Suddenlyhewassurprisedbytheimpressionmadeonitbythecurrent。
Itseemedtobeofaslimyconsistency，asifithadbeenmadeofmineraloil。Alcide，aidinghistouchbyhissenseofsmell，couldnotbemistaken。Itwasreallyalayerofliquidnaphtha，floatingonthesurfaceoftheriver！
Wastheraftreallyfloatingonthissubstance，whichisinthehighestdegreecombustible？Wherehadthisnaphthacomefrom？
WasitanaturalphenomenontakingplaceonthesurfaceoftheAngara，orwasittoserveasanengineofdestruction，putinmotionbytheTartars？DidtheyintendtocarryconflagrationintoIrkutsk？
SuchwerethequestionswhichAlcideaskedhimself，buthethoughtitbesttomakethisincidentknownonlytoHarryBlount，andtheybothagreedinnotalarmingtheircompanionsbyrevealingtothemthisnewdanger。
ItisknownthatthesoilofCentralAsiaislikeaspongeimpregnatedwithliquidhydrogen。AttheportofBakou，onthePersianfrontier，ontheCaspianSea，inAsiaMinor，inChina，ontheYuen-Kiang，intheBurmanEmpire，springsofmineraloilriseinthousandstothesurfaceoftheground。
Itisan“oilcountry，“similartotheonewhichbearsthisnameinNorthAmerica。
Duringcertainreligiousfestivals，principallyattheportofBakou，thenatives，whoarefire-worshipers，throwliquidnaphthaonthesurfaceofthesea，whichbuoysitup，itsdensitybeinginferiortothatofwater。Thenatnightfall，whenalayerofmineraloilisthusspreadovertheCaspian，theylightit，andexhibitthematchlessspectacleofanoceanoffireundulatingandbreakingintowavesunderthebreeze。
ButwhatisonlyasignofrejoicingatBakou，mightproveafearfuldisasteronthewatersoftheAngara。Whetheritwassetonfirebymalevolenceorimprudence，inthetwinklingofaneyeaconflagrationmightspreadbeyondIrkutsk。Onboardtheraftnoimprudencewastobefeared；buteverythingwastobedreadedfromtheconflagrationsonbothbanksoftheAngara，forshouldalightedstraworevenasparkblowintothewater，itwouldinevitablysetthewholecurrentofnaphthainablaze。
TheapprehensionsofJolivetandBlountmaybebetterunderstoodthandescribed。Woulditnotbeprudent，infaceofthisnewdanger，tolandononeofthebanksandwaitthere？
“Atanyrate，“saidAlcide，“whateverthedangermaybe，Iknowsomeonewhowillnotland！“
HealludedtoMichaelStrogoff。
Inthemeantime，onglidedtheraftamongthemassesoficewhichweregraduallygettingcloserandclosertogether。
Uptillthen，noTartardetachmenthadbeenseen，whichshowedthattheraftwasnotabreastoftheoutposts。
Ataboutteno’clock，however，HarryBlountcaughtsightofanumberofblackobjectsmovingontheiceblocks。
Springingfromonetotheother，theyrapidlyapproached。
“Tartars！“hethought。Andcreepinguptotheoldboatman，hepointedouttohimthesuspiciousobjects。
Theoldmanlookedattentively。“Theyareonlywolves！“saidhe。
“IlikethembetterthanTartars。Butwemustdefendourselves，andwithoutnoise！“
Thefugitiveswouldindeedhavetodefendthemselvesagainsttheseferociousbeasts，whomhungerandcoldhadsentroamingthroughtheprovince。Theyhadsmeltouttheraft，andwouldsoonattackit。
Thefugitivesmuststrugglewithoutusingfirearms，fortheycouldnotnowbefarfromtheTartarposts。Thewomenandchildrenwerecollectedinthemiddleoftheraft，andthemen，somearmedwithpoles，otherswiththeirknives，stoodpreparedtorepulsetheirassailants。
Theydidnotmakeasound，butthehowlsofthewolvesfilledtheair。
Michaeldidnotwishtoremaininactive。Helaydownatthesideattackedbythesavagepack。Hedrewhisknife，andeverytimethatawolfpassedwithinhisreach，hishandfoundoutthewaytoplungehisweaponintoitsthroat。
NeitherwereJolivetandBlountidle，butfoughtbravelywiththebrutes。Theircompanionsgallantlysecondedthem。
Thebattlewascarriedoninsilence，althoughmanyofthefugitivesreceivedseverebites。
Thestruggledidnotappearasifitwouldsoonterminate。
ThepackwasbeingcontinuallyreinforcedfromtherightbankoftheAngara。“Thiswillneverbefinished！“saidAlcide，brandishinghisdagger，redwithblood。
Infact，halfanhourafterthecommencementoftheattack，thewolveswerestillcominginhundredsacrosstheice。Theexhaustedfugitivesweregettingweaker。Thefightwasgoingagainstthem。
Atthatmoment，agroupoftenhugewolves，ragingwithhunger，theireyesglowinginthedarknesslikeredcoals，sprangontotheraft。
Jolivetandhiscompanionthrewthemselvesintothemidstofthefiercebeasts，andMichaelwasfindinghiswaytowardsthem，whenasuddenchangetookplace。
Inafewmomentsthewolveshaddesertednotonlytheraft，butalsotheiceontheriver。Alltheblackbodiesdispersed，anditwassooncertainthattheyhadinallhasteregainedtheshore。
Wolves，likeotherbeastsofprey，requiredarknessfortheirproceedings，andatthatmomentabrightlightilluminatedtheentireriver。
Itwastheblazeofanimmensefire。ThewholeofthesmalltownofPoshkavskwasburning。TheTartarswereindeedthere，finishingtheirwork。Fromthispoint，theyoccupiedbothbanksbeyondIrkutsk。Thefugitiveshadbythistimereachedthedangerouspartoftheirvoyage，andtheywerestilltwentymilesfromthecapital。
Itwasnowhalfpasteleven。Theraftcontinuedtoglideonamongsttheice，withwhichitwasquitemingled，butgleamsoflightsometimesfelluponit。Thefugitivesstretchedontheplatformdidnotpermitthemselvestomakeamovementbywhichtheymightbebetrayed。
Theconflagrationwasgoingonwithfrightfulrapidity。
Thehouses，builtoffir-wood，blazedliketorches——ahundredandfiftyflamingatonce。WiththecracklingofthefirewasmingledtheyellsoftheTartars。Theoldboatman，gettingafootholdonanearpieceofice，managedtoshovetherafttowardstherightbank，bydoingwhichadistanceoffromthreetofourhundredfeetdivideditfromtheflamesofPoshkavsk。
Nevertheless，thefugitives，lightedeverynowandthenbytheglare，wouldhavebeenundoubtedlyperceivedhadnottheincendiariesbeentoomuchoccupiedintheirworkofdestruction。
ItmaybeimaginedwhatweretheapprehensionsofJolivetandBlount，whentheythoughtofthecombustibleliquidonwhichtheraftfloated。
Sparksflewinmillionsfromthehouses，whichresembledsomanyglowingfurnaces。Theyroseamongthevolumesofsmoketoaheightoffiveorsixhundredfeet。Ontherightbank，thetreesandcliffsexposedtothefirelookedasiftheylikewisewereburning。AsparkfallingonthesurfaceoftheAngarawouldbesufficienttospreadtheflamesalongthecurrent，andtocarrydisasterfromonebanktotheother。
Theresultofthiswouldbeinashorttimethedestructionoftheraftandofallthosewhichitcarried。
But，happily，thebreezedidnotblowfromthatside。
Itcamefromtheeast，anddrovetheflamestowardstheleft。
Itwasjustpossiblethatthefugitiveswouldescapethisdanger。
Theblazingtownwasatlastpassed。Littlebylittletheglaregrewdimmer，thecracklingbecamefainter，andtheflamesatlastdisappearedbehindthehighcliffswhicharoseatanabruptturnoftheriver。
Bythistimeitwasnearlymidnight。Thedeepgloomagainthrewitsprotectingshadowsovertheraft。TheTartarswerethere，goingtoandfroneartheriver。Theycouldnotbeseen，buttheycouldbeheard。
Thefiresoftheoutpostsburnedbrightly。
Inthemeantimeithadbecomenecessarytosteermorecarefullyamongtheblocksofice。Theoldboatmanstoodup，andthemoujiksresumedtheirpoles。Theyhadplentyofwork，themanagementoftheraftbecomingmoreandmoredifficultastheriverwasfurtherobstructed。
Michaelhadcreptforward；Jolivetfollowed；bothlistenedtowhattheoldboatmanandhismenweresaying。
“Lookoutontheright！“
“Thereareblocksdriftingontousontheleft！“
“Fend！fendoffwithyourboat-hook！“
“Beforeanhourispastweshallbestopped！“
“IfitisGod’swill！“answeredtheoldman。“AgainstHiswillthereisnothingtobedone。“
“Youhearthem，“saidAlcide。
“Yes，“repliedMichael，“butGodiswithus！“
Thesituationbecamemoreandmoreserious。Shouldtheraftbestopped，notonlywouldthefugitivesnotreachIrkutsk，buttheywouldbeobligedtoleavetheirfloatingplatform，foritwouldbeverysoonsmashedtopiecesintheice。
Theosierropeswouldbreak，thefirtrunkstornasunderwoulddriftunderthehardcrust，andtheunhappypeoplewouldhavenorefugebuttheiceblocksthemselves。Then，whendaycame，theywouldbeseenbytheTartars，andmassacredwithoutmercy！
MichaelreturnedtothespotwhereNadiawaswaitingforhim。
Heapproachedthegirl，tookherhand，andputtohertheinvariablequestion:“Nadia，areyouready？“towhichsherepliedasusual，“Iamready！“
Forafewverstsmoretheraftcontinuedtodriftamongstthefloatingice。Shouldtherivernarrow，itwouldsoonformanimpassablebarrier。Alreadytheyseemedtodriftslower。
Everymomenttheyencounteredsevereshocksorwerecompelledtomakedetours；now，toavoidrunningfoulofablock，theretoenterachannel，ofwhichitwasnecessarytotakeadvantage。
Atlengththestoppagesbecamestillmorealarming。
Therewereonlyafewmorehoursofnight。CouldthefugitivesnotreachIrkutskbyfiveo’clockinthemorning，theymustloseallhopeofevergettingthereatall。
Athalf-pastone，notwithstandingallefforts，theraftcameupagainstathickbarrierandstuckfast。Theice，whichwasdriftingdownbehindit，presseditstillcloser，andkeptitmotionless，asthoughithadbeenstranded。
AtthisspottheAngaranarrowed，itbeinghalfitsusualbreadth。
Thiswasthecauseoftheaccumulationofice，whichbecamegraduallysolderedtogether，underthedoubleinfluenceoftheincreasedpressureandofthecold。Fivehundredfeetbeyond，theriverwidenedagain，andtheblocks，graduallydetachingthemselvesfromthefloe，continuedtodrifttowardsIrkutsk。Itwasprobablethathadthebanksnotnarrowed，thebarrierwouldnothaveformed。
Butthemisfortunewasirreparable，andthefugitivesmustgiveupallhopeofattainingtheirobject。
Hadtheypossessedthetoolsusuallyemployedbywhalerstocutchannelsthroughtheice-fields——hadtheybeenabletogetthroughtowheretheriverwidened——theymighthavebeensaved。
Buttheyhadnothingwhichcouldmaketheleastincisionintheice，hardasgraniteintheexcessivefrost。
Whatweretheytodo？
Atthatmomentseveralshotsontherightbankstartledtheunhappyfugitives。Ashowerofballsfellontheraft。
Thedevotedpassengershadbeenseen。Immediatelyafterwardsshotswereheardfiredfromtheleftbank。Thefugitives，takenbetweentwofires，becamethemarkoftheTartarsharpshooters。
Severalwerewounded，althoughinthedarknessitwasonlybychancethattheywerehit。
“Come，Nadia，“whisperedMichaelinthegirl’sear。
Withoutmakingasingleremark，“readyforanything，“
NadiatookMichael’shand。
“Wemustcrossthebarrier，“hesaidinalowtone。
“Guideme，butletnooneseeusleavetheraft。“
Nadiaobeyed。Michaelandsheglidedrapidlyoverthefloeintheobscurity，onlybrokennowandagainbytheflashesfromthemuskets。NadiacreptalonginfrontofMichael。Theshotfellaroundthemlikeatempestofhail，andpatteredontheice。
Theirhandsweresooncoveredwithbloodfromthesharpandruggediceoverwhichtheyclambered，butstillontheywent。
Intenminutes，theothersideofthebarrierwasreached。
