e Red Cross nurse who had been
chosen to stay behind, he was angry and insisted that I leave at once.
But by the time he learned of my presence, it was too late to find me an
escort. Besides, the doctor did not wish me to go. There was a Russian
woman, a kind of servant, who was also with us, and did the cooking, I
believe, if we ever ate. Anyhow, she stayed with me and looked after me
when she could, so that I was never actually alone."

"But Mildred," Nona asked, guessing at many details that her friend did
not mention, "how did you finally get away at last? And have you come
directly here from Grovno? Surely the fort did not hold out all these
weeks."

"No, we have been away from Grovno nearly two weeks, I can't remember
the exact passage of time very well," Mildred explained, lifting her
hands to let down the long braids of her heavy flaxen hair, and allowing
the hairpins to drop girl fashion, carelessly into her lap. She was
wearing Nona's kimono, and it is always easier to talk confidentially
with one's hair down, if one happens to have the mass that Mildred had.
The very weight of it was oppressive when she was tired.

"Yes, it was terribly interesting toward the last," she went on,
"although I don't believe even then we were in great danger. General
Alexis is too wise to have permitted that. Everything was in readiness;
all the plans were made days beforehand for our getting away. The
different regiments of private soldiers with their officers continued
to march away from Grovno, and so much ammunition was moved that I think
almost no stores of any value were left. Then the moment finally came
for our own retreat."

To Barbara's intense irritation, Mildred actually paused for an instant
at this point in her story. But she continued almost immediately.

"There was an underground passage outside the fort, leading all the way
to the river. The seven of us at last left the fort together. By this
time General Alexis had almost to be carried, the pain from his wound
had grown so intense. Then every once in a while, as we went on, one of
the soldiers would place a bomb in such a position that it would explode
after we had gone. In this way the underground passage was wrecked, so
there never was any possibility of the Germans being able to follow us.
When we reached the bridge over the river two motor cars were waiting
for us. Colonel Feodorovitch, one of the lieutenants and the two private
soldiers stayed to see t