ely knew that a machine gun was firing. In a flash the streets
were cleared and my minister and I found ourselves sticking like posters
against the wall. It was my first "baptism of fire" and I had enough
presence of mind to observe its effect upon myself and others.
Physically there was no effect for no one seemed hit. I tried to locate
the gun and the man behind it, but did not succeed. When the firing
ceased, I went on my way. As I neared the Nicholas station, there came
rushing forth from around the corner a crowd of hoodlums and soldiers,
with drawn swords, which they had taken from the officers, and
such other weapons as they could pick up, shouting, "Down with the
Government!" Then it dawned upon me that the revolution was on in
earnest, that the anarchists of yesterday's prayer had become the heroes
of a great cause. What struck me most of all was the kind of men and
women who made this world event. I watched them during the week, and
they seemed to be in great part boys and girls, hoodlums, students,
poorly dressed men and women, without organization, plans, or leaders.
It is difficult to analyze the various motives that brought them out
into the street. Not one of the so-called revolutionists was seen,
heard, shot, or wounded. When it was all over they appeared on the
scene, rushing from Switzerland, the United States, France, and other
parts of the world, to make speeches and to divide the spoils. It was
a revolution without revolutionists, unless you call the soldiers that,
but they were not consciously making a revolution, and when it was done,
they were thoroughly surprised and frightened. There are a number
of reasons why the Government collapsed so easily. It was not really
overthrown but it toppled over like a rotten tree, and until it fell,
the people did not realize how decayed it actually was. Its misconduct
of the war, scandals like that of Rasputin, ministers such as Protopopov
discredited and disgraced the dynasty and when the end came, it had few
friends who shed tears.

Another important factor in helping the revolution was the large number
of students and liberals who served in the army. To fill the ranks
and to provide educated men for officers, it was necessary to call on
university students, experts in various fields of engineering, all of
whom, more or less, desired a liberal government. These men worked among
the soldiers and officers with a view to creating a feeling of distrust
in the Em