the fence and open the gate.  We rushed into the court.  The first to run from the house was Kanine’s wife, who threw up her hands and shrieked in fear:  ’I knew that misfortune would come of all this!’ and then fainted.  One of the men ran out of a side door to a shed in the yard and there tried to get over the fence.  I had not noticed him but one of my soldiers caught him.  We were met at the door by Kanine, who was white and trembling.  I realized that something important had taken place, placed them all under arrest, ordered the men tied and placed a close guard.  All my questions were met with silence save by Madame Kanine who cried:  ’Pity, pity for the children!  They are innocent!’ as she dropped on her knees and stretched out her hands in supplication to us.  The short-haired girl laughed out of impudent eyes and blew a puff of smoke into my face.  I was forced to threaten them and said: 

“’I know that you have committed some crime, but you do not want to confess.  If you do not, I shall shoot the men and take the women to Uliassutai to try them there.’

“I spoke with definiteness of voice and intention, for they roused my deepest anger.  Quite to my surprise the short-haired girl first began to speak.

“‘I want to tell you about everything,’ she said.

“I ordered ink, paper and pen brought me.  My soldiers were the witnesses.  Then I prepared the protocol of the confession of Pouzikoff’s wife.  This was her dark and bloody tale.

“’My husband and I are Bolshevik commissars and we have been sent to find out how many White officers are hidden in Mongolia.  But the old fellow Bobroff knew us.  We wanted to go away but Kanine kept us, telling us that Bobroff was rich and that he had for a long time wanted to kill him and pillage his place.  We agreed to join him.  We decoyed the young Bobroff to come and play cards with us.  When he was going home my husband stole along behind and shot him.  Afterwards we all went to Bobroff’s place.  I climbed upon the fence and threw some poisoned meat to the dogs, who were dead in a few minutes.  Then we all climbed over.  The first person to emerge from the house was Bobroff’s wife.  Pouzikoff, who was hidden behind the door, killed her with his ax.  The old fellow we killed with a blow of the ax as he slept.  The little girl ran out into the room as she heard the noise and Kanine shot her in the head with buckshot.  Afterwards we looted the house and burned it, even destroying the horses and cattle.  Later all would have been completely burned, so that no traces remained, but you suddenly arrived and these stupid fellows at once betrayed us.’

“It was a dastardly affair,” continued the Lieutenant, as we returned to the station.  “The hair raised on my head as I listened to the calm description of this young woman, hardly more than a girl.  Only then did I fully realize what depravity Bolshevism had brought into the world, crushing out faith, fear of God and conscience.  Only then did I understand that all honest people must fight without compromise against this most dangerous enemy of mankind, so long as life and strength endure.”