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."