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 man entered the cell, then turned upon the man who had unlocked the door.

"Leave us!" he commanded sternly. "Have no fear," he added hastily, as he saw the man was about to protest. "I have my revolver here," and he tapped 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 German spies."

"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 big Russian noticed it immediately.

"French! and with an accent like that?" he demanded. "Come! where are the 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 Jack somewhat angrily, it seemed to Count Blowinski.

This answer rather pleased the count, for it gave him the idea that he had 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 me the 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 vigorous terms, in which Frank joined. Count Blowinski laughed softly.

"I like you two," he declared. "You are cautious, which is a trait to be admired in these troublous times. But I assure you I am the man for whom the papers are intended. Give them to me. I shall see that you are released and I shall have use for you myself."

"If we could but be sure," said Jack, "then we could deliver our message."

"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 Count Blowinski, we shall do so," said Jack. "I see it is useless to profess ignorance any longer."

For answer the count stepped to the door of the cell and raised his voice 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 again the 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 a paper, which he passed to the count. Jack did likewise.

"They are in duplicate," said Jack. "In case one of us failed to get through, the other, it was felt, would reach you safely."

Quickly Count Blowinski scanned the papers and then tore them into little pieces and dropped the bits into his pocket.

"Now," he said sternly, "if you will tell me why you told me you carried a verbal message?"

His words were a question and Frank replied quietly.

"So that, in the event you were not really Count Blowinski, you would not know that we carried papers," he said.

"Good! Good!" cried the Russian. "You are shrewd. I shall be able to make use of you. I suppose you know that the contents of these papers put 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 and resourcefulness 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 an hour, it may be six. Things cannot be done in a minute without arousing suspicion, in spite of my rank. However, I shall have you out as soon as I possibly can, for I would converse with you further. Good-bye."

He passed out and again summoned the jailer, whom he ordered to relock the door. This done, the two moved away.

"Well, he swallowed it," said Frank, after he was sure the count was out of hearing.

"I should say he did," Jack agreed. "I didn't imagine it would be so easy."

"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 the cell 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 handsome apartments. They were rather surprised when they found the count was not alone, but their surprise was short lived, for after the guard had taken his departure, Count Blowinski addressed them immediately.

"I have this moment signed your pardons," he said. "I have told the military authorities, who are under my supervision, that I have positive evidence you are not German spies. My word goes here yet--and will in the days to come, when the German armies have occupied Moscow."

The count swept his arm about the room, taking in all the other figures in a single comprehensive gesture.

"These," he said to the two lads, "are the men who are with me in this undertaking. 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 Lieutenant Raoul 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 obeyed orders as well as you."

He then presented each lad in turn to the various men about him, and Frank and Jack were surprised to learn that some men so high in the Russian service were engaged in this gigantic German plot.

"The names of some," thought Frank to himself, "would startle the whole world."

"And now," said the count, "perhaps you can throw a little light upon a subject we have been trying to solve. First, of course, you know something of what we are planning to do?"

"A trifle," said Jack.

"I shall explain. Our plan is to gather together, in Moscow first, such a number of men who are dissatisfied with Russian rule, as to raise a hand for the Kaiser. I may say without boasting that at this moment I have the pledges of at least a hundred Russian noblemen to use their influence and what power they have to join when the time is ripe. There is dissension among the troops, particularly those who have been held here and in Petrograd--St. Petersburg once more when German arms have been 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 when it does come I have enough men at my command to capture Moscow and hold it.

"Now, perhaps you 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 here at this time. I can now give you what verbal instructions I carry. I am commanded to tell you that the time to strike is on the last day of the Czar's visit to Moscow, after which, it is understood at home, he is going 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 for action had come? I said it when I first learned that two German spies----" here he smiled--"had been captured. So the time is almost here! Good!"

There were nods and low murmurs of approval from different parts of the room. Count Blowinski swept the others with his eyes.

"The time has come for you to prove yourselves," he said sternly. "Let each of you go your way now and report to me at this hour the day after tomorrow. And remember, I am still the Czar's right hand. Should a single man betray me, I shall still have the power to send him to Siberia. Be warned."

He glared at the others, who now left the room rapidly. The count signaled the two lads to remain with him.

"You gentlemen," he said after the others had gone, "shall remain as my guests. The freedom of the town and the house is yours. By the Kaiser! I am glad you have come. I was beginning to tire of waiting. Will you join me 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 a command in Russian and the man disappeared, only to reappear a few moments later bearing a tray on which was wine and glasses. The count filled the glasses, and as each stood with his glass raised the count exclaimed:

"Confusion to Nicholas!"

As the count threw back his head and drained the glass, each lad was able to dispose of his wine in a jardinière which stood nearby.

"Your Excellency," said Frank, "if you would be so kind as to put a room at our disposal, we would rest for a brief while. Your Excellency may never 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 recent hardship."

He clapped his hands for his servants, then continued: "No, Count Stephan Blowinski shall never repose in a dungeon cell!"