Here he was turned over to another squad of men, with orders to take him at once before General Burgoff.
Half an hour later, together with a number of Russian officers, the lad found himself before the Russian commander. The latter looked them all over carefully, then motioned to one of his men to have Jack taken out.
“He seems younger than the rest,” he said. “Neither is he a Russian. I will take up his case after I have disposed of the others.”
Jack was taken from the general’s quarters, but he had not long to wait. At the end of another hour he was again led before the general. Besides this officer and the man who commanded the squad in charge of Jack, there was no one present.
General Burgoff leaned back in his chair and eyed Jack keenly.
“What is your name?” he demanded.
“Jack Templeton,” replied Jack in English. “Lieutenant in the Royal British navy, sir.”
“What are you doing here, then?” demanded the general.
“I am here on a special mission by command of the Czar,” replied the lad quietly.
The Russian commander smiled into his long beard.