The Russian officer of the guard saluted and made reply:

“I am he. What have you?”

“We are from Moscow. We have traveled day and night to reach you with a message from the Czar.”

At once the prison captain drew himself up with dignity and importance.

“I will read it,” he said, pompously.

One of the couriers tendered him a document. He read it to himself and his brow cleared. Then he said:

“Nicolas Mafetodi, I have to say that his most gracious majesty, the Czar, has sent you full and absolute pardon. It has been discovered that you are innocent of the charge brought against you. Count Valdstedt has confessed.”

“Olga!” murmured the exile, with a light of delirious happiness in his eyes. Then it faded and he reeled back.

He fell to the ground like a log. Instantly all rushed forward. Frank Reade, Jr., bent over him, feeling his pulse, and said:

“Give him air! He has only fainted.”

But the awful strain and suffering experienced by Nicolas had told seriously upon his strength.

However, he soon recovered with the aid of stimulants. He managed to mount a horse.

But before doing this he half prostrated himself at Frank’s feet.

“Oh! good, kind American!” he cried. “There will always be a place in the heart of Nicolas for you. Never shall I forget you!”

Then all mounted their horses. The couriers rode in advance. All saluted the voyagers and then the cavalcade dashed away.

Our voyagers watched them until long out of sight.

Then Frank Reade, Jr., drew a deep breath.

“One man’s wrongs righted!” he said. “I am very glad!”

“Amen!” said Professor Gaston, and Barney and Pomp looked their feelings.

It was but an hour before noon. The little incident had taken up several hours of time.

But it was decided to resume the journey at once. There were many miles to cover before reaching the pole.

The airship since its overhauling was in first-class shape. It rose into the air as buoyant as a bird and sailed away to the northward.

All were extremely glad that there had been no collision with the prison guard.

Lives would have been lost, perhaps some of their own number would have been killed and the affair been most serious for all parties.

The reprieve had come just in the nick of time. The couriers were entitled to great credit for hunting the prison captain up so promptly.

Every day now the distance across the Arctic was lessened.

Fur suits were in order—for the cold was most bitter.

“Begorra, it’s t sticker to me, shure!” cried Barney, in perplexity. “However can it be so much colder at the North Pole than at the South Pole?”

“It is no colder,” replied Professor Gaston.

“Phwat’s that, sor?”

“I say it’s no colder.”

“Well, I’m shure it is!”

“Nonsense!” declared Gaston. “The thermometer will not agree with your statement. But I think myself that one feels the cold of the northern frigid zone more than that of the south.”

“Well, sor,” cried Barney, not to be outdone in an argument, “what’s that but being a bit colder!”

“You may be colder,” laughed the professor, “but the weather is not.”

“Shure, thin, phwy is it that I am so much colder?” protested Barney.

“A peculiar state of affairs which gives two different colds. The atmosphere at the South Pole is a trifle more mild. It is a volcanic region, and perhaps that may account for it. It is true that the Arctic cold is more penetrating. Yet the thermometer averages the same.”

Barney did not attempt to argue the subject further.

He was satisfied, and now turned his attention to Pomp. For several days he had been itching for an opportunity to get square with the darky for the result of the last practical joke.

The Celt did some deep studying, and finally conjured up a racket which he believed would settle accounts with the darky in good shape.

The Irishman succeeded in abstracting what was called an invisible wire from Frank’s private locker.

This was a very thin but immensely strong steel wire, of about the size of cotton thread. But it was capable of conducting just as powerful an electric current as one five times the size.

It answered the Celt’s purpose to a dot. At once he proceeded to work his plans.

Pomp was very methodical in the most of his habits.

In retiring he had a certain way of hanging up his clothes and of tumbling into bed even. It was unvarying in all cases.

His shoes were placed side by side just under the head of his bunk and always in the same position.

Barney had noted this many times and had frequently joked the darky about it.

“Don’ yo’ fool yo’se’f!” Pomp retorted. “Dis chile hab been in a house what hab cotched afiah an’ I done beliebe in havin’ ebert’ing ready to tumble into quick in case dar is any fiah.”

Barney laughed heartily. But this very peculiarity of the darky now gave him an excellent chance.

That night the darky retired at his usual hour. It had been his first watch and it was past midnight when he turned in.

Barney was on duty for the rest of the night. The Celt waited until all was quiet and he was assured that Pomp was so............