“Why，NicholasKorpanoff’ssister。“
“Isshehissister？“
“No；hisgrandmother！“repliedAlcide，angryathisindifference。
“Whatageshouldyouconsiderher？“
“HadIbeenpresentatherbirthImighthaveknown。“
VeryfewoftheSiberianpeasantsweretobeseeninthefields。
Thesepeasantsareremarkablefortheirpale，gravefaces，whichacelebratedtravelerhascomparedtothoseoftheCastilians，withoutthehaughtinessofthelatter。HereandtheresomevillagesalreadydesertedindicatedtheapproachoftheTartarhordes。
Theinhabitants，havingdrivenofftheirflocksofsheep，theircamels，andtheirhorses，weretakingrefugeintheplainsofthenorth。
SometribesofthewanderingKirghiz，whoremainedfaithful，hadtransportedtheirtentsbeyondtheIrtych，toescapethedepredationsoftheinvaders。
Happily，posttravelingwasasyetuninterrupted；andtelegraphiccommunicationcouldstillbeeffectedbetweenplacesconnectedwiththewire。Ateachrelayhorsesweretobehadontheusualconditions。
Ateachtelegraphicstationtheclerkstransmittedmessagesdeliveredtothem，delayingforStatedispatchesalone。
Thusfar，then，Michael’sjourneyhadbeenaccomplishedsatisfactorily。
ThecourieroftheCzarhadinnowaybeenimpeded；and，ifhecouldonlygetontoKrasnoiarsk，whichseemedthefarthestpointattainedbyFeofar-Khan’sTartars，heknewthathecouldarriveatIrkutsk，beforethem。ThedayafterthetwocarriageshadleftEkaterenburgtheyreachedthesmalltownofToulouguiskatseveno’clockinthemorning，havingcoveredtwohundredandtwentyversts，noeventworthyofmentionhavingoccurred。Thesameevening，the22dofJuly，theyarrivedatTioumen。
Tioumen，whosepopulationisusuallytenthousandinhabitants，thencontaineddoublethatnumber。This，thefirstindustrialtownestablishedbytheRussiansinSiberia，inwhichmaybeseenafinemetal-refiningfactoryandabellfoundry，hadneverbeforepresentedsuchananimatedappearance。
Thecorrespondentsimmediatelywentoffafternews。
ThatbroughtbySiberianfugitivesfromtheseatofwarwasfarfromreassuring。Theysaid，amongstotherthings，thatFeofar-Khan’sarmywasrapidlyapproachingthevalleyoftheIchim，andtheyconfirmedthereportthattheTartarchiefwassoontobejoinedbyColonelOgareff，ifhehadnotbeensoalready。HencetheconclusionwasthatoperationswouldbepushedinEasternSiberiawiththegreatestactivity。
However，theloyalCossacksofthegovernmentofTobolskwereadvancingbyforcedmarchestowardsTomsk，inthehopeofcuttingofftheTartarcolumns。
AtmidnightthetownofNovo-Saimskwasreached；andthetravelersnowleftbehindthemthecountrybrokenbytree-coveredhills，thelastremainsoftheUrals。
HerebegantheregularSiberiansteppewhichextendstotheneighborhoodofKrasnoiarsk。Itisaboundlessplain，avastgrassydesert；
earthandskyhereformacircleasdistinctasthattracedbyasweepofthecompasses。Thesteppepresentsnothingtoattractnoticebutthelonglineofthetelegraphposts，theirwiresvibratinginthebreezelikethestringsofaharp。
Theroadcouldbedistinguishedfromtherestoftheplainonlybythecloudsoffinedustwhichroseunderthewheelsofthetarantass。
Haditnotbeenforthiswhiteriband，whichstretchedawayasfarastheeyecouldreach，thetravelersmighthavethoughtthemselvesinadesert。
Michaelandhiscompanionsagainpressedrapidlyforward。
Thehorses，urgedonbytheiemschik，seemedtoflyovertheground，fortherewasnottheslightestobstacletoimpedethem。
ThetarantasswasgoingstraightforIchim，wherethetwocorrespondentsintendedtostop，ifnothinghappenedtomakethemaltertheirplans。
AhundredandtwentymilesseparatedNovo-SaimskfromthetownofIchim，andbeforeeighto’clockthenexteveningthedistancecouldandshouldbeaccomplishedifnotimewaslost。
Intheopinionoftheiemschiks，shouldthetravelersnotbegreatlordsorhighfunctionaries，theywereworthyofbeingso，ifitwasonlyfortheirgenerosityinthematterof“navodkou。“
Ontheafternoonofthenextday，the23rdofJuly，thetwocarriageswerenotmorethanthirtyverstsfromIchim。SuddenlyMichaelcaughtsightofacarriage——scarcelyvisibleamongthecloudsofdust——
precedingthemalongtheroad。Ashishorseswereevidentlylessfatiguedthanthoseoftheothertraveler，hewouldnotbelonginovertakingit。Thiswasneitheratarantassnoratelga，butapost-berlin，whichlookedasifithadmadealongjourney。
Thepostillionwasthrashinghishorseswithallhismight，andonlykeptthematagallopbydintofabuseandblows。
TheberlinhadcertainlynotpassedthroughNovo-Saimsk，andcouldonlyhavestrucktheIrkutskroadbysomelessfrequentedrouteacrossthesteppe。
Ourtravelers’firstthought，onseeingthisberlin，wastogetinfrontofit，andarrivefirstattherelay，soastomakesureoffreshhorses。
Theysaidawordtotheiriemschiks，whosoonbroughtthemupwiththeberlin。
MichaelStrogoffcameupfirst。Ashepassed，aheadwasthrustoutofthewindowoftheberlin。
Hehadnottimetoseewhatitwaslike，butashedashedbyhedistinctlyheardthisword，utteredinanimperioustone:“Stop！“
Buttheydidnotstop；onthecontrary，theberlinwassoondistancedbythetwotarantasses。
Itnowbecamearegularrace；forthehorsesoftheberlin——
nodoubtexcitedbythesightandpaceoftheothers——
recoveredtheirstrengthandkeptupforsomeminutes。
Thethreecarriageswerehiddeninacloudofdust。
Fromthiscloudissuedthecrackingofwhipsmingledwithexcitedshoutsandexclamationsofanger。
Nevertheless，theadvantageremainedwithMichaelandhiscompanions，whichmightbeveryimportanttothemiftherelaywaspoorlyprovidedwithhorses。Twocarriageswereperhapsmorethanthepostmastercouldprovidefor，atleastinashortspaceoftime。
Halfanhouraftertheberlinwasleftfarbehind，lookingonlyaspeckonthehorizonofthesteppe。
Itwaseighto’clockintheeveningwhenthetwocarriagesreachedIchim。Thenewswasworseandworsewithregardtotheinvasion。ThetownitselfwasmenacedbytheTartarvanguard；
andtwodaysbeforetheauthoritieshadbeenobligedtoretreattoTobolsk。TherewasnotanofficernorasoldierleftinIchim。
Onarrivingattherelay，MichaelStrogoffimmediatelyaskedforhorses。Hehadbeenfortunateindistancingtheberlin。
Onlythreehorseswerefittobeharnessed。Theothershadjustcomeinwornoutfromalongstage。
AsthetwocorrespondentsintendedtostopatIchim，theyhadnottotroublethemselvestofindtransport，andhadtheircarriageputaway。
IntenminutesMichaelwastoldthathistarantasswasreadytostart。
“Good，“saidhe。
Thenturningtothetworeporters:“Well，gentlemen，thetimeiscomeforustoseparate。“
“What，Mr。Korpanoff，“saidAlcideJolivet，“shallyounotstopevenforanhouratIchim？“
“No，sir；andIalsowishtoleavethepost-housebeforethearrivaloftheberlinwhichwedistanced。“
“Areyouafraidthatthetravelerwilldisputethehorseswithyou？“
“Iparticularlywishtoavoidanydifficulty。“
“Then，Mr。Korpanoff，“saidJolivet，“itonlyremainsforustothankyouoncemorefortheserviceyourenderedus，andthepleasurewehavehadintravelingwithyou。“
“ItispossiblethatweshallmeetyouagaininafewdaysatOmsk，“addedBlount。
“Itispossible，“answeredMichael，“sinceIamgoingstraightthere。“
“Well，Iwishyouasafejourney，Mr。Korpanoff，“saidAlcide，“andHeavenpreserveyoufromtelgas。“
ThetworeportersheldouttheirhandstoMichaelwiththeintentionofcordiallyshakinghis，whenthesoundofacarriagewasheardoutside。
Almostimmediatelythedoorwasflungopenandamanappeared。
Itwasthetraveleroftheberlin，amilitary-lookingman，apparentlyaboutfortyyearsofage，tall，robustinfigure，broad-shouldered，withastrongly-sethead，andthickmus-tachesmeetingredwhiskers。Heworeaplainuniform。
Acavalrysaberhungathisside，andinhishandheheldashort-handledwhip。
“Horses，“hedemanded，withtheairofamanaccustomedtocommand。
“Ihavenomoredisposablehorses，“answeredthepostmaster，bowing。
“Imusthavesomethismoment。“
“Itisimpossible。“
“WhatarethosehorseswhichhavejustbeenharnessedtothetarantassIsawatthedoor？“
“Theybelongtothistraveler，“answeredthepostmaster，pointingtoMichaelStrogoff。
“Takethemout！“saidthetravelerinatonewhichadmittedofnoreply。
Michaelthenadvanced。
“Thesehorsesareengagedbyme，“hesaid。
“Whatdoesthatmatter？Imusthavethem。Come，bequick；
Ihavenotimetolose。“
“Ihavenotimetoloseeither，“repliedMichael，restraininghimselfwithdifficulty。