In which a traveller, beset by a fierce steppe snowstorm and accompanied by his taciturn servant, is guided to shelter by a mysterious and wily Cossack fellow who soon reveals a rough camaraderie steeped in local slang and lore. Upon reaching Orenburg, the traveller is introduced to a stern yet kindly old General who, after reading a familiar letter, dispatches him to serve at a remote frontier fort, setting the stage for a new chapter in his life.