This occurrence, however, came to the knowledge of Ivan Ogareff, who was stationed in the town. To obtain possession of any official message, which, if delivered, would frustrate his plans, and to detain the courier was his great desire. He succeeded in arresting Michael Strogoff, and then sent for Marfa to appear before him. Marfa, standing before Ivan Ogareff, drew herself up, crossed her arms on her breast, and waited. "You are Marfa Strogoff?" asked Ogareff. "Yes." "Do you retract what you said a few hours ago?" "No." "Then you do not know that your son, Michael Strogoff, Courier to the Czar, has passed through Omsk?" "I do not know." "And the man whom you thought you recognized as your son, was not your son?" "He was not my son." "And since then, have you seen him among the prisoners?" "No." "If he were pointed out to you, would you recognize him?" "No." "Listen! Your son is here, and you shall immediately point him out to me." "No." "All these men will file before you, and if you do not show me Michael Strogoff, you shall receive as many blows from the knout as men shall have passed before you." On an order from Ogareff, the prisoners filed one by one past Marfa, who was immovable as a statue, and whose face expressed only perfect indifference. Michael was to all appearances unmoved, but the palms of his hands bled under the nails which were pressed into the flesh. Marfa, seized by two soldiers, was forced on her knees on the ground. Her dress torn off, left her back bare. A saber was placed before her breast at a few inches' distance. If she bent beneath her sufferings, her breast would be pierced by the sharp steel. The Tartar drew himself up and waited. "Begin," said Ogareff. The whip whistled through the air, but, before it fell, a powerful hand stopped the Tartar's arm. Ivan Ogareff had succeeded. "Michael Strogoff!" "Ivan Ogareff!" and raising the knout, he struck Ogareff a blow across the face. "Blow for blow." Twenty soldiers threw themselves on Michael and in another instant he would have been slain, but Ogareff stopped them. "This man is reserved for the Emir's judgment. Search him." The letter bearing the imperial arms was bound in Michael's bosom; he had not had time to destroy it. It was handed to Ogareff. "Your forehead to the ground!" exclaimed Ogareff. "No!" Two soldiers tried to make him bend, but were themselves laid on the ground by a blow from Michael's fist. "Who is this prisoner?" asked the Emir. "A Russian spy," answered Ogareff. In asserting that Michael was a spy, he knew that the sentence would be terrible. The Emir made a sign, at which all bowed low their heads. Then he pointed to the Koran which was brought him. He opened the sacred book, and placing his finger on one of its pages, read in loud voice, a verse ending in these words: "And he shall no more see the things of this earth."