DuringthisdaytheycametothelittleriverOka，butitwasfordable，andtheyhadnodifficultyincrossing。Theskywascloudyandthetemperaturemoderate。Therewassomefearthattherainmightcomeon，whichwouldmuchhaveincreasedtheirmisery。
Afewshowersfell，buttheydidnotlast。
Theywentonasbefore，handinhand，speakinglittle，Nadialookingaboutoneveryside；twiceadaytheyhalted。
Sixhoursofthenightweregiventosleep。InafewhutsNadiaagainfoundalittlemutton；but，contrarytoMichael’shopes，therewasnotasinglebeastofburdeninthecountry；
horses，camels——allhadbeeneitherkilledorcarriedoff。
Theymuststillcontinuetoplodonacrossthiswearysteppeonfoot。
ThethirdTartarcolumn，onitswaytoIrkutsk，hadleftplaintraces:
hereadeadhorse，thereanabandonedcart。ThebodiesofunfortunateSiberianslayalongtheroad，principallyattheentrancestovillages。
Nadia，overcomingherrepugnance，lookedatallthesecorpses！
Thechiefdangerlay，notbefore，butbehind。
TheadvanceguardoftheEmir’sarmy，commandedbyIvanOgareff，mightatanymomentappear。TheboatssentdownthelowerYeniseimustbythistimehavereachedKrasnoiarskandbeenmadeuseof。Theroadwasthereforeopentotheinvaders。
NoRussianforcecouldbeopposedtothembetweenKrasnoiarskandLakeBaikal，MichaelthereforeexpectedbeforelongtheappearanceoftheTartarscouts。
Ateachhalt，NadiaclimbedsomehillandlookedanxiouslytotheWestward，butasyetnocloudofdusthadsignaledtheapproachofatroopofhorse。
Thenthemarchwasresumed；andwhenMichaelfeltthathewasdraggingpoorNadiaforwardtoorapidly，hewentataslowerpace。
Theyspokelittle，andonlyofNicholas。Theyounggirlrecalledallthatthiscompanionofafewdayshaddoneforthem。
Inanswering，MichaeltriedtogiveNadiasomehopeofwhichhedidnotfeelasparkhimself，forhewellknewthattheunfortunatefellowwouldnotescapedeath。
OnedayMichaelsaidtothegirl，“Youneverspeaktomeofmymother，Nadia。“
Hismother！Nadiahadneverwishedtodoso。Whyrenewhisgrief？
WasnottheoldSiberiandead？HadnothersongiventhelastkisstohercorpsestretchedontheplainofTomsk？
“Speaktomeofher，Nadia，“saidMichael。“Speak——youwillpleaseme。“
AndthenNadiadidwhatshehadnotdonebefore。ShetoldallthathadpassedbetweenMarfaandherselfsincetheirmeetingatOmsk，wheretheyhadseeneachotherforthefirsttime。
Shesaidhowaninexplicableinstincthadledhertowardstheoldprisonerwithoutknowingwhoshewas，andwhatencouragementshehadreceivedinreturn。AtthattimeMichaelStrogoffhadbeentoherbutNicholasKorpanoff。
“WhomIoughtalwaystohavebeen，“repliedMichael，hisbrowdarkening。
Thenlaterheadded，“Ihavebrokenmyoath，Nadia。Ihadswornnottoseemymother！“
“Butyoudidnottrytoseeher，Michael，“repliedNadia。“Chancealonebroughtyouintoherpresence。“
“Ihadsworn，whatevermighthappen，nottobetraymyself。“
“Michael，Michael！atsightofthelashraiseduponMarfa，couldyourefrain？No！Nooathcouldpreventasonfromsuccoringhismother！“
“Ihavebrokenmyoath，Nadia，“returnedMichael。“MayGodandtheFatherpardonme！“
“Michael，“resumedthegirl，“Ihaveaquestiontoaskyou。
Donotansweritifyouthinkyououghtnot。Nothingfromyouwouldvexme！“
“Speak，Nadia。“
“Why，nowthattheCzar’sletterhasbeentakenfromyou，areyousoanxioustoreachIrkutsk？“
Michaeltightlypressedhiscompanion’shand，buthedidnotanswer。
“DidyouknowthecontentsofthatletterbeforeyouleftMoscow？“
“No，Ididnotknow。“
“MustIthink，Michael，thatthewishalonetoplacemeinmyfather’shandsdrawsyoutowardIrkutsk？“
“No，Nadia，“repliedMichael，gravely。“IshoulddeceiveyouifIallowedyoutobelievethatitwasso。Igowheredutyordersmetogo。AstotakingyoutoIrkutsk，isitnotyou，Nadia，whoarenowtakingmethere？
DoInotseewithyoureyes；andisitnotyourhandthatguidesme？
Haveyounotrepaidahundred-foldthehelpwhichIwasabletogiveyouatfirst？Idonotknowiffatewillceasetogoagainstus；butthedayonwhichyouthankmeforhavingplacedyouinyourfather’shands，IinmyturnwillthankyouforhavingledmetoIrkutsk。“
“PoorMichael！“answeredNadia，withemotion。“Donotspeakso。
Thatdoesnotanswerme。Michael，why，now，areyouinsuchhastetoreachIrkutsk？“
“BecauseImustbetherebeforeIvanOgareff，“exclaimedMichael。
“Evennow？“
“Evennow，andIwillbethere，too！“
Inutteringthesewords，Michaeldidnotspeaksolelythroughhatredtothetraitor。Nadiaunderstoodthathercompanionhadnottold，orcouldnottell，herall。
Onthe15thofSeptember，threedayslater，thetworeachedthevillageofKouitounskoe。Theyounggirlsuffereddreadfully。
Herachingfeetcouldscarcelysupporther；butshefought，shestruggled，againstherweariness，andheronlythoughtwasthis:
“Sincehecannotseeme，IwillgoontillIdrop。“
Therewerenoobstaclesonthispartofthejourney，nodangereithersincethedepartureoftheTartars，onlymuchfatigue。
Forthreedaysitcontinuedthus。ItwasplainthatthethirdinvadingcolumnwasadvancingrapidlyintheEast；
thatcouldbeseenbytheruinswhichtheyleftafterthem——
thecoldcindersandthealreadydecomposingcorpses。
TherewasnothingtobeseenintheWest；theEmir’sadvance-guardhadnotyetappeared。Michaelbegantoconsiderthevariousreasonswhichmighthavecausedthisdelay。
WasasufficientforceofRussiansdirectlymenacingTomskorKrasnoiarsk？Didthethirdcolumn，isolatedfromtheothers，runariskofbeingcutoff？Ifthiswasthecase，itwouldbeeasyfortheGrandDuketodefendIrkutsk，andanytimegainedagainstaninvasionwasasteptowardsrepulsingit。
Michaelsometimeslethisthoughtsrunonthesehopes，buthesoonsawtheirimprobability，andfeltthatthepreservationoftheGrandDukedependedaloneonhim。
Nadiadraggedherselfalong。Whatevermightbehermoralenergy，herphysicalstrengthwouldsoonfailher。
Michaelknewitonlytoowell。Ifhehadnotbeenblind，Nadiawouldhavesaidtohim，“Go，Michael，leavemeinsomehut！
ReachIrkutsk！Accomplishyourmission！Seemyfather！
TellhimwhereIam！TellhimthatIwaitforhim，andyoubothwillknowwheretofindme！Start！Iamnotafraid！
IwillhidemyselffromtheTartars！Iwilltakecareofmyselfforhim，foryou！Go，Michael！Icangonofarther！“
ManytimesNadiawasobligedtostop。Michaelthentookherinhisstrongarmsand，havingnolongertothinkofherfatigue，walkedmorerapidlyandwithhisindefatigablestep。
Onthe18thofSeptember，attenintheevening，Kimilteiskoewasatlastentered。Fromthetopofahill，Nadiasawinthehorizonalonglightline。ItwastheDinkaRiver。Afewlightningflasheswerereflectedinthewater；summerlightning，withoutthunder。
Nadialedhercompanionthroughtheruinedvillage。
Thecinderswerequitecold。ThelastoftheTartarshadpassedthroughatleastfiveorsixdaysbefore。
Beyondthevillage，Nadiasankdownonastonebench。
“Shallwemakeahalt？“askedMichael。
“Itisnight，Michael，“answeredNadia。“Doyounotwanttorestafewhours？“
“IwouldratherhavecrossedtheDinka，“repliedMichael，“IshouldliketoputthatbetweenusandtheEmir’sadvance-guard。Butyoucanscarcelydragyourselfalong，mypoorNadia！“
“Come，Michael，“returnedNadia，seizinghercompanion’shandanddrawinghimforward。
TwoorthreeverstsfurthertheDinkaflowedacrosstheIrkutskroad。
Theyounggirlwishedtoattemptthislasteffortaskedbyhercompanion。
Shefoundherwaybythelightfromtheflashes。Theywerethencrossingaboundlessdesert，inthemidstofwhichwaslostthelittleriver。
Notatreenorahillockbroketheflatness。Notabreathdisturbedtheatmosphere，whosecalmnesswouldallowtheslightestsoundtotravelanimmensedistance。
Suddenly，MichaelandNadiastopped，asiftheirfeethadbeenfasttotheground。Thebarkingofadogcameacrossthesteppe。
“Doyouhear？“saidNadia。
Thenamournfulcrysucceededit——adespairingcry，likethelastappealofahumanbeingabouttodie。
“Nicholas！Nicholas！“criedthegirl，withaforebodingofevil。
Michael，whowaslistening，shookhishead。
“Come，Michael，come，“saidNadia。Andshewhojustnowwasdraggingherselfwithdifficultyalong，suddenlyrecoveredstrength，underviolentexcitement。
“Wehavelefttheroad，“saidMichael，feelingthathewastreadingnolongeronpowderysoilbutonshortgrass。
“Yes，wemust！“returnedNadia。“Itwasthere，ontheright，fromwhichthecrycame！“
Inafewminutestheywerenotmorethanhalfaverstfromtheriver。
Asecondbarkwasheard，but，althoughmorefeeble，itwascertainlynearer。Nadiastopped。
“Yes！“saidMichael。“ItisSerkobarking！……Hehasfollowedhismaster！“
“Nicholas！“calledthegirl。Hercrywasunanswered。
Michaellistened。Nadiagazedovertheplainilluminednowandagainwithelectriclight，butshesawnothing。
Andyetavoicewasagainraised，thistimemurmuringinaplaintivetone，“Michael！“
Thenadog，allbloody，boundeduptoNadia。
ItwasSerko！Nicholascouldnotbefaroff！HealonecouldhavemurmuredthenameofMichael！Wherewashe？
Nadiahadnostrengthtocallagain。Michael，crawlingontheground，feltaboutwithhishands。
SuddenlySerkoutteredafreshbarkanddartedtowardsagiganticbirdwhichhadswoopeddown。Itwasavulture。WhenSerkorantowardsit，itrose，butreturningstruckatthedog。Thelatterleaptupatit。
Ablowfromtheformidablebeakalightedonhishead，andthistimeSerkofellbacklifelessontheground。
AtthesamemomentacryofhorrorescapedNadia。“There……there！“
sheexclaimed。
Aheadissuedfromtheground！Shehadstumbledagainstitinthedarkness。
Nadiafellonherkneesbesideit。Nicholasburieduptohisneck，accordingtotheatrociousTartarcustom，hadbeenleftinthesteppetodieofthirst，andperhapsbytheteethofwolvesorthebeaksofbirdsofprey！
Frightfultortureforthevictimimprisonedintheground——
theearthpresseddownsothathecannotmove，hisarmsboundtohisbodylikethoseofacorpseinitscoffin！
Themiserablewretch，livinginthemoldofclayfromwhichheispowerlesstobreakout，canonlylongforthedeathwhichissoslowincoming！
TheretheTartarshadburiedtheirprisonerthreedaysbefore！
Forthreedays，Nicholaswaitedforthehelpwhichnowcametoolate！
Thevultureshadcaughtsightoftheheadonalevelwiththeground，andforsomehoursthedoghadbeendefendinghismasteragainsttheseferociousbirds！
Michaeldugatthegroundwithhisknifetoreleasehisfriend！
TheeyesofNicholas，whichtillthenhadbeenclosed，opened。
HerecognizedMichaelandNadia。“Farewell，myfriends！“hemurmured。
“Iamgladtohaveseenyouagain！Prayforme！“
Michaelcontinuedtodig，thoughtheground，havingbeentightlyrammeddown，wasashardasstone，andhemanagedatlasttogetoutthebodyoftheunhappyman。Helistenedifhisheartwasstillbeating……Itwasstill！
Hewishedtoburyhim，thathemightnotbeleftexposed；
andtheholeintowhichNicholashadbeenplacedwhenliving，wasenlarged，sothathemightbelaidinit——dead！ThefaithfulSerkowaslaidbyhismaster。
Atthatmoment，anoisewasheardontheroad，abouthalfaverstdistant。MichaelStrogofflistened。ItwasevidentlyadetachmentofhorseadvancingtowardstheDinka。“Nadia，Nadia！“
hesaidinalowvoice。