Nadiawasnearhim，calmalso，butsecretlyuneasyatascenewhichitwouldhavebeenbettertoavoid。
“Enough！“saidthetraveler。Then，goinguptothepostmaster，“Letthehorsesbeputintomyberlin，“heexclaimedwithathreateninggesture。
Thepostmaster，muchembarrassed，didnotknowwhomtoobey，andlookedatMichael，whoevidentlyhadtherighttoresisttheunjustdemandsofthetraveler。
Michaelhesitatedaninstant。Hedidnotwishtomakeuseofhispodorojna，whichwouldhavedrawnattentiontohim，andhewasmostunwillingalso，bygivinguphishorses，todelayhisjourney，andyethemustnotengageinastrugglewhichmightcompromisehismission。
Thetworeporterslookedathimreadytosupporthimshouldheappealtothem。
“Myhorseswillremaininmycarriage，“saidMichael，butwithoutraisinghistonemorethanwouldbesuitableforaplainIrkutskmerchant。
ThetraveleradvancedtowardsMichaelandlaidhishandheavilyonhisshoulder。“Isitso？“hesaidroughly。
“Youwillnotgiveupyourhorsestome？“
“No，“answeredMichael。
“Verywell，theyshallbelongtowhicheverofusisabletostart。
Defendyourself；Ishallnotspareyou！“
Sosaying，thetravelerdrewhissaberfromitssheath，andNadiathrewherselfbeforeMichael。
BlountandAlcideJolivetadvancedtowardshim。
“Ishallnotfight，“saidMichaelquietly，foldinghisarmsacrosshischest。
“Youwillnotfight？“
“No。“
“Notevenafterthis？“exclaimedthetraveler。Andbeforeanyonecouldpreventhim，hestruckMichael’sshoulderwiththehandleofthewhip。AtthisinsultMichaelturneddeadlypale。
Hishandsmovedconvulsivelyasifhewouldhaveknockedthebrutedown。
Butbyatremendousefforthemasteredhimself。Aduel！itwasmorethanadelay；itwasperhapsthefailureofhismission。
Itwouldbebettertolosesomehours。Yes；buttoswallowthisaffront！
“Willyoufightnow，coward？“repeatedthetraveler，addingcoarsenesstobrutality。
“No，“answeredMichael，withoutmoving，butlookingtheotherstraightintheface。
“Thehorsesthismoment，“saidtheman，andlefttheroom。
Thepostmasterfollowedhim，aftershrugginghisshouldersandbestowingonMichaelaglanceofanythingbutapprobation。
TheeffectproducedonthereportersbythisincidentwasnottoMichael’sadvantage。Theirdiscomfiturewasvisible。
Howcouldthisstrongyoungmanallowhimselftobestrucklikethatandnotdemandsatisfactionforsuchaninsult？
Theycontentedthemselveswithbowingtohimandretired，JolivetremarkingtoHarryBlount“IcouldnothavebelievedthatofamanwhoissoskillfulinfinishingupUralMountainbears。Isitthecasethatamancanbecourageousatonetimeandacowardatanother？
Itisquiteincomprehensible。“
Amomentafterwardsthenoiseofwheelsandwhipshowedthattheberlin，drawnbythetarantass’horses，wasdrivingrapidlyawayfromthepost-house。
Nadia，unmoved，andMichael，stillquivering，remainedaloneintheroom。
ThecourieroftheCzar，hisarmscrossedoverhischestwasseatedmotionlessasastatue。Acolor，whichcouldnothavebeentheblushofshame，hadreplacedthepalenessonhiscountenance。
Nadiadidnotdoubtthatpowerfulreasonsalonecouldhaveallowedhimtosuffersogreatahumiliationfromsuchaman。Goinguptohimashehadcometoherinthepolice-stationatNijni-Novgorod:
“Yourhand，brother，“saidshe。
Andatthesametimeherhand，withanalmostmaternalgesture，wipedawayatearwhichsprangtohercompanion’seye。
CHAPTERXIIIDUTYBEFOREEVERYTHING
NADIA，withtheclearperceptionofaright-mindedwoman，guessedthatsomesecretmotivedirectedallMichaelStrogoff’sactions；
thathe，forareasonunknowntoher，didnotbelongtohimself；
andthatinthisinstanceespeciallyhehadheroicallysacrificedtodutyevenhisresentmentatthegrossinjuryhehadreceived。
Nadia，therefore，askednoexplanationfromMichael。Hadnotthehandwhichshehadextendedtohimalreadyrepliedtoallthathemighthavebeenabletotellher？
Michaelremainedsilentalltheevening。Thepostmasternotbeingabletosupplythemwithfreshhorsesuntilthenextmorning，awholenightmustbepassedatthehouse。
Nadiacouldprofitbyittotakesomerest，andaroomwasthereforepreparedforher。
Theyounggirlwouldnodoubthavepreferrednottoleavehercompanion，butshefeltthathewouldratherbealone，andshemadereadytogotoherroom。
JustasshewasabouttoretireshecouldnotrefrainfromgoinguptoMichaeltosaygood-night。
“Brother，“shewhispered。Buthecheckedherwithagesture。
Thegirlsighedandlefttheroom。
MichaelStrogoffdidnotliedown。Hecouldnothavesleptevenforanhour。Theplaceonwhichhehadbeenstruckbythebrutaltravelerfeltlikeaburn。
“FormycountryandtheFather，“hemutteredasheendedhiseveningprayer。
Heespeciallyfeltagreatwishtoknowwhowasthemanwhohadstruckhim，whencehecame，andwherehewasgoing。
Astohisface，thefeaturesofitweresodeeplyengravenonhismemorythathehadnofearofeverforgettingthem。
MichaelStrogoffatlastaskedforthepostmaster。Thelatter，aSiberianoftheoldtype，camedirectly，andlookingrathercontemptuouslyattheyoungman，waitedtobequestioned。
“Youbelongtothecountry？“askedMichael。
“Yes。“
“Doyouknowthatmanwhotookmyhorses？“
“No。“
“Hadyouneverseenhimbefore？“
“Never。“
“Whodoyouthinkhewas？“
“Amanwhoknowshowtomakehimselfobeyed。“
MichaelfixedhispiercinggazeupontheSiberian，buttheotherdidnotquailbeforeit。
“Doyoudaretojudgeme？“exclaimedMichael。
“Yes，“answeredtheSiberian，“therearesomethingsevenaplainmerchantcannotreceivewithoutreturning。“
“Blows？“
“Blows，youngman。Iamofanageandstrengthtotellyouso。“
Michaelwentuptothepostmasterandlaidhistwopowerfulhandsonhisshoulders。
Theninapeculiarlycalmtone，“Beoff，myfriend，“saidhe:
“beoff！Icouldkillyou。“
Thepostmasterunderstood。“Ilikehimbetterforthat，“
hemutteredandretiredwithoutanotherword。
Ateighto’clockthenextmorning，the24thofJuly，threestronghorseswereharnessedtothetarantass。
MichaelStrogoffandNadiatooktheirplaces，andIchim，withitsdisagreeableremembrances，wassoonleftfarbehind。
AtthedifferentrelaysatwhichtheystoppedduringthedayStrogoffascertainedthattheberlinstillprecededthemontheroadtoIrkutsk，andthatthetraveler，ashurriedastheywere，neverlostaminuteinpursuinghiswayacrossthesteppe。
Atfouro’clockintheeveningtheyreachedAbatskaia，fiftymilesfartheron，wheretheIchim，oneoftheprincipalaffluentsoftheIrtych，hadtobecrossed。ThispassagewasrathermoredifficultthanthatoftheTobol。IndeedthecurrentoftheIchimwasveryrapidjustatthatplace。
DuringtheSiberianwinter，theriversbeingallfrozentoathicknessofseveralfeet，theyareeasilypracticable，andthetravelerevencrossesthemwithoutbeingawareofthefact，fortheirbedshavedisappearedunderthesnowysheetspreaduniformlyoverthesteppe；butinsummerthedifficultiesofcrossingaresometimesgreat。
Infact，twohoursweretakenupinmakingthepassageoftheIchim，whichmuchexasperatedMichael，especiallyastheboatmengavethemalarmingnewsoftheTartarinvasion。
SomeofFeofar-Khan’sscoutshadalreadyappearedonbothbanksofthelowerIchim，inthesouthernpartsofthegovernmentofTobolsk。Omskwasthreatened。TheyspokeofanengagementwhichhadtakenplacebetweentheSiberianandTartartroopsonthefrontierofthegreatKirghesehorde——anengagementnottotheadvantageoftheRussians，whowereweakinnumbers。
Thetroopshadretreatedthence，andinconsequencetherehadbeenageneralemigrationofallthepeasantsoftheprovince。
Theboatmenspokeofhorribleatrocitiescommittedbytheinvaders——
pillage，theft，incendiarism，murder。SuchwasthesystemofTartarwarfare。
ThepeopleallfledbeforeFeofar-Khan。MichaelStrogoff’sgreatfearwaslest，inthedepopulationofthetowns，heshouldbeunabletoobtainthemeansoftransport。
HewasthereforeextremelyanxioustoreachOmsk。PerhapstheretheywouldgetthestartoftheTartarscouts，whowerecomingdownthevalleyoftheIrtych，andwouldfindtheroadopentoIrkutsk。
Justattheplacewherethetarantasscrossedtheriverendedwhatiscalled，inmilitarylanguage，the“Ichimchain“——achainoftowers，orlittlewoodenforts，extendingfromthesouthernfrontierofSiberiaforadistanceofnearlyfourhundredversts。
FormerlythesefortswereoccupiedbydetachmentsofCossacks，andtheyprotectedthecountryagainsttheKirghese，aswellasagainsttheTartars。ButsincetheMuscoviteGovernmenthadbelievedthesehordesreducedtoabsolutesubmission，theyhadbeenabandoned，andnowcouldnotbeused；justatthetimewhentheywereneeded。
Manyofthesefortshadbeenreducedtoashes；andtheboatmenevenpointedoutthesmoketoMichael，risinginthesouthernhorizon，andshowingtheapproachoftheTartaradvance-guard。
AssoonastheferryboatlandedthetarantassontherightbankoftheIchim，thejourneyacrossthesteppewasresumedwithallspeed。
MichaelStrogoffremainedverysilent。Hewas，however，alwaysattentivetoNadia，helpinghertobearthefatigueofthislongjourneywithoutbreakorrest；butthegirlnevercomplained。
Shelongedtogivewingstothehorses。SomethingtoldherthathercompanionwasevenmoreanxiousthanherselftoreachIrkutsk；
andhowmanyverstswerestillbetween！
ItalsooccurredtoherthatifOmskwasenteredbytheTartars，Michael’smother，wholivedthere，wouldbeindanger，andthatthiswassufficienttoexplainherson’simpatiencetogettoher。
NadiaatlastspoketohimofoldMarfa，andofhowunprotectedshewouldbeinthemidstofalltheseevents。
“Haveyoureceivedanynewsofyourmothersincethebeginningoftheinvasion？“sheasked。
“None，Nadia。Thelastlettermymotherwrotetomecontainedgoodnews。MarfaisabraveandenergeticSiberianwoman。
Notwithstandingherage，shehaspreservedallhermoralstrength。
Sheknowshowtosuffer。“
“Ishallseeher，brother，“saidNadiaquickly。“Sinceyougivemethenameofsister，IamMarfa’sdaughter。“
AndasMichaeldidnotanswersheadded:
“PerhapsyourmotherhasbeenabletoleaveOmsk？“
“Itispossible，Nadia，“repliedMichael；“andIhopeshemayhavereachedTobolsk。MarfahatestheTartars。Sheknowsthesteppe，andwouldhavenofearinjusttakingherstaffandgoingdownthebanksoftheIrtych。Thereisnotaspotinalltheprovinceunknowntoher。
Manytimeshasshetraveledalloverthecountrywithmyfather；
andmanytimesImyself，whenamerechild，haveaccompaniedthemacrosstheSiberiandesert。Yes，Nadia，ItrustthatmymotherhasleftOmsk。“
“Andwhenshallyouseeher？“
“Ishallseeher——onmyreturn。“
“If，however，yourmotherisstillatOmsk，youwillbeabletospareanhourtogotoher？“