However, after Nadia came Marfa Strogoff; and as she did not throw
herself quickly in the dust, the guards brutally pushed her.
She fell.
Her son struggled so violently that the soldiers who were guarding
him could scarcely hold him back. But the old woman rose,
and they were about to drag her on, when Ogareff interposed,
saying, "Let that woman stay!"
As to Nadia, she happily regained the crowd of prisoners.
Ivan Ogareff had taken no notice of her.
Michael was then led before the Emir, and there he remained standing,
without casting down his eyes.
"Your forehead to the ground!" cried Ogareff.
"No!" answered Michael.
Two soldiers endeavored to make him bend, but they were themselves
laid on the ground by a buffet from the young man's fist.
Ogareff approached Michael. "You shall die!" he said.
"I can die," answered Michael fiercely; "but your traitor's face, Ivan,
will not the less carry forever the infamous brand of the knout."
At this reply Ivan Ogareff became perfectly livid.
"Who is this prisoner?" asked the Emir, in a tone of voice terrible
from its very calmness.
"A Russian spy," answered Ogareff. In asserting that Michael was a spy
he knew that the sentence pronounced against him would be terrible.
The Emir made a sign at which all the crowd bent low their heads.
Then he pointed with his hand to the Koran, which was brought him.
He opened the sacred book and placed his finger on one of its pages.
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