“Then things look rather badly for us,” said Jack.  “Well, it can’t be helped, you know, and the count will, no doubt, write to our people at home, to tell them the truth of the case.”

“Oh,” said the doctor, “you must not misunderstand me.  I only said that the new commandant had ordered that you should be tried by court-martial, but that is a very different thing from its being done.  We must get you out of prison to-night.”

“You speak very confidently,” Jack said, laughing, “but how is it to be done?”

“Oh,” answered the doctor, “there is no great difficulty on that score.  It may be taken as certain that as a rule every Russian official, from the highest to the lowest, is accessible to a bribe, and that no prisoner with powerful friends outside need give up hope.  This is a military prison.  The soldiers at the gate are open to imbibe an unlimited amount of vodka, whoever may send it.  The officer in command of them will be easily accessible to reasons which will induce him to shut his eyes to what is going on.  Your warder here can of course be bought.  The count is already at work, and as his means are ample, and, although under a cloud at present, his connections powerful, there is little fear that he will fail in succeeding.  By the way I have news to tell you.  Do you hear the bells tolling?  The news has arrived that Nicholas is dead.  Alexander, our new Czar, is known to be liberally disposed, and, were there time, the count would go to St. Petersburg, obtain an audience with him, and explain the whole circumstances, which, by the way, he has related to me.  This, of course, is out of the question, and even were there time for him to go and return, it would not be possible for him to obtain an audience with the new emperor just at present.”

“I wish it could have been so,” Jack said.  “Of course Dick and I will be glad enough to avail ourselves of the chances of escape, for it would be foolish to insist upon waiting to be tried by a tribunal certain beforehand to condemn us.  Still, one doesn’t like the thought of making one’s escape, and so leaving it to be supposed that we were conscious of guilt.”

“Oh,” the doctor said, “you need not trouble yourself upon that score.  The governor was hated by every one, and no one really doubts that he attacked you first.  Upon the contrary, the population are inclined to look upon you as public benefactors.  There will then be no feeling against you here, but even if there were, it would make but little difference.  At present every one in Russia is talking and thinking of nothing but the death of the Czar, and of the changes which may be made by his son, and the details of a squabble in an obscure town will attract no attention whatever, and will not probably even obtain the honor of a paragraph in the Odessa papers.  The first thing for us to do is to get your friend into a fit state to walk.  How do you feel?” he asked, bending over Dick and feeling his pulse.