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ButthispursuitcouldonlyterminatetoMichael’sdisadvantage。
Hishorsewasalmostexhausted。Hemanagedtoreachthebankoftheriver。TheUsbeckdetachmentwasnownotmorethanfiftypacesbehindhim。
TheObiwasdeserted——notaboatofanydescriptionwhichcouldtakehimoverthewater！
“Courage，mybravehorse！“criedMichael。“Come！Alasteffort！“
Andheplungedintotheriver，whichherewashalfaverstinwidth。
Itwouldhavebeendifficulttostandagainstthecurrent——
indeed，Michael’shorsecouldgetnofooting。Hemustthereforeswimacrosstheriver，althoughitwasrapidasatorrent。
EventoattemptitshowedMichael’smarvelouscourage。
Thesoldiersreachedthebank，buthesitatedtoplungein。
Thependja-baschiseizedhismusketandtookaimatMichael，whomhecouldseeinthemiddleofthestream。
Theshotwasfired，andMichael’shorse，struckintheside，wasborneawaybythecurrent。
Hismaster，speedilydisentanglinghimselffromhisstirrups，struckoutboldlyfortheshore。Inthemidstofahailstormofballshemanagedtoreachtheoppositeside，anddisappearedintherushes。
CHAPTERXVIITHERIVALS
MICHAELwasincomparativesafety，thoughhissituationwasstillterrible。Nowthatthefaithfulanimalwhohadsobravelybornehimhadmethisdeathinthewatersoftheriver，howwashetocontinuehisjourney？
Hewasonfoot，withoutprovisions，inacountrydevastatedbytheinvasion，overrunbytheEmir’sscouts，andstillataconsiderabledistancefromtheplacehewasstrivingtoreach。
“ByHeaven，Iwillgetthere！“heexclaimed，inreplytoallthereasonsforfaltering。“GodwillprotectoursacredRussia。“
MichaelwasoutofreachoftheUsbeckhorsemen。
Theyhadnotdaredtopursuehimthroughtheriver。
OncemoreonsolidgroundMichaelstoppedtoconsiderwhatheshoulddonext。HewishedtoavoidTomsk，nowoccupiedbytheTartartroops。Nevertheless，hemustreachsometown，oratleastapost-house，wherehecouldprocureahorse。
Ahorseoncefound，hewouldthrowhimselfoutofthebeatentrack，andnotagaintaketotheIrkutskroaduntilintheneighborhoodofKrasnoiarsk。Fromthatplace，ifhewerequick，hehopedtofindthewaystillopen，andheintendedtogothroughtheLakeBaikalprovincesinasoutheasterlydirection。
Michaelbeganbygoingeastward。ByfollowingthecourseoftheObitwoverstsfurther，hereachedapicturesquelittletownlyingonasmallhill。Afewchurches，withByzantinecupolascoloredgreenandgold，stoodupagainstthegraysky。
ThisisKolyvan，wheretheofficersandpeopleemployedatKamskandothertownstakerefugeduringthesummerfromtheunhealthyclimateoftheBaraba。AccordingtothelatestnewsobtainedbytheCzar’scourier，Kolyvancouldnotbeyetinthehandsoftheinvaders。TheTartartroops，dividedintotwocolumns，hadmarchedtotheleftonOmsk，totherightonTomsk，neglectingtheintermediatecountry。
MichaelStrogoff’splanwassimplythis——toreachKolyvanbeforethearrivaloftheUsbeckhorsemen，whowouldascendtheotherbankoftheObitotheferry。Therehewouldprocureclothesandahorse，andr俿um？theroadtoIrkutskacrossthesouthernsteppe。
Itwasnowthreeo’clockinthemorning。TheneighborhoodofKolyvanwasverystill，andappearedtohavebeentotallyabandoned。
Thecountrypopulationhadevidentlyfledtothenorthwards，totheprovinceofYeniseisk，dreadingtheinvasion，whichtheycouldnotresist。
MichaelwaswalkingatarapidpacetowardsKolyvanwhendistantfiringstruckhisear。Hestopped，andclearlydistinguishedthedullroarofartillery，andaboveitacrisprattlewhichcouldnotbemistaken。
“Itiscannonandmusketry！“saidhe。“ThelittleRussianbodyisengagedwiththeTartararmy！PrayHeaventhatImayarriveatKolyvanbeforethem！“
Thefiringbecamegraduallylouder，andsoontotheleftofKolyvanamistcollected——notsmoke，butthosegreatwhitecloudsproducedbydischar
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