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of the old Tsigane, whose face he had not been able to see,
and of the strange woman who accompanied him, and then of the
peculiar glance which she had cast at him. Suddenly, close by
he heard a pistol-shot.

"Ah! forward, sirs!" cried he.

"Hullo!" said Alcide to himself, "this quiet merchant who always
avoids bullets is in a great hurry to go where they are flying
about just now!"

Quickly followed by Harry Blount, who was not a man to be behind
in danger, he dashed after Michael. In another instant the three
were opposite the projecting rock which protected the tarantass
at the turning of the road.

The clump of pines struck by the lightning was still burning.
There was no one to be seen. However, Michael was not mistaken.
Suddenly a dreadful growling was heard, and then another report.

"A bear;" cried Michael, who could not mistake the growling.
"Nadia; Nadia!" And drawing his cutlass from his belt,
Michael bounded round the buttress behind which the young girl
had promised to wait.

The pines, completely enveloped in flames, threw a wild glare
on the scene. As Michael reached the tarantass, a huge animal
retreated towards him.

It was a monstrous bear. The tempest had driven it from the woods, and it
had come to seek refuge in this cave, doubtless its habitual retreat,
which Nadia then occupied.

Two of the horses, terrified at the presence of the enormous creature,
breaking their traces, had escaped, and the iemschik, thinking only
of his beasts, leaving Nadia face to face with the bear, had gone
in pursuit of them.

But the brave girl had not lost her presence of mind.
The animal, which had not at first seen her, was attacking
the remaining horse. Nadia, leaving the shelter in which she
had been crouching, had run to the carriage, taken one of
Michael's revolvers, and, advancing resolutely towards the bear,
had fired close to it.

The animal, slightly wounded in the shoulder, turned on the girl,
who rushed for protection behind the tarantass, but then,
seeing that the horse was attempting to break its traces,
and knowing that if it did so, and the others were not recovered,
their journey could not be continued, with the most perfect
coolness she again approached the bear, and, as it raised its paws
to strike her down, gave it the contents of the second barrel.

This was the report which Michael had just heard. In an instant he was
on the spot. Another bound and he was between the bear and the girl.
His arm made one movement upwards, and the enormous beast,
ripped up by that terrible knife, fell to the ground a lifeless mass.
He had executed in splendid style the famous blow of the Siberian hunters,
who endeavor not to damage the precious fur of the bear, which fetches
a high price.

"You are not wounded, sister?" said Michael, springing to the side
of the young girl.

"No, brother," replied Nadia.

At that moment the two journalists came up. Alcide seized
the horse's head, and, in an instant, his strong wrist mastered it.

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