re dripping. A crowd of officers coming for orders, and of
soldiers running to execute them, filled the great hall on the ground
floor. There, in a sudden eddy of the confused multitude, Michael and
the young girl were separated from each other.

Nadia ran distracted through the passages, calling her companion, and
asking to be taken to the Grand Duke. A door into a room flooded with
light opened before her. She entered, and found herself suddenly face to
face with the man whom she had met at Ichim, whom she had seen at Tomsk;
face to face with the one whose villainous hand would an instant later
betray the town!

"Ivan Ogareff!" she cried.

On hearing his name pronounced, the wretch started. His real name known,
all his plans would be balked. There was but one thing to be done: to
kill the person who had just uttered it. Ogareff darted at Nadia; but
the girl, a knife in her hand, retreated against the wall, determined to
defend herself.

"Ivan Ogareff!" again cried Nadia, knowing well that so detested a name
would soon bring her help.

"Ah! Be silent!" hissed out the traitor between his clenched teeth.

"Ivan Ogareff!" exclaimed a third time the brave young girl, in a voice
to which hate had added ten-fold strength.

Mad with fury, Ogareff, drawing a dagger from his belt, again rushed at
Nadia and compelled her to retreat into a corner of the room. Her last
hope appeared gone, when the villain, suddenly lifted by an irresistible
force, was dashed to the ground.

"Michael!" cried Nadia.

It was Michael Strogoff. Michael had heard Nadia's call. Guided by her
voice, he had just in time reached Ivan Ogareff's room, and entered by
the open door.

"Fear nothing, Nadia," said he, placing himself between her and Ogareff.

"Ah!" cried the girl, "take care, brother! The traitor is armed! He can
see!"

Ogareff rose, and, thinking he had an immeasurable advantage over the
blind man leaped upon him. But with one hand, the blind man grasped the
arm of his enemy, seized his weapon, and hurled him again to the ground.

Pale with rage and shame, Ogareff remembered that he wore a sword. He
drew it and returned a second time to the charge. A blind man! Ogareff
had only to deal with a blind man! He was more than a match for him!

Nadia, terrified at the danger which threatened her companion ran to the
door calling for help!

"Close the door, Nadia!" said Michael. "Call no one, and leave me alone!
The Czar's courier has