d the meeting"); nowadays military
service is really a pleasure.

We all were sitting in the recreation room, about sixty or seventy
of us in all. Khokhriakov presided. His neck is like a bull's, but
rougher--and red. He started the meeting by a thunderous "Shut up,
you over there!" and "Somebody open the window; who in hell is smoking
such ... tobacco (I omit the adjective, though correct and strikingly
expressive, but profane)?"

The noise stopped under this voice, the windows were thrown open, and
our Peoples' Commissary began:

"Comrades,--before us are three questions; 1st--whether to release the
prisoners and give them to the Tobolsk people under the auspices of
Comrade Kobylinsky and his men, or 2d--whether to try the prisoners
right here by the people's tribunal, or 3d--to comply with some other
requests--which I have the authority to propose--to send the prisoners
to a Ural city. Let us proceed with the first question. I put this
proposition to the ballot in this way: the Tobolians, and amongst them
the popes, the monarchists, all of the counter-revolutionary trash do
not want the Peoples' rule. So they say that the Nikolai family must
be given to the Constituent Assembly. Now, what in the hell of hells,
do they mean by this? What _is_ a Constituant Assembly? Isn't it
a crowd of the same enemies of the people? Isn't this 'Parliament'
against our will? Shall we, proletarians, consider the question of a
Constituent Assembly? Would it not be an act of counter-revolution?
Come out here, right before me, the one that will dare to propose such
a thing," and the ten pound wooly fist of the sailor was lifted and
held for moments in the filthy air of the recreation room.

This rhetorical question, in fact, was not necessary, as we all,
hearing the word "Proletariat" in the middle of Khokhriakov's speech
had already started to make a noise and to applaud, the cheers densely
hung in the room,--and even before he said, "I knew you are
good proletarians and would drown this proposition, God damn
you,--carried,"--the fate of this weak and impossible thing at that
time, the hope for a Constituent Assembly,--was told. In no way would
it do.

"Now comrades,"--Khokhriakov continued after a short confidential chat
with the curly, blond, small-faced and long-eared Kaganitsky,--"comes
the next proposition. I warn you, however; no matter how tempting this
proposition is, do not make any harsh decision. We know your zeal in
Pe