MichaelStrogoffresignedhimselfthereforetopassthenightatElamsk，togivehishorsetwelvehours’rest。HerecalledtheinstructionswhichhadbeengiventohimatMoscow——tocrossSiberiaincognito，toarriveatIrkutsk，butnottosacrificesuccesstotherapidityofthejourney；
andconsequentlyitwasnecessarythatheshouldhusbandthesolemeansoftransportwhichremainedtohim。
Onthemorrow，MichaelStrogoffleftElamskatthemomentwhenthefirstTartarscoutsweresignaledtenverstsbehindupontheroadtotheBaraba，andheplungedagainintotheswampyregion。
Theroadwaslevel，whichmadeiteasy，butverytortuous，andthereforelong。Itwasimpossible，moreover，toleaveit，andtostrikeastraightlineacrossthatimpassablenetworkofpoolsandbogs。
Onthenextday，the1stofAugust，eightymilesfarther，MichaelStrogoffarrivedatmiddayatthetownofSpaskoe，andattwoo’clockhehaltedatPokrowskoe。Hishorse，jadedsincehisdeparturefromElamsk，couldnothavetakenasinglestepmore。