CONTENTS

[CHAPTER I]PAGE
ONE OF THE CROWD1
The Revolution of March 1917—Recalled to London—Offered work in Secret Service—Archangel—Helsingfors—Melnikoff—Departure for Russia—Forging passports—Crossing the frontier.
[CHAPTER II]
FIVE DAYS30
Petrograd—An unpleasant encounter—Dearth and stagnation—A secret café—Stepanovna—Quarters for the night—An eating-house—Welcomed as English—Mr. Marsh—Maria—The “Journalist”—The “Policeman”—A raid on an eating-house—Captain Zorinsky—The Extraordinary Commission—Mr. Marsh escapes.
[CHAPTER III]
THE GREEN SHAWL79
Allies expected in Petrograd—A story of Archangel—Proposals to attack Bolsheviks—Arranging Mrs. Marsh’s escape—News of Melnikoff under arrest—Attempts to arrange his escape—Buying a disguise—In the prison of the Extraordinary Commission—Mrs. Marsh’s escape—Across the frontier in the snow.
[CHAPTER IV]
MESHES113
Back in Petrograd—“The Metropolis of the World Revolution”—Communists employing bourgeois specialists—Zorinsky supplies information and asks questions—Certificates of exemption from military service—Plans to rescue Melnikoff.
[CHAPTER V]
MELNIKOFF181
Bolshevik Saints—Melnikoff’s Doctor uncle—Zorinsky suspected of double dealing—A Bolshevik demonstration—A new passport—Unrecognized by former housekeeper—A letter of introduction—News of Melnikoff’s execution.
[CHAPTER VI]
STEPANOVNA152
New acquaintances—A raid on a public market—“Speculators”—Confiscationof furniture—Stepanovna in trouble.
[CHAPTER VII]
FINLAND162
Escape to Finland over the ice—Running the gauntlet of the searchlights—Pursued—Hiding on the bare ice—Arrest by Finnish patrols—Arranging for a service of couriers—Intrigues in Finland—Back into Russia—On ski through the forest—A trying experience.
[CHAPTER VIII]
A VILLAGE “BOURGEOIS-CAPITALIST”181
A Russian peasant’s house—Music—The troubles of a thrifty peasant—A village Soviet—Smuggling food and matches into Petrograd—Attempt to stop “sackmen”—Recollections of March 1917.
[CHAPTER IX]
METAMORPHOSIS193
Unrest in Petrograd—Attempts at arrest—A narrow escape at the “Journalist’s”—A new disguise—A friend of Melnikoff—Zorinsky’s treachery confirmed.
[CHAPTER X]
THE SPHINX209
At work in a factory—Joining the Red army—Tsarist officers in the Red army—Military service helpful to intelligence work—To Moscow.
[CHAPTER XI]
THE RED ARMY215
The uniform—Terrorizing Tsarist officers—Relatives used as hostages for good behaviour—Jews in the Red army—Bronstein or Trotzky—Trotzky conciliates Tsarist officers—Penalties of refusing service—Mistakes of the White leaders—Discipline by terror—A mutiny—Revolutionary Tribunals—Desertion—The army oath—System of political control—A conscientious commissar—Cultural-Enlightenment Committees—A regimental entertainment.
[CHAPTER XII]
“THE PARTY” AND THE PEOPLE251
“Government of Workers and Peasants” a misnomer—A gulf between the Communist Party and People—The Third International—Its relation to the Soviet Government—Disturbances in Petrograd—Suppression and arrests—A speech by Lenin—“Sackmen” legalized—Free trading permitted—Welfare of people subordinate to interests of party—A party purge—Of what did the party consist?—Training members—Three degrees of membership—What is a Soviet?—Bolshevism not Soviet Government—Soviet elections—A meeting of the Petrograd Soviet.
[CHAPTER XIII]
ESCAPE285
Plans for escape—To join British Fleet in Gulf of Finland—Sent to Latvian frontier on military service—Train searched—The Green Guards—Across Lake Luban.
[CHAPTER XIV]
CONCLUSION294
The only hope for Russian Communists, country before party—Influence of non-Bolshevik elements—Russian dislike of politics—Intervention must be humanitarian—Impotence of the Third International—Russian love of the soil—Bolsheviks despise the Russians—Co-operative Societies proof of Russian organizing capacity—The power of religion.
[INDEX]309