Evening star., 1920-01-11

.E, FOR HE PULLS HIS WRIST AW
TT WAS A DOC,v HE MUTTERS.
Come Woody. where could you find
safer spot?''
Woody only shakes his head. at was
in stronger building than this says
he. "and one surrounded by an army Of
soldiers at that
"Eh?' says 1 as he stops sudden.
What then? Did some one throw
scare into yOu by grabbin' you by the
collar and askin- you the time of day in
Russian
ut was trifie more menacing than
minutes of being stood against wall
to face firing squad
''Where?" says i.
''In the Fortress OF st. Peter and
Paul" says Woody. '"rhat is in Petro-
grad, you know. I had been sent to
look up Kerensky. We wanted him to
sign an order releasing several carloads
of Red Cross supplies which had been
seized by the revolutionary government.
He was an elusive person to find,
Kerensky. just about then. Some one
said he had moved his Offices to the
fortress So went there. I waited for
forty eight hours. being sent from one
part of the great gloomy pile to the
other. showing my papers every few
minutes to ignorant moujiks. shunfed
about by insoient officials. The usual
thing. All was confusion. Troops march
ing back and forth. wiid-eyed secre-
taries running about, staggering officers
coming and going.
'But with the Red Cross brassard on
my sleeve and my American passport
felt safe enough. had a permit signed
by Kerensky himself. And they had said
he was in the building. True. I had
heard some firing going On outside, but
that was common enough. And then.
the next thing I knew. was taken
prisoner. herded in with . hundred
others. shut In great stone-wailed
room underground. was told that the
Kerensky government had fallen. that
Kerensky had run away days before
that the reds held the city.
Even then I thought it would b
merely matter Of showing my paper
and explaining who I was. But aftel
. another frightful day and night hfty o
, us were marched to an upper chambel
and told that we were to be put on trial
So we were. But such travesty. Th'
three so-calied Judges were drunk ant
getting drunken. A few brutal question:
and they would order man led away
We knew what that meant. We coui'
hear the rifles cracking In the court be
! low. Hardly any one was being let Oh
My turn was coming. There were bu
four ahead of me.
:. zone of the judges rolled off his chair
stupefied by vodka. We waited while
!, new one was sent in. He was neari
sober, but more eyil-faced than tn
: others. A fat. putty-coiored face h
bad; small pig eyes with bags unde
them: very bald as to his mead. and writ
0 his left wrist bandaged. I shall neve
!. forget how he looked as he glared at u
q In three minutes he had sentenced fou
human beings to death. OF hand. care
8 lessiy. as you would send away begga
."Then / was prodded forward. II
>. snatched away my papers. :Ah.
g cursed Kerenskyite' he growled
y Russian. I am an American told hin
= An official Of the Red Cross 'SoT /
g srunted In English. I need some fir
= aid myself. What is good for the bl'
of fair lady?' and he pointed at h
IS wrist. I suggested iodine. Too con
,s mon.' says he. This wound was mae
70 by the teeth of a countess And tht
I. he reared as il he had made grar
n. Joke. The other Judges reused up al
j" growied Away with the dog of
ID Kerenskyiter they urged. Where a
you from?' asked the pig-eyed one.
e told him New York. SOP he grunte
st Me. too. I've worked in New Yor'
At Then they wrangied together. The 9th
"a two wanted to send me after the on
es who had gone out to be stood again
$. the wall But pig-eye was undecide
A. 1t might cause trouble. he said. "
xe should ask Lenin abut 1t. Beside
IN there are plenty Of others. and the SC
We diers of the squad complain that the
n. guns are getting hot. Save him for q
.