Clair W. Hayes

“ The train had come to a stop, and Jack let his eyes rove to the north, to the east and to the south and west. Ahead was another freight car and behind another; but from the sides all the lad could see was a broad expanse of snow, stretching far into the distance. There was not a sign of a human habitation, although the lad knew that ahead probably was a railroad station, or a shed that marked a junction, or something.
Russian guards, big heavily bearded men, forced their way through the struggling heaps of humanity in the car, stirring the half-frozen men with the toes of their heavy boots. ”

“ He threw the lash suddenly to the ground and turned to face the squad of soldiers who came running up.
These men had been afraid to fire for fear of wounding their commander; but now they laid rude hands on Jack and held him, as General Surgoff arose slowly to his feet and felt his face and shoulders tenderly.
The officer turned an angry glare on Jack and he said very quietly:
“I should have you killed. But I won’t. It would be too easy a death. You shall have twenty lashes every morning and nothing but bread to eat and water to drink for thirty days. Strip him, men!” ”

“ Boris became instantly apprehensive, and tip-toeing across the room, he aroused Jack quietly. As the lad opened his eyes the Russian laid a warning finger to his lips:
“Sh-h-sh,” he said softly.
“What’s the matter now?” demanded Jack. “Wolves?”
Boris shook his head.
“Surgoff?” whispered Jack.
“Can’t tell yet,” was the reply. “There are men outside. Perhaps they will pass by without looking in.”
“No such luck, with those dead wolves out there,” said Jack.
The lad was right. Suddenly there came a voice from without, raised in surprise.
“Ho! There must be men within the hut—dead or alive. ”

“ The general sent out a cry for help, but Jack cut it short as his hands closed about his opponent’s throat.
Still retaining his grasp with his left hand, Jack’s right dropped to the officer’s belt. A revolver was quickly drawn and the lad stuffed it into his pocket. Then he seized the second revolver, shoved the Russian officer violently from him and dashed toward the sleighs.
There was a cry from behind and several rifles were brought to bear, but, even as Jack had expected, General Surgoff cried at the top of his voice:
“Take him alive! Death to the man who injures him!” ”

“ By the time the German pursuers had reached the water’s edge, the boat was beyond revolver shot, though still within range of rifles.
“Down!” cried Lord Hastings, as a bullet whistled overhead.
The others obeyed.
“They’ll be after us, sir!” shouted Frank.
“They’ll have to hurry if they want to catch us,” declared Lord Hastings.
“Say! What time is it?” asked Frank suddenly.
“Why?” demanded his chum.
“Why,” repeated Frank, “because if we get out here before nine o’clock we might just as well stay ashore. Price will not come to the surface until nine sharp.” ”

“ But, by the way, count, supposing the Czar comes in force?”
“Ah, but he will not.”
“You cannot be positive on that score. He may send thousands of troops ahead of his special train. How many men can you count on?”
“Enough, I believe. Say five thousand.”
“Hardly enough to seize the Czar if he comes properly attended,” said Jack dryly.
“It is enough,” protested the count. “It must be enough. I cannot fail now. To do so would lose me favor with the German emperor, as you know. And I should be discredited here. There would be nothing left for me in Russia.” ”

“ The Czar signalled Jack to rise and then turned to Lord Hastings.
“Am I to consider this just a friendly call, or have you anything to impart to me?” he asked.
“Both, your Majesty,” replied Lord Hastings gravely. “I may as well come to the point of my mission at once.”
“Do,” said the Czar briefly.
“Very well. What I have to say is this: In your service—and in high standing and authority—is a man who is a traitor—a man who has sold out to our common foe, the Germans.”
“So?” said the Czar, apparently no whit surprised. “His name, if you please.” ”

“ Boris Duttsky. Who are you?”
Jack introduced himself in German and in the darkness, and then added;
“Where are we?”
“Siberia,” was the brief response.
“I know that,” said Jack. “But where are we right now? And what makes it so awfully dark in here?”
“We are in a dungeon,” was the reply. “I recognize a dungeon by the feeling, because I have been in a dungeon before. I believe I know who you are. You are the English prisoner, are you not?”
“Yes,” replied Jack.
“I thought so. I spotted you in the freight car when you knocked the guard down. That’s why you’re here.” ”

“ He will not be deposed so easily as you imagine. If you execute him summarily, there is no telling what may result—revolution, anarchy—no man can tell. Let the man convict himself in the eyes of the people—or in his own eyes and put an end to himself.”
For the space of several moments the Czar was silent, considering. When he raised his eyes again, Lord Hastings knew that his better judgment would prevail.
“You are right, my lord,” said the Czar quietly. “Count Blowinski has indeed a large following, though it is my own fault that he has. ”

“ If the young Englishman has been ill treated, you will seek out the man who is the cause of this ill treatment, arrest him and bring him to me, be he who he may. Yes, even if it be General Surgoff himself!”
Again the general bowed.
“Your Majesty,” said Frank at this juncture.
The Czar eyed him in surprise and Lord Hastings disapprovingly. But Frank was not abashed.
“Your Majesty,” he said again.
“Well?” said the Czar.
“Can I not go with the general, sire?” he asked. “I would like to go to Jack’s aid as fast as possible. He will expect me. He would hunt me out, no matter where I was.” ”

“ Why not set a man to watch him. Let this man come beneath his eye in some peculiar manner, say, apparently as a German spy himself. Have him arrested by the count’s own men and then let a demand that he see the count, reach the traitor’s ears. Thinking that there has been some word sent him, Blowinski will see the man. Then this man will invent a plausible story, that he may ingratiate himself with the count. ”

“ THE FIGHT. Frank stepped forward and called both combatants to him.
“The fight will start when I give the word,” he said. “There will be no rounds. You will keep fighting until one of you can fight no more. My job shall be to see that you, Surgoff, do not resort to unfair methods. I assure you that if you do, I shall tap you over the head with my revolver. Now you both understand, do you?”
Jack nodded.
“Yes,” said Surgoff surlily.
“All right. Then go.”
Surgoff sprang forward with a cry, apparently bent on disposing of his opponent with a single blow. ”

“ The three passed on.
“Rather lax methods here, if you ask me,” said Frank, when they were out of hearing.
“Oh, I don’t know,” said Jack. “You must remember that they feel perfectly secure. Evidently they have no idea an enemy would venture within this fortification.”
“Some of them have ventured within ours,” returned Frank.
“Just the egotism of the German, that’s all,” said Lord Hastings. “They all believe they can do things that no other man would even consider.”
“So they do,” declared Frank.
Jack looked at his chum in surprise. ”

“ The D-17 was hemmed in closely on all sides.
Jack expressed the sentiments of the others with a long whistle.
“Now, what do you think of that?” he said.
“I think it’s pretty tough, if you are talking to me,” was Frank’s reply. “We can’t push through that.”
“No; and we can’t stay here and wait for it to thaw,” declared his chum.
“Well, then what?” asked Frank.
Lord Hastings, who had not spoken up to this moment, now broke his silence and said:
“Never give up the ship, boys. While there’s life, there’s hope.”
“And have you a plan of some kind, sir?” asked Jack eagerly. ”

“ Frank, though sturdy and strong, was by no means a match for his chum, a powerful and husky young Englishman. Also he was naturally more hot-headed than his friend, and given to taking foolhardy chances—at times. Jack’s coolness had saved both more than once.
Jack was what Frank called a real fighter and had proved his mettle more than once since the two had been together. Strong as an ox, he was a bad customer to tackle in a rough and tumble and he was exceedingly proficient in the use of his fists. ”

“ Learning just when the count planned to take his final step, the man could communicate with you and when the time for this step came, you, knowing what he was about to do, would hold the whip hand.”
“A clever idea,” declared the Czar after some consideration, “if I could but lay hands upon the man. He must be one who speaks German like a native German and one whom the count could never, by any chance, have seen before. If I could only find a man equal to such a task!”
“Or men, or boys, sire,” said Frank boldly.
The Czar and Lord Hastings both whirled upon him. ”

“ Jack wondered how he could roam about Moscow at large without being picked up by the Russian authorities.
Count Blowinski was the first to speak.
“Gentlemen,” he said, “I have the pleasure to inform you that the time to strike has come. To-morrow the Czar comes to Moscow. I shall expect each one of you to do your duty. There is no need to discuss our plans. Each man here knows the work that has been assigned to him. In my pocket are all your names. The man who fails shall have me to reckon with and I assure you that Siberia is an unpleasant country. ”

“ They explored the hut in the semi-darkness—a faint light reflected from the snow without permitting them to see. Examining the window through which the light came Jack found it covered by glass.
“Guess they won’t try that way,” he said.
“You never can tell,” replied Boris with a shake of his head. “If they are really desperate and hungry, they may try to spring through. The first would break the glass and the others would have no trouble getting in.”
“Well, it’s the only window in the place; we should be able to guard it,” said Jack. ”

“ The D-17 submerged another five fathoms and proceeded at a snail’s pace. Jack kept his eyes glued to the course ahead.
Half an hour later the vibrations of the engine ceased. Then Jack made his way aft to where Lord Hastings and Frank were conversing.
“Unless I am badly off in my calculations,” said Lord Hastings, “we should now be able to come to the surface beyond the mine field.”
“And as soon as we do, some German warship will send us to the bottom,” remarked Frank dryly.
“So they will—if they see us,” returned his commander. “We must make it a point that they do not see us. That’s all.” ”

“ 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.” ”

“ Jack, glancing back down the road, saw a moving object coming after them. It looked like a dog and the lad called Boris’ attention to the form loping along behind them, apparently content to remain at the same relative distance.
Boris took one look at the following form and cried out:
“A wolf!”
“Wolf!” cried Jack. “I thought it was a dog. Oh, well, no matter. We can certainly take care of a lone wolf.”
“So we can,” said Boris dryly. “The trouble is that by an hour after dark it won’t be a lone wolf. There will be wolves by the score upon our track.” ”

“ Each man stood erect, his face tilted a trifle toward the sky. The huge flashlights from the other vessels in the harbor lighted them up plainly, and Frank could see that each of the three was smiling.
Slowly now what was left of the battleship sank, the center of a broad circle of brilliancy. Down, down. Now the water had reached almost to the bridge. Now the officers stood in water up to their knees. Then the wreck dived.
Frank relinquished his place at the periscope to Lord Hastings, remarking:
“Well, she’s gone; and three brave men with her.” ”

“ 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. ”

“ There is a train to Petrograd at midnight.”
“So there is,” said Jack. “But you forget that it won’t get you there in time to catch the Czar before he leaves Petrograd.”
“Oh, no, I don’t,” said Frank. “I have been studying maps and things since we have been here, and I have found a certain town that is a railway division point. All trains stop there to change engines. I’ll get off there and wait for the Czar’s train to come through.”
“Hm-mm,” said Jack. “That will be some time early in the morning. If the Czar has arisen, all well and good. If not, you’ll have a hard time getting to him.” ”

“ Lord Hastings had gauged the distance accurately, and when he again gave the command to come to the surface, the D-17 rose gently, pushing the loosely formed ice to both sides as her nose appeared from the deep. Lord Hastings and his two young officers immediately went on deck again.
“By Jove!” said Frank after a quick glance around. “The ice doesn’t seem to be so thick dead ahead.”
“You see,” said Lord Hastings with a smile, “a little perseverance will go a long ways sometimes. ”

“ The minute up, Lord Hastings shut off the engine. They gazed about.
“If Price doesn’t come up pretty quick, we’ll have to run for it,” said the commander quietly. “It’s time now.”
“He’ll be up unless something has gone wrong,” said Jack positively.
“Unless he’s gone to sleep,” declared Frank.
“Well, I wish he’d hurry,” said Jack. “We can’t remain here many minutes longer. They are getting too close.”
“So they are,” agreed Lord Hastings. “We’ll wait thirty seconds, then, if there is not some sign of the D-17, we’ll move. We’ll make a fight for it, at any rate.” ”

“ Instantly all became confusion. Men rushed out the door, treading upon each other’s feet and jostling one another furiously in their effort to obey the Czar’s command.
Lord Hastings and the Czar sprang to Jack’s side at the same moment, but it was the Russian ruler who raised the lad’s head to his knee and placed a hand over the heart. ”

“ Jack now got to his feet, though with some difficulty, and leaned on the Russian’s arm.
“It’s no use,” he said, after pacing up and down the dark cell for some moments. “A person is a fool to stay here and put up with this sort of thing. Better death in the snow. To-morrow, when I am again led forth for my lashing, I shall make a break for liberty.”
“It is impossible,” said Boris. “You would be shot down before you had gone a dozen yards.”
“That’s where you are wrong,” said Jack. “To General Surgoff, I am too valuable to be killed offhand. ”

“ You were carried on a sleigh while the rest of us were forced to walk.”
“Then there is no escape?”
“A man escaped once,” returned the Russian grimly. “There was no pursuit, for there was no place he could go without food, as he had gone. He was found a month later in the snow. There wasn’t much left of him.”
Jack shuddered.
“Not for me,” he said aloud.
“No,” continued the Russian, “there is no chance of escape; and for that reason the prisoners are not even bound. No, without outside help, no man ever escapes from Siberia.”
“Then,” said Jack quietly, “we must have outside help.” ”