YASHKA [Illustration] YASHKA MY LIFE AS PEASANT, EXILE AND SOLDIER BY MARIA BOTCHKAREVA Commander of the Russian Women’s Battalion of Death AS SET DOWN BY ISSAC DON LEVINE LONDON CONSTABLE AND COMPANY LIMITED _First published 1919_ _Copyright, 1919, by_ FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY _All Rights Reserved_ CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I MY CHILDHOOD OF TOIL 1 II MARRIAGE AT FIFTEEN 13 III A LITTLE HAPPINESS 25 IV THE ROAD TO EXILE 43 V ESCAPE FROM EXILE 57 VI I ENLIST BY THE GRACE OF THE TSAR 69 VII MY FIRST EXPERIENCE OF NO MAN’S LAND 84 VIII WOUNDED AND PARALYSED 101 IX EIGHT HOURS IN GERMAN HANDS 121 X THE REVOLUTION AT THE FRONT 135 XI I ORGANIZE THE BATTALION OF DEATH 151 XII MY FIGHT AGAINST COMMITTEE RULE 169 XIII THE BATTALION AT THE FRONT 181 XIV ERRAND FROM KERENSKY TO KORNILOV 206 XV THE ARMY BECOMES A SAVAGE MOB 227 XVI THE TRIUMPH OF BOLSHEVISM 247 XVII FACING LENIN AND TROTZKY 260 XVIII CAUGHT IN A BOLSHEVIK DEATH-TRAP 279 XIX SAVED BY A MIRACLE 297 XX I SET OUT ON A MISSION 312 INTRODUCTION