Upon his self-congratulation there entered Freeman. Freeman reported that he had been searching for Drexel ever since he had left Berloff the night before, but that thus far he had not a clue. “No clue yet!” exclaimed the prince. “And only ten hours remain! After the execution he will be sure to return to the Howards, and then we cannot touch him.” “Correct,” was the easy response. “And in the meantime he is hiding with the revolutionists, and there is little chance of our finding him by ordinary police methods in these ten hours.” “Then he will escape unless we use some clever, quick-working plan!” “Exactly, prince.” Freeman’s eyes gleamed between their puffy, blackened lids. “And so we are going to use a clever, quick-working plan.” “Then you have one?” “A great one! Princess Valenko knows every revolutionist that Drexel knows. Also she believes me under arrest, and does not suspect me. You are to have me put in the cell with her and her brother, as condemned to die--and trust me, in the emotional before-the-scaffold hour, as a fellow prisoner doomed to die at the same time, to worm out of her the name of every possible person with whom Drexel can be in hiding.” “I see! I see!” “Then when I’m released,” Freeman went on excitedly, “we’ll swoop down on every person whose name I’ve learned. We’ll get him, sure! And we’ll get every leader of importance still free in St. Petersburg!” “Excellent!” ejaculated the prince. The triumphant light that leaped up in his eyes as suddenly died out. “But, Mr. Freeman, there is one weak spot in the plan.” “What is that?” “Yesterday’s attempt to free Borodin shows that the revolutionists have very likely won over, or bought over, a number of the prison staff. Some of these guards might get warning to the prisoners that you are not condemned to die. Then they would be suspicious and tell you nothing.” “I’ve foreseen that danger, and have devised my plan to avoid it. I am to be really condemned to death.” “You mean----” “I mean that you are to have a real death warrant made out for me. Then no one in the prison, not even the governor, will know what we’re about.” “Yes, that avoids the danger!” “And then an hour before the execution you send an officer with an order for my release. No--wait. Now that I think of it, I don’t care to have that order trusted to any stupid officer. Suppose he failed to get there on time--eh? Prince, you must bring it yourself.” This fitted Berloff’s desire; for being in the Fortress at the time of the execution, he would not have to wait till morning to learn definitely that he had won the great stake for which he had so craftily played. “Very well; I will bring it myself.” “Say at three o’clock?” “At three o’clock.” Freeman rose to go. “One moment,” said the prince. He paused, then went on quietly. “You will recall that two or three weeks ago we considered the desirability of a terroristic plot against General Valenko.”