.
Are they Russians or Tartars?"

Michael again listened. "Yes," said he, "they are at a sharp trot. My
horse cannot outstrip them. If they are Russians I will join them; if
Tartars I must avoid them. But how? Where can I hide in this steppe?"

He gave a look around, and, through the darkness, discovered a confused
mass at a hundred paces before him on the left of the road. "There is a
copse!" he exclaimed. "To take refuge there is to run the risk of being
caught, if they are in search of me; but I have no choice."

In a few moments Michael, dragging his horse by the bridle, reached
a little larch wood, through which the road lay. Beyond this it was
destitute of trees, and wound among bogs and pools, separated by
dwarfed bushes, whins, and heather. The ground on either side was quite
impracticable, and the detachment must necessarily pass through the
wood. They were pursuing the high road to Irkutsk. Plunging in about
forty feet, he was stopped by a stream running under the brushwood. But
the shadow was so deep that Michael ran no risk of being seen, unless
the wood should be carefully searched. He therefore led his horse to the
stream and fastened him to a tree, returning to the edge of the road to
listen and ascertain with what sort of people he had to do.

Michael had scarcely taken up his position behind a group of larches
when a confused light appeared, above which glared brighter lights
waving about in the shadow.

"Torches!" said he to himself. And he drew quickly back, gliding like a
savage into the thickest underwood.

As they approached the wood the horses' pace was slackened. The horsemen
were probably lighting up the road with the intention of examining every
turn.

Michael feared this, and instinctively drew near to the bank of the
stream, ready to plunge in if necessary.

Arrived at the top of the wood, the detachment halted. The horsemen
dismounted. There were about fifty. A dozen of them carried torches,
lighting up the road.

By watching their preparations Michael found to his joy that the
detachment were not thinking of visiting the copse, but only bivouacking
near, to rest their horses and allow the men to take some refreshment.
The horses were soon unsaddled, and began to graze on the thick grass
which carpeted the ground. The men meantime stretched themselves by the
side of the road, and partook of the provisions they produced from their
knapsacks.

Michael's self-possession had never d