CHAPTER XV.

THE CZAR IS WARNED.

When Frank left Jack he made all haste toward the railway station and purchased a ticket for Klaw, the railway division point he had mentioned to Jack. It still lacked an hour to midnight and Frank paced up and down in the station. The train left at twelve sharp and Frank ascertained that it would reach Klaw five hours later, barring accidents.

At fifteen minutes to twelve Frank took his seat in a first-class compartment. Ten minutes later a guard approached and demanded to see his passport. Frank showed it to him. The guard departed.

Soon the train pulled out and when it was well under way Frank composed himself to sleep; nor did he awake until the train was on the outskirts of Klaw.

The lad alighted the moment the train came to a stop and went immediately to a hotel a short distance away. He did not wish to attract attention by making inquiries concerning the Czar's train, so he idled about the hotel, where he was fortunate enough to hear what he had expected.

"The Czar's train, I understand, will pass through soon after seven o'clock," he heard one man tell another.

It was all Frank wanted to know.

Fifteen minutes before seven Frank returned to the station, where he loitered about. A large crowd had assembled, for word of the Emperor's coming had traveled swiftly and the people had turned out to catch a glimpse of "The white father."

It was a quarter after seven when the guards began pushing the crowd back from the track. It was a sign that the royal train was near. Frank edged his way through the crowd as well as he could without drawing attention to himself. The lad realized that the surest way to spoil his plans was to attract the attention of the guards. Should they see that he was apparently too anxious to get close, they would immediately arrest him and hustle him away.

"I'll have to wait until the train stops and then take a chance," he told himself.

Came the sound of a shrill whistle from up the track. The Czar's special was approaching and the crowd cheered.

Two minutes later the train came to a stop.

The guards and what troops had been summoned were now hard put to it to keep the crowd back. Several times they charged the crowd with drawn sabers, so close to the train did they push. And then suddenly the crowd became silent.

The door to a compartment which bore the royal arms opened suddenly. Instantly two footmen stepped forward, one to either side. Three men alighted, all garbed in military costume. The last to alight was Czar Nicholas and again there was a mighty roar from the crowd.

For several moments the cheering continued and then died away as the Czar raised a hand. "The little white father" was going to address his people and the people became silent, that they might lose no word.

Quietly they listened as their Emperor addressed them in a few well chosen words; and how they cheered when he had concluded! Then the Czar turned to his two companions and the three walked up and down the platform.

Frank now found himself in the front line of the crowd; but armed guards separated him from the Czar himself, and the lad knew that it would be instant death should he attempt to approach the Russian Emperor. As they passed in front of him, however, less than thirty yards away, Frank made out that one of the men with the Czar was Lord Hastings.

He raised his voice and called in English: "Lord Hastings!"

The three figures stopped in their tracks and gazed quickly about.

Frank repeated the cry: "Lord Hastings!"

By this time guards had rushed toward Frank and seized him. Apparently they believed he was attempting to create a disturbance, for they could not understand his words.

This commotion attracted the eyes of the Czar and Lord Hastings, who moved close to see what was going on. Lord Hastings uttered a sudden exclamation of surprise and turned to the Czar.

"It is Frank Chadwick, my second officer," he exclaimed.

"So," said the Czar. "Then I shall have him brought here."

He gave a command to one of his officers and the latter approached the spot where Frank was struggling in the grasp of half-a-dozen guards. The officer thrust the men right and left, saying:

"I shall take command of this man. His Majesty desires to question him."

Immediately the guards fell back, as did the crowd, which had pushed forward to see what was going on and to lend a hand if it became necessary to quiet a man who had dared to raise his voice in the presence of the Czar.

Frank breathed a sigh of relief as the Russian officer took charge of him. He knew that he had been successful. He approached the Russian Emperor and his own commander with a smile on his face.

Lord Hastings was about to speak, but the Czar forestalled him.

"So!" he exclaimed. "This is the manner in which you perform a mission for the Emperor. I send you to Moscow and I find you in Klaw. How do you account for that, sir?"

"I have come to warn you, your Majesty," said Frank quietly.

"Warn me? Warn me of what? I had expected word from you before this."

"We have known nothing definite before," was Frank's reply, "nor have we had the opportunity of warning you. The plot against your Majesty has come to a head and the coup is to be sprung to-day by Count Blowinski."

"So?" said the Czar again. "And what kind of a plot, pray?"

"You are to be seized by Count Blowinski's troops, your Majesty, as you address them on the palace drill grounds."

"But what if I am surrounded by my own personal body guard, with twenty thousand of my own troops within call?" asked the Czar.

"Then your Majesty will be perfectly safe," returned Frank quietly.

The Czar suddenly laughed aloud and turning to Lord Hastings slapped him heartily on the back.

"Ha, my lord," he said. "Your young friend here feared that I would venture into the lion's den without weapons. He has come to warn me."

"I have done the best I can, your Majesty," said Frank, with offended dignity.

The Czar was quick to notice the change in the lad's tone and he at once felt the reason.

"Come, my lad, I didn't mean to offend you," he exclaimed. "It is just my way, as Lord Hastings here, who knows me well, will tell you. I am deeply your debtor, and your friend's. By the way, where is he?"

"Still in the count's home, your Majesty. We figured it would be unwise for both of us to leave."

"I see," said the Czar. "Long heads, as you Britishers would say, Lord Hastings. But come, our train is waiting. We shall continue our journey into the lair of my dear friend Count Blowinski."

The Czar laid a hand on Frank's shoulder and guided him toward the royal carriage. At the door, he turned to the only officer who accompanied him besides Lord Hastings.

"General Rushtriki," he said, "this young British officer and myself have important matters to discuss. He will take your place in my carriage."

"But, your Majesty," protested the astonished officer, "I--there----"

"Never mind, general," said the Czar. "I shall have my way in this; and if there is no other place for you aboard this train, well, then I guess you will have to remain here."

"I shall find another place, sire," returned the general, with ruffled dignity.

He stalked majestically away and entered another compartment.

The Czar climbed back in his compartment and motioned Lord Hastings and Frank to follow him.

"Now," he said, when he was comfortably seated and the train had resumed its interrupted journey, "now you shall tell me all about yourself, what you have been doing and what you have learned."

Frank plunged into the account of their adventures. When he told of Jack's appearance in the den of the conspirators, the Czar was moved to ask:

"And how did you find your way there?"

"Why, your Majesty," returned the lad, "I overheard a conversation in one of the hotels where I chanced to stop; and as it was too late to return and acquaint Jack with what I had learned, I took it upon myself to follow the men."

"I see," smiled the Czar. "Then you were undoubtedly surprised to see your friend there."

The conversation languished now; and soon the Czar fell asleep. Frank took this opportunity of having a few words with Lord Hastings.

"Then the Czar will not trust himself entirely to the count's troops, sir?" the lad asked.

"Indeed he will not," said Lord Hastings. "He wanted to add a thousand men to his personal bodyguard and only consented to adding the thousands upon my suggestion, backed up by his ministers."

"And there are really twenty thousand men coming, sir?"

"There are. Following this train, at ten-minute intervals, are twenty more, each carrying a thousand men. They will not reach Moscow for an hour after the royal train arrives. Then they will be disembarked rapidly and marched to the palace, where the Czar is to rest before addressing the count's troops. This, too, is my idea, for I figured that if there were to be any break it would be at that moment. A man engaged in treachery always plays to the spectacular. Then, too, if I were wrong, it could make no difference if the troops were there."

"Then your plan is not to let the count know the Czar's troops have arrived until the time for action comes, sir?"

"Exactly."

"Had I been figuring this thing out, I couldn't have done better myself," said Frank modestly. "We seem to have planned just right, sir. There is only one thing I am sorry for."

"And that?"

"That I shall have to remain behind while the Czar goes to the palace."

"And why?"

"Because, if the count saw me back with the Czar he would suspect."

"That's true," replied Lord Hastings.

"But, sir," said Frank, "if you will speak a word to his Majesty, perhaps he will grant me permission to accompany the troops that follow."

The answer for this question came from an unexpected source. The Czar had opened his eyes in time to hear the lad's words, and replied:

"You shall have the permission."

Then he turned to Lord Hastings and added with a smile. "Look from the window! You will see that we have arrived in the den of the lion. Behold the city of Moscow, where my dear friend Count Blowinski awaits my arrival with aching jaws."