CHAPTER X.
COUNT BLOWINSKI.
"You are sure now that you know exactly what to do?" asked Czar Nicholasof the two lads several hours later.
"Perfectly, your Majesty," said Frank with a bow.
"We have our instructions well memorized, sire," Jack agreed.
"Very well. Now if you will step into the next room you will findclothing laid out for you. I have seen to all arrangements while youwere discussing details with Lord Hastings."
"And you say the papers that are to be found on us are concealed in thelining of the coats, sir?" asked Jack.
"Yes; I had them prepared hurriedly, but they will pass muster. They areidentical; so, when the count finds them, he will believe, as I wish himto believe, that they were sent in duplicate that he might be sure ofgetting one if the other was caught."
"And we are not to know the contents, sire?"
"It is not necessary," was the reply. "You will shape your courseaccording to events as they transpire. First, you must get into the goodgraces of the count."
"We'll try, sire," said Jack.
The two lads stepped into the next room, where, as the Czar had said,two suits of clothing were laid out. The garments caused the lads nolittle wonder that they could have been procured so readily. Of coarseweave, they were, nevertheless, of unmistakable German pattern, whenexamined closely. There was no hint of Russian manufacture about them.
Dressed and ready, they returned to where the Czar and Lord Hastingsawaited them.
"All ready, sire," said Jack.
The Czar nodded. Walking to a little cabinet at the far end of the room,he returned with two wicked looking automatics. He extended one to eachlad.
"A present from my kingly cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm," he said. "May theystand you in good stead. Now, you are sure that you understand thesituation perfectly?"
The lads nodded.
"Good, then. Now, I will not tell you how I shall arrange for you to bepicked up by Count Blowinski. You will know in due season. All you haveto do is to board the night express for Moscow. It is now dark and thetrain will not leave for another hour. You have plenty of time, andmoney for your tickets you will find in your pockets. When events haveshaped themselves so that you know there will be no chance of a slip,you will let me know in some manner. Trust no agents. I leave the way toyou."
The Czar extended a hand to each lad.
"Good luck to you both," he said simply.
The lads bowed and then made their way from the palace, leaving LordHastings behind, for it had been agreed that he should not be seen withthem. They had secured directions to the railroad station and onceoutside the palace they turned their footsteps in that direction andwalked along slowly.
"This train doesn't reach Moscow until morning," said Frank, "so weshall be able to get all the rest we need en route. I am curious to knowjust how we are to fall in with the esteemed count."
"So am I," Jack agreed, "but I guess the Emperor of all the Russias hasa few strings he can pull without any one being the wiser. The thingthat troubles me is, will we be able to fool the count?"
"It's our business to see that we do," was Frank's reply. "By the way,talking about the count, do you know that I think a whole lot of thisgun the Czar gave me? I wouldn't want to lose it."
"Think you could hit anything with it?" queried Jack with a smile.
"Well, I guess I wouldn't miss very far."
"I agree with you. Having seen you shoot a time or two, I am willing tolay a small wager you will come pretty close to anything you aim at.They are pretty weapons, and that's a fact."
"I am in hopes I don't have to use it," said Frank seriously, "but I cantell by the feel of it that it is to be depended on. Yes, it's a prettyhandy pocket piece."
"Here we are at the station," said Jack at this juncture. "In the futurewe'll do all our talking in German or French--French while we believe weare among friends, and German at other times. English is dangerous."
Frank nodded his understanding.
"I'll get the tickets," he said.
He took from his pocket a roll of bills and extracted one he feltsure--he couldn't tell positively for he knew almost nothing of Russianmoney--was sufficient to pay for two tickets, and approaching the windowsaid "Two to Moscow" in French. The agent passed out the tickets andFrank tendered the bill. He accepted what change was passed to himwithout a word and inquired the way to the train. After some littletrouble they found themselves in a second-class compartment and settledback in their seats as comfortably as possible.
"And here we shall stay until we get to Moscow," said Jack. "Then, ifsomething hasn't turned up, we'll go straight to the best hotel. We maytrust the Czar not to lose sight of us."
Frank nodded.
"Best plan, I guess," he agreed.
A short time later the train started. The two lads, much to theirrelief, found they were to have no fellow travelers in theircompartment. They conversed in low tones until the conductor came fortheir tickets, but once that worthy had taken his departure, Frank said:
"Well, it's a long ride, and not knowing what is in store for us at theother end, I vote we try and catch forty winks."
"I'm with you," declared Jack.
They settled themselves comfortably and closed their eyes. Five minuteslater, as the train sped on in the darkness, they slept peacefully,utterly oblivious of the danger they were in or of what the morrow mightbring forth.
How long they slept neither lad could tell, but it seemed to each thathe had hardly closed his eyes when he was awakened by loud voiceswithout. Both were awake instantly and as instantly each recognized thefact that the train was at a standstill. Light streamed through thewindow.
"Must be Moscow," muttered Jack.
"Right you are," Frank agreed. "But why all this fuss on the outside."
"I don't know why nor what," said Jack. "If they would only talk a whiteman's language we might learn what it is all about."
"Or German," Frank agreed.
At this moment the door to their compartment was thrown rudely open anda uniformed figure--that of a colonel of cavalry--appeared in thedoorway.
Jack drew himself up.
"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded in French. "Why do you forceyour way into our compartment?"
"That," said the officer, also in French, "you will learn in good time.You are under arrest."
"Arrest!" cried Frank. "And what for?"
"All in good time, all in good time," said the officer with adeprecating gesture. "Out here with you."
"See here," protested Jack, "I wish you to understand that you aretalking to two French gentlemen, allies of Russia in this criticalstage, and I must insist that you be more choice in your words."
"So?" queried the Russian with an evil leer. "Just to put a stop to allthis foolishness, I may as well tell you that I know you for what youare. You are both German spies."
"Spies?" echoed Frank. "I assure you, sir----"
"It's no use," declared the Russian. "You have been followed for daysnow. We were warned of your approach and instructed to arrest you bothon sight. You will come with me now, without further talk."
Jack said a few words in an aside to Frank. Immediately the Russianofficer produced a pair of revolvers, with which he covered the twolads.
"No foolishness," he said quietly. "I have a squad of my men out here.Will you come out, or must I use force?"
"I assure you you are making a grave mistake," declared Jack, "butrather than cause unpleasantness, we shall come with you until we areable to prove our identities."
"You are sensible, sir," returned the officer quietly. "Alight, please."
Jack stepped from the compartment first and Frank directly behind him.Outside, a squad of half-a-dozen men surrounded them and they weremarched away. They walked down several streets and turned in toward arather handsome appearing building. Here they were led before a figureattired in the
uniform of a Russian general.
This officer heard the report of his subordinate and then commanded:
"Relieve them of what weapons they may have."
An officer felt through their pockets and removed the revolvers sorecently given them by the Czar. Then the general ordered:
"Lock them up and see that they are kept safely."
Again the lads were marched down a long corridor, then down a flight oflong steps into inky blackness; thence along another corridor andfinally into a low and narrow cell. Here they were locked in and theofficer and his men withdrew.
"Nice place this," said Frank, after their captor had taken hisdeparture.
"Rather," agreed Jack dryly. "Doesn't look to me as though we were goingto get very far with this mission."
"Come now," said Frank, "you don't mean to tell me you don't see throughthis?"
"See through what?" demanded Jack. "This darkness? Couldn't any one seethrough it."
"Oh, no," said Frank. "I mean our arrest and imprisonment."
"Of course I see through it," said Jack. "We've been spotted and thecount has had us caught. Must be a leak in the Czar's palace someplace."
Frank laughed.
"I should say things are working out first rate," he said calmly.
"Oh, you would. Maybe you can explain it to me then."
"Easily. This is part of the Czar's plan. Now, if I am not greatlymistaken, it won't be long before our friend, the count, shows up to seewhether we are really spies; and if he is convinced we are, he'll wantto hold a conversation with us."
"By Jove! I believe you're right," declared Jack. "In that event we mustmake the count believe we are spies of the first water. I hope we don'thave long to wait."
They didn't.
Half an hour later they heard footsteps coming down the corridor. Theirjailer approached, followed by a huge stature of a man with a longflowing black beard.
"Open the cell door," commanded the big man.
"Bet four cents that's the count," Frank whispered very gently.
The Boy Allies in the Baltic; Or, Through Fields of Ice to Aid the Czar Page 10
