At Orenburg I was in safety, but the town was soon besieged, and I could not persuade the general to sally out and attack the rebels.  All through those dreary weeks of the siege I was wondering anxiously about Marya, and then one day when we had been driving off a party of cossacks, one of the rebels, whom I recognised a former soldier at Belogorsk, lingered to give me a letter.  It was from Marya, and she told me that she was now in the house of Chvabrine, who threatened to kill her or hand her over to the robber camp if she did not marry him, and that she had but three days left before her fate would be sealed.  Death would be easier, she said, than to be the wife of a man like Chvabrine.

I rushed off at once to the general, and implored him to give me a battalion of soldiers, and let me march on Belogorsk; but the general only shook his head, and said the expedition was unreasonable.

I decided to go alone and appeal to Pugatchef, but the faithful Saveluetch insisted on accompanying me, and together we arrived at the rebel camp.

Pugatchef received me quite cordially, and I told him the truth, that I was in love with Marya, and that Chvabrine was persecuting her.  He flared up indignantly at Chvabrine’s presumption, and declared he would take me at once to Belogorsk, and attend my wedding.  But on our arrival Chvabrine mentioned that Marya was the daughter of Mironoff, and immediately the countenance of the robber chief clouded over.

“Listen,” I said, knowing Pugatchef was well disposed towards me.  “Do not ask of me anything against my honour or my conscience.  Let me go with this unhappy orphan whither God shall direct, and whatever befall we will pray every day to God to watch over you.”

It seemed as if Pugatchef’s fierce heart was touched.  “Be it as you wish,” he answered.  “Either entirely punish or entirely pardon is my motto.  Take your pretty one where you like, and may God give you love and wisdom.”

A safe-conduct pass was given us, and I made up my mind to take Marya to my parents’ house.  I knew my father would think it a duty and an honour to shelter the daughter of a veteran who had died for his country.  But Marya said she would never be my wife unless my parents approved of the marriage.  We set off, and as we started I saw Chvabrine standing at the commandant’s window, with a face of dark hatred.

III.—­The Arrest

I parted from Marya two days later, and entrusted her to Saveluetch, who promised me to escort her faithfully to my parents.  My reason for this was that we had fallen in with a detachment of the army, and the officer in charge persuaded me to join him, and it seemed to me I was bound in honour to serve the tzarina.

So all that winter, and right on till the spring came, we pursued the rebels; and still Pugatchef remained untaken; and this war with the robbers went on to the destruction of the countryside.