CHAPTER XI.
THE COUNT EXPLAINS HIS PLANS.
The lad was right.
"Open that cell door," commanded the big man again.
The other made no reply, but a key grated in the lock. The big manentered the cell, then turned upon the man who had unlocked the door.
"Leave us!" he commanded sternly. "Have no fear," he added hastily, ashe saw the man was about to protest. "I have my revolver here," and hetapped his belt. "I can handle these two."
The man made no further objection, but departed.
The count whirled upon the two lads.
"So!" he exclaimed. "I have captured two German spies, eh?"
"Your Excellency," said Jack quietly, "I assure you we are not Germanspies."
"O-ho!" laughed the big Russian. "They deny it. O-ho!"
Frank also deemed it best to keep up the pretense.
"I assure you, your Excellency," he said, "that you are mistaken in us.We are French gentlemen."
Frank purposely threw a slight German accent into his voice and the bigRussian noticed it immediately.
"French! and with an accent like that?" he demanded. "Come! where arethe papers you carry?"
"Papers?" echoed Jack, in well simulated surprise.
"Yes, papers. I said papers and I mean papers," declared the count."Where are they?"
"Do you think we are fools, that we carry papers with us?" demanded Jacksomewhat angrily, it seemed to Count Blowinski.
This answer rather pleased the count, for it gave him the idea that hehad two shrewd young men before him. He lowered his voice suddenly.
"Come," he said. "It is all right. I am Count Blowinski. It is for methe papers you carry are intended."
Jack glanced quickly about him and the move was not lost upon the count.Still the lad seemed undecided and protested his innocence in vigorousterms, in which Frank joined. Count Blowinski laughed softly.
"I like you two," he declared. "You are cautious, which is a trait to beadmired in these troublous times. But I assure you I am the man for whomthe papers are intended. Give them to me. I shall see that you arereleased and I shall have use for you myself."
"If we could but be sure," said Jack, "then we could deliver ourmessage."
"It is verbal, you mean?" demanded the count.
"How else?" queried Frank.
"Good, then tell me."
"If you will prove to our satisfaction that you are really CountBlowinski, we shall do so," said Jack. "I see it is useless to professignorance any longer."
For answer the count stepped to the door of the cell and raised hisvoice in a call for the jailer. The latter hurried forward.
"Tell these prisoners who I am," ordered the count.
"You are Count Blowinski, your Excellency," replied the man.
"Good," said the count. "Leave us again." The man retreated and againthe count turned to the two lads: "Are you satisfied now?" he asked.
"Perfectly, your Excellency," declared Frank.
He took off his coat, and ripped open the lining. Then he produced apaper, which he passed to the count. Jack did likewise.
"They are in duplicate," said Jack. "In case one of us failed to getthrough, the other, it was felt, would reach you safely."
Quickly Count Blowinski scanned the papers and then tore them intolittle pieces and dropped the bits into his pocket.
"Now," he said sternly, "if you will tell me why you told me you carrieda verbal message?"
His words were a question and Frank replied quietly.
"So that, in the event you were not really Count Blowinski, you wouldnot know that we carried papers," he said.
"Good! Good!" cried the Russian. "You are shrewd. I shall be able tomake use of you. I suppose you know that the contents of these papersput both of you at my disposal?"
"No, your Excellency, we had not been so informed."
"But it is true," declared the count. "And your courage andresourcefulness is commended to me. Yes, I shall have use for you."
"We are at your service, your Excellency," said Jack.
The count moved toward the door.
"I shall have to leave you here for a time," he said. "It may be anhour, it may be six. Things cannot be done in a minute without arousingsuspicion, in spite of my rank. However, I shall have you out as soon asI possibly can, for I would converse with you further. Good-bye."
He passed out and again summoned the jailer, whom he ordered to relockthe door. This done, the two moved away.
"Well, he swallowed it," said Frank, after he was sure the count was outof hearing.
"I should say he did," Jack agreed. "I didn't imagine it would be soeasy."
"Nor I; but we have the hardest part of the work still ahead of us."
"And we shall carry it to a successful conclusion," said Jack.
"Or know the reason why," added Frank.
It was well within the specified time that a jailer again approached thecell and commanded the two lads to follow him.
"Where are you taking us?" demanded Jack.
"Count Blowinski desires your presence," replied the guard.
The lads followed without further questioning.
They were ushered into the count's presence in his own handsomeapartments. They were rather surprised when they found the count was notalone, but their surprise was short lived, for after the guard had takenhis departure, Count Blowinski addressed them immediately.
"I have this moment signed your pardons," he said. "I have told themilitary authorities, who are under my supervision, that I have positiveevidence you are not German spies. My word goes here yet--and will inthe days to come, when the German armies have occupied Moscow."
The count swept his arm about the room, taking in all the other figuresin a single comprehensive gesture.
"These," he said to the two lads, "are the men who are with me in thisundertaking. You may speak plainly before them."
The lads bowed to the circle of faces.
"Very well, your Excellency," said Jack quietly.
"By the way," said the count, "how am I to address you?"
Jack smiled slightly as he replied, indicating Frank.
"My companion here as Lieutenant Maurice Depree and myself as LieutenantRaoul Santon, of the French army."
"Good," said the count. "Good for our work here. But your real names?"
"Are not to be mentioned in Moscow," replied Frank simply.
"And why?" demanded the count with a sudden show of anger.
"Because it is commanded," returned Frank firmly.
For a moment it seemed that the count was about to make an angry retort,but he checked himself and after a moment smiled.
"A command," he said, "is a command. It would be well if others obeyedorders as well as you."
He then presented each lad in turn to the various men about him, andFrank and Jack were surprised to learn that some men so high in theRussian service were engaged in this gigantic German plot.
"The names of some," thought Frank to himself, "would startle the wholeworld."
"And now," said the count, "perhaps you can throw a little light upon asubject we have been trying to solve. First, of course, you knowsomething of what we are planning to do?"
"A trifle," said Jack.
"I shall explain. Our plan is to gather together, in Moscow first, sucha number of men who are dissatisfied with Russian rule, as to raise ahand for the Kaiser. I may say without boasting that at this moment Ihave the pledges of at least a hundred Russian noblemen to use theirinfluence and what power they have to join when the time is ripe. Thereis dissension among the troops, particularly those who have been heldhere and in Petrograd--St. Petersburg once more when German arms havebeen victorious. Among high officers in the army we have found recruits,as well as in the ranks. When the time comes we shall strike, and whenit does come I have enough men at my command to capture Moscow and holdit.
"Now, perhaps y
ou have heard that the Czar will visit Moscow next week?"
Frank nodded, and then he took a long chance.
"It was for that reason, so I am told," he said, "that we were sent hereat this time. I can now give you what verbal instructions I carry. I amcommanded to tell you that the time to strike is on the last day of theCzar's visit to Moscow, after which, it is understood at home, he isgoing to the front."
"Good! Good!" cried Count Blowinski. "It is as I told you, gentlemen,"and he gazed at the others in the room. "Did I not tell you the time foraction had come? I said it when I first learned that two Germanspies----" here he smiled--"had been captured. So the time is almosthere! Good!"
There were nods and low murmurs of approval from different parts of theroom. Count Blowinski swept the others with his eyes.
"The time has come for you to prove yourselves," he said sternly. "Leteach of you go your way now and report to me at this hour the day aftertomorrow. And remember, I am still the Czar's right hand. Should asingle man betray me, I shall still have the power to send him toSiberia. Be warned."
He glared at the others, who now left the room rapidly. The countsignaled the two lads to remain with him.
"You gentlemen," he said after the others had gone, "shall remain as myguests. The freedom of the town and the house is yours. By the Kaiser! Iam glad you have come. I was beginning to tire of waiting. Will you joinme in a glass of wine?"
Frank was about to refuse, but Jack stayed him with a look.
"With pleasure, your Excellency," the lad said quietly.
The Russian clapped his hands and a servant appeared. The count gave acommand in Russian and the man disappeared, only to reappear a fewmoments later bearing a tray on which was wine and glasses. The countfilled the glasses, and as each stood with his glass raised the countexclaimed:
"Confusion to Nicholas!"
As the count threw back his head and drained the glass, each lad wasable to dispose of his wine in a jardiniere which stood nearby.
"Your Excellency," said Frank, "if you would be so kind as to put a roomat our disposal, we would rest for a brief while. Your Excellency maynever find it out, but a dungeon cell does not rest weary bones."
"To be sure," said the count with a laugh. "I had forgotten your recenthardship."
He clapped his hands for his servants, then continued: "No, CountStephan Blowinski shall never repose in a dungeon cell!"