The Washington herald., 1919-05-09

nilov's force comprised only about 5000
fighters. The Bolshevik army oppos-
ing IL was perhaps twenty times its
strength. j left Novotcherkask in the
evening. after an affectionate parting
from Kornilov. He kissed me fare
well and 1 wished him success for the
good of the country. But there was no
success in prospect. We both knew it
only too we'll 4 heavy darkness had
settled on Russia. sitting all that was
still noble and righteous.
Encouraged by my success in reach
ing there. 1 determined to return by
myself. was taken to the battle po-
sitions by a group of officers. and
from there. accompanied by their
hessings, 1 started out through the
battle zone alone. 1 crawled on all
fburs as IL through No Mans Land.
making a couple of versts without any
naishap. The experience gained at the
front came in handy. / scented the ap-
proach Of a patrol and hid just in time
% escape being observed. The patrol
turned out to be Kornilov's force. but
i remained hidden. After some more
crawling / caught the sound of voices
coming from the direction of a coal
mine and judged the place to be one
OF the front positions. Exercising ex-
L
yond IT. safely. Some distance away.
dimly standing out against the hori-
ton, was a wood.
A Bolshevik force got wind of the
patrol had encountered and went out
TO capture it by a flank operation. l
decided to conceal myself behind a
pile of coal and wait till quiet was re-
stored. On my right and left were
dumps OF coal, too.
= Hugging the chunks Of coal, /
breathlessly awaited the outcome of
the maneuver. In a short while the
Bolsheviks returned with their prey.
They had captured the patrol! There
were twenty captives, fifteen officers
and FIVE cadets, I learned. They were
led to a place only a score or so feet
away from the coal pile that hid me.
The hundred Bolshevik soldiers sur
rounded the officers. cursed them. beat
them with the butts of their rifles
tore OF their epaulets and handled
them like dogs. The five youthful ca
dets must have suddenly discovered an
opportunity to slip away. for they
dashed of few minutes afterwards.
But they failed to escape. They were
caught within several hundred feet and
brought back.
The Bolshevik soldiers then decided
to gouge out the eyes of the five youths
in punishment for Their attempt to run
away. Each of the marked victims
was held by a couple of men in such
a position as to allow the bloody tor
turers to do their frightful work. In
all my experiences of horror this was
the most horrible crime l ever wit
messed.
One of the officers could not contain
himself and shrieked:
"Murderers, Beasts! Kill me-
He was struck with n bayonet. but
only wounded. All the fifteen officers
begged to be killed right there. But
their request was not granted.
lou have to be taken before the
STAFF FIRST" was the answer. Soon
tF0" were led away.
The FIVE martyrs were left to expire
where they were.
My heart was petrified. My blood
cOn-Caied. l thought | was going in
sane. that in second I would not be
able to control myself and would jump
out. inviting death or perhaps similar
torture.
| finally collected strength to turn
about and crawl toward the woods. At
a distance OF several hundred feet from
the forest it seemed TO me safe to rise
and run for it. But | was noticed from
the mine.
~ spy" went up m a chorus from
several throats. and a number OF SOL
Giers were after me. shooting as they
ran.
Nearer and nearer the pursuers
came. | raced faster than | ever did
before in my life. Within another
hundred feet or so were the woods.
There | might still hoTe to hide.
Dbl
lets whistIed by me. but firing on the
run. the men could not take aim.
The woods. the woods. to them my
whole being was swept forward. Loud
er and louder grew the shouts behind
me:
"A she-spy! A she-spy!"
The woods were within my reach.
Another bound, and I was in them.
Onward | dashed like a deer. Was it
because there were only several SOL
diers left at the post and they could
not desert it to engage in hunt. or
because the men decided that I could
not escape from the forest anyhow.
that my pursuers did not follow me
into the woods? ] know only that they
were satisfied with sending a stream
Of bullets into the forest and left me
alone.
concealed myself in burrow until
absolute calm was restored. Then |
got out and tried to figure out the
right direction. but ! fell into an error
at first and returned to the edge at
which / had entered. | then walked
to the opposite side. struck a path
and before taking it. / threw off my
costume of a Sister of Mercy and hid
II in a bush. drew out my soldiers cap.
destroyed the passport OF Smirnova.
and appeared again in my own uni
form. / realized that reports must
have been sent out by my pursuers of
a spy in the dress of a nurse and de-
termined that as Botchkareva l might
still stand a chance for life. but as
Smirnova I was done for.
Day was breaking. but it was still
dark in the woods. I met a soldier
who greeted me. I answered gruffly.
and re passed on. evidently taking me
for a comrade. A little later / encoun-
tered two or three other soldiers, but
again passed them without being sus-
pected. / pulled out my direct ticket
to kislovodsk and the letter from Prin-
cess Tatuyeva- These were my two
chief relianccs. After walking for al
most twenty versts l came i'm view of
the stat ON at Zverevo. A decision had
to be adopted without delay. Loiter-
ing would surely land me in trouble.
] considered. and so l made up my
mind to go straight to the station, an
nounce my identity. claim that I had
lost my way anC surrender myself.
AnhGMA rnRRA