadymethimtwicesincetheirseparationattheIchimpost-house——thefirsttimeattheZabedierocamp，whenhelaidopenIvanOgareff’sfacewiththeknout；thesecondtimeatTomsk，whenhewascondemnedbytheEmir。Theythereforeknewwhohewasandwhatdependedonhim。
MichaelStrogoffrapidlymadeuphismind。“Nadia，“saidhe，“whentheysteponboard，askthemtocometome！“
Itwas，infact，BlountandJolivet，whomthecourseofeventshadbroughttotheportofLivenitchnaia，asithadbroughtMichaelStrogoff。Asweknow，afterhavingbeenpresentattheentryoftheTartarsintoTomsk，theyhaddepartedbeforethesavageexecutionwhichterminatedthefete。
Theyhadthereforeneversuspectedthattheirformertravelingcompanionhadnotbeenputtodeath，butblindedbyorderoftheEmir。
HavingprocuredhorsestheyhadleftTomskthesameevening，withthefixeddeterminationofhenceforwarddatingtheirlettersfromtheRussiancampofEasternSiberia。TheyproceededbyforcedmarchestowardsIrkutsk。TheyhopedtodistanceFeofar-Khan，andwouldcertainlyhavedoneso，haditnotbeenfortheunexpectedapparitionofthethirdcolumn，comefromtheSouth，upthevalleyoftheYenisei。Theyhadbeencutoff，ashadbeenMichael，beforebeingableeventoreachtheDinka，andhadbeenobligedtogobacktoLakeBaikal。
Theyhadbeenintheplaceforthreedaysinmuchperplexity，whentheraftarrived。Thefugitives’planwasexplainedtothem。
Therewascertainlyachancethattheymightbeabletopassundercoverofthenight，andpenetrateintoIrkutsk。Theyresolvedtomaketheattempt。
Alcidedirectlycommunicatedwiththeoldboatman，andaskedapassageforhimselfandhiscompanion，offeringtopayanythinghedemanded，whateveritmightbe。
“Noonepayshere，“repliedtheoldmangravely；“everyoneriskshislife，thatisall！“
Thetwocorrespondentscameonboard，andNadiasawthemtaketheirplacesintheforepartoftheraft。HarryBlountwasstillthereservedEnglishman，whohadscarcelyaddressedawordtoherduringthewholepassageovertheUralMountains。AlcideJolivetseemedtoberathermoregravethanusual，anditmaybeacknowledgedthathisgravitywasjustifiedbythecircumstances。
Jolivethad，ashasbeensaid，takenhisseatontheraft，whenhefeltahandlaidonhisarm。Turning，herecognizedNadia，thesisterofthemanwhowasnolongerNicholasKorpanoff，butMichaelStrogoff，CourieroftheCzar。Hewasabouttomakeanexclamationofsurprisewhenhesawtheyounggirllayherfingeronherlips。
“Come，“saidNadia。Andwithacarelessair，Alcideroseandfollowedher，makingasigntoBlounttoaccompanyhim。
ButifthesurpriseofthecorrespondentshadbeengreatatmeetingNadiaontheraftitwasboundlesswhentheyperceivedMichaelStrogoff，whomtheyhadbelievedtobenolongerliving。
Michaelhadnotmovedattheirapproach。Jolivetturnedtowardsthegirl。“Hedoesnotseeyou，gentlemen，“saidNadia。“TheTartarshaveburntouthiseyes！Mypoorbrotherisblind！“
AfeelingoflivelycompassionexhibiteditselfonthefacesofBlountandhiscompanion。InamomenttheywereseatedbesideMichael，pressinghishandandwaitinguntilhespoketothem。
“Gentlemen，“saidMichael，inalowvoice，“yououghtnottoknowwhoIam，norwhatIamcometodoinSiberia。Iaskyoutokeepmysecret。
Willyoupromisemetodoso？“
“Onmyhonor，“answeredJolivet。
“Onmywordasagentleman，“addedBlount。
“Good，gentlemen。“
“Canwebeofanyusetoyou？“askedHarryBlount。“Couldwenothelpyoutoaccomplishyourtask？“
“Iprefertoactalone，“repliedMichael。
“Butthoseblackguardshavedestroyedyoursight，“saidAlcide。
“IhaveNadia，andhereyesareenoughforme！“
InhalfanhourtheraftleftthelittleportofLivenitchnaia，andenteredtheriver。Itwasfiveintheeveningandgettingdusk。
Thenightpromisedtobedarkandverycoldalso，forthetemperaturewasalreadybelowzero。
AlcideandBlount，thoughtheyhadpromisedtokeepMichael’ssecret，didnotleavehim。Theytalkedinalowvoice，andtheblindman，addingwhattheytoldhimtowhathealreadyknew，wasabletoformanexactideaofthestateofthings。
ItwascertainthattheTartarshadactuallyinvestedIrkutsk，andthatthethreecolumnshadeffectedajunction。
TherewasnodoubtthattheEmirandIvanOgareffwerebeforethecapital。
ButwhydidtheCzar’scourierexhibitsuchhastetogetthere，nowthattheImperiallettercouldnolongerbegivenbyhimtotheGrandDuke，andwhenhedidnotevenknowthecontentsofit？
AlcideJolivetandBlountcouldnotunderstanditanymorethanNadiahaddone。
Noonespokeofthepast，exceptwhenJolivetthoughtithisdutytosaytoMichael，“WeoweyousomeapologyfornotshakinghandswithyouwhenweseparatedatIchim。“
“No，youhadreasontothinkmeacoward！“
“Atanyrate，“addedtheFrenchman，“youknoutedthefaceofthatvillainfinely，andhewillcarrythemarkofitforalongtime！“
“No，notalongtime！“repliedMichaelquietly。
HalfanhourafterleavingLivenitchnaia，BlountandhiscompanionwereacquaintedwiththecrueltrialsthroughwhichMichaelandhiscompanionhadsuccessivelypassed。Theycouldnotbutheartilyadmirehisenergy，whichwasonlyequaledbytheyounggirl’sdevotion。
TheiropinionofMichaelwasexactlywhattheCzarhadexpressedatMoscow:“Indeed，thisisaMan！“
TheraftswiftlythreadeditswayamongtheblocksoficewhichwerecarriedalonginthecurrentoftheAngara。Amovingpanoramawasdisplayedonbothsidesoftheriver，and，byanopticalillusion，itappearedasifitwastheraftwhichwasmotionlessbeforeasuccessionofpicturesquescenes。
Herewerehighgranitecliffs，therewildgorges，downwhichrushedatorrent；sometimesappearedaclearingwithastillsmokingvillage，thenthickpineforestsblazing。
ButthoughtheTartarshadlefttheirtracesonallsides，theythemselveswerenottobeseenasyet，fortheyweremoreespeciallymassedattheapproachestoIrkutsk。
Allthistimethepilgrimswererepeatingtheirprayersaloud，andtheoldboatman，shovingawaytheblocksoficewhichpressedtoonearthem，imperturbablysteeredtheraftinthemiddleoftherapidcurrentoftheAngara。
BYeightintheevening，thecountry，asthestateoftheskyhadforetold，wasenvelopedincompletedarkness。Themoonbeingnewhadnotyetrisen。Fromthemiddleoftheriverthebankswereinvisible。
Thecliffswereconfoundedwiththeheavy，low-hangingclouds。
Atintervalsapuffofwindcamefromtheeast，butitsoondiedawayinthenarrowvalleyoftheAngara。
Thedarknesscouldnotfailtofavorinaconsiderabledegreetheplansofthefugitives。Indeed，althoughtheTartaroutpostsmusthavebeendrawnuponbothbanks，therafthadagoodchanceofpassingunperceived。ItwasnotlikelyeitherthatthebesiegerswouldhavebarredtheriveraboveIrkutsk，sincetheyknewthattheRussianscouldnotexpectanyhelpfromthesouthoftheprovince。
Besidesthis，beforelongNaturewouldherselfestablishabarrier，bycementingwithfrosttheblocksoficeaccumulatedbetweenthetwobanks。
Perfectsilencenowreignedonboardtheraft。Thevoicesofthepilgrimswerenolongerheard。Theystillprayed，buttheirprayerwasbutamurmur，whichcouldnotreachasfaraseitherbank。Thefugitiveslayflatontheplatform，sothattheraftwasscarcelyabovethelevelofthewater。
Theoldboatmancroucheddownforwardamonghismen，solelyoccupiedinkeepingofftheiceblocks，amaneuverwhichwasperformedwithoutnoise。
Thedriftingoftheicewasafavorablecircumstancesolongasitdidnotofferaninsurmountableobstacletothepassageoftheraft。
Ifthatobjecthadbeenaloneonthewater，itwouldhaverunariskofbeingseen，eveninthedarkness，but，asitwas，itwasconfoundedwiththesemovingmasses，ofallshapesandsizes，andthetumultcausedbythecrashingoftheblocksagainsteachotherconcealedlikewiseanysuspiciousnoises。
Therewasasharpfrost。Thefugitivessufferedcruelly，havingnoothershelterthanafewbranchesofbirch。
Theycowereddowntogether，endeavoringtokeepeachotherwarm，thetemperaturebeingnowtendegreesbelowfreezingpoint。
Thewind，thoughslight，havingpassedoverthesnow-cladmountainsoftheeast，piercedthemthroughandthrough。
MichaelandNadia，lyingintheafterpartoftheraft，borethisincreaseofsufferingwithoutcomplaint。
JolivetandBlount，placednearthem，stoodthesefirstassaultsoftheSiberianwinteraswellastheycould。Noonenowspoke，eveninalowvoice。Theirsituationentirelyabsorbedthem。
Atanymomentanincidentmightoccur，whichtheycouldnotescapeunscathed。
Foramanwhohopedsoontoaccomplishhismission，Michaelwassingularlycalm。Eveninthegravestconjunctures，hisenergyhadneverabandonedhim。Healreadysawthemomentwhenhewouldbeatlastallowedtothinkofhismother，ofNadia，ofhimself！Henowonlydreadedonefinalunhappychance；
thiswas，thattheraftmightbecompletelybarredbyicebeforereachingIrkutsk。Hethoughtbutofthis，determinedbeforehand，ifnecessary，toattemptsomeboldstroke。
Restoredbyafewhours’rest，Nadiahadregainedthephysicalenergywhichmiseryhadsometimesovercome，althoughwithouteverhavingshakenhermoralenergy。Shethought，too，thatifMichaelhadtomakeanyfreshefforttoattainhisend，shemustbetheretoguidehim。
ButinproportionasshedrewnearertoIrkutsk，theimageofherfatherrosemoreandmoreclearlybeforehermind。Shesawhimintheinvestedtown，farfromthoseheloved，but，assheneverdoubted，strugglingagainsttheinvaderswithallthespiritofhispatriotism。
Inafewhours，ifHeavenfavoredthem，shewouldbeinhisarms，givinghimhermother’slastwords，andnothingshouldeverseparatethemagain。
IfthetermofWassiliFedor’sexileshouldnevercometoanend，hisdaughterwouldremainexiledwithhim。Then，byanaturaltransition，shecamebacktohimwhowouldhaveenabledhertoseeherfatheroncemore，tothatgenerouscompanion，that“brother，“who，theTartarsdrivenback，wouldretaketheroadtoMoscow，whomshewouldperhapsnevermeetagain！
AstoAlcideJolivetandHarryBlount，theyhadoneandthesamethought，whichwas，thatthesituationwasextremelydramatic，andthat，wellworkedup，itwouldfurnishamostdeeplyinterestingarticle。
TheEnglishmanthoughtofthereadersoftheDailyTelegraph，andtheFrenchmanofthoseofhisCousinMadeleine。Atheart，bothwerenotwithoutfeelingsomeemotion。
“Well，somuchthebetter！“thoughtAlcideJolivet，“tomoveothers，onemustbemovedone’sself！Ibelievethereissomecelebratedverseonthesubject，buthangmeifIcanrecollectit！“
Andwithhiswell-practicedeyesheendeavoredtopiercethegloomoftheriver。
Everynowandthenaburstoflightdispellingthedarknessforatime，exhibitedthebanksundersomefantasticaspect——
eitheraforestonfire，orastillburningvillage。
TheAngarawasoccasionallyilluminatedfromonebanktotheother。
Theblocksoficeformedsomanymirrors，which，reflectingtheflamesoneverypointandineverycolor，werewhirledalongbythecapriceofthecurrent。Theraftpassedunperceivedinthemidstofthesefloatingmasses。
Thedangerwasnotatthesepoints。
Butaperilofanothernaturemenacedthefugitives。Onethattheycouldnotforesee，and，aboveall，onethattheycouldnotavoid。
ChancediscoveredittoAlcideJolivetinthisway:——Lyingattherightsideoftheraft，helethishandhangoverintothewater。
