Evening star., 1918-02-24


blood red. Nine. Batchkalova was
/ there in a soldiers uniform, and upon
her arm was the red and black badge
of our battalion-the badge of blood
and death, skull and cross-bones in
its center.
| Kerensky himself was there: a pale
man, slender and hollow-chested. with
others spoke. standing on boxes to
raise them above the great crowd, and
| the people cheered their words of praise
for US. But, also, many of the people
wept.
There were 800 of us. none more than
thirty. We were travel-stained and
weary. Some of us were dressed in our
best frocks. from Petrograd itself.
Others wore the dress of the moujiks
of the Don country. Each of us carried
or handkerchief, like soldiers going to
the recruiting station. The people
kissed us and thanked US in the name
of free Russia. All our enthusiasm was
renewed.
We arranged ourselves in line as
Nine, Batchkalova directed and march
ed with the step of soldiers going into
! battle. Along the streets. all the way
to our camp at Vassilifski, the people
cheered-and wept. We laughed with
a strange happiness as we donned the
unaccustomed garments.
Appear in Uniform.
IN these clothes shall die if Rus
STA is not saved" said woman next to
bosom rose and fell and her eyes blazed
Then a greater cheer was heard in the
open space in the center of our huts.
The first of US had appeared in the
uniform of sacrifice. l peered through
the door and fastened to be beside her.
She was young girl. slender and of
small stature. Her black hair hung
/ loose. covering her shoulders and even
hiding the red and black badge with
its skull and cross-bones. on her arm
L let my yellow hair fall down and
ran to join her, putting on my cap as
hastened forward. The people made
way for me and for others who were
anxious to be with the first in the line.
Mime Batchkalova, in her uniform, con-
+! fronted US. There was pride and hap
plnesS in her face. She raised her cap
to US. Her head was like a private SOL
diers, the hair clipped closely to the
skin.
Our Hair Sold at Auction.
TT was small thing for these daugh-
sia's cause" said Nine. Batchkaloya.
They offer also their lives" Amid a
mad cheering, the girl with the black
hair stepped forward and bowed her
head She held her cap in her hand.
NV WHO p.snh,,e, VIII be auctioneerg % shouted
hair of these soldiers of the Battalion
of Death, to buy comforts for the SOL
diers of Russia who lie suffering and
wounded"
man, coming forward. They told me
he was one of kerenskys close advis-
ers. He touched the girls hair with an
air Of reverence II am not rich he said.
but Will begin by myself offering
| fifty rubles.'
| Some one else offered ten rubles
more and another shouted Seventy five
ruoies. When one hundred was
reached the girls hair had nearly all
been cut off. A woman welded the
shining shears while other women re-
ceived the severed strands. lovingly.
At one hundred rubies the black hair was
sold. was the second to step forward
and bow my head. My yellow hair
reached below my waist. It was thick
and beautiful. My mother had always
| been proud of it. though she kept ner
own hair covered. AS heard the
shears click and felt the cool air upon
ready begun to die. But did not feel
regret.
The auctioneer said something to me
in a tone Of kindness and pity This
is but small sacrifice" I replied. Il
will give my life as freely as my hair
Her life as freely as her hairr' he
repeated to the people IF 1 were rich
l would give five hundred rubles for a
strand"
Offers 500 Rubles.
! lady whom I had known when I
studied at the gymnasium in Petrograd
came forward. Il will give five hum
! dred rubles," she said, for the hair of
| sum, for our peaple, or many of them, are
almost without money. and 1 knew the
lady was not rich. When all of our
25o soldiers of death in our company
/ prayed for US. L Joined the kneeling
circle, though the prayer was not of
my faith. Free Russia, l thought, has
/ no religious sects.
/ That night We had our supper of
black bread and bortsch, like soldiers,
! standing at long tables in our bar
/ racks. The huts we occupied had been
| used by the soldiers from Petrograd
, at the mobilization of the cars army.
The discipline of the camp was ex-
planned to US and our training began.
1t ran through period of six weeks,
! for those of us who remained the full
/ time. l do not mean that any of us
/ went away, relinquishing our vows.
| There were several thousand women in
| the whole camp and not one quit her
! duties or proved unworthy. Before our
! training was over some of the women
I who had become most efficient in drill
! wounded men at the front. That is a
| tragedy of which l shall tell Some re-
! turned. MANNED and wounded and dis
| figured Others remained to a fate of
| death--or worse.
Our Training Begins.
1t was the month of May when we
| began our training. Therefore we
/ had not the difficulties which might
have come from winter weather. We
| lived in huts in which there were
| hunks, three high, and about twenty
/ five women were in each hut. Our pay
| was that of the ordinary soldiers, which
: was raised from 26 cents month to
| Sc month at the beginning of the
| war. Sentries about our camp were
| changed every two hours night and
| day.
/ 1 never saw a man in the camp ex-
| cept the drill sergeants who were sent
\ in the daytime to train us. No one
| could enter the camp without a pass
from headquarters, and 1t was neces-
| sary to have the permission of the
general commanding the troops in
Petrograd in order to have converse
tion with any soldier of our battalion.
| We arose at am. for roll call and
were then given fifteen minutes to dress.
After that there were prayers accord
ing to the ritual of the Orthodox Rus