We were kept some time on the bank and then we were driven into the village. We tried to find out from the bandits where they were taking us. The answers were blows, an order to keep quiet and with a gnashing of teeth they said, "for examination." We were brought to the inn of the convent. It was still early, between six and seven in the morning. We were all shut up in a room and the shutters were locked. Soon there came armed bandits and many older peasants of Petrovichi. We were searched again. Anything that pleased them they took away. A little later a new band came and did the same thing. After a time there came a third. This lasted two hours, until we were stripped of all our clothing except our underwear; and those of us who were unfortunate enough to have good underwear remained entirely naked. Among the peasants who came in there were many good acquaintances of the Jews of Petrovichi. The latter turned to those of the peasants whom they knew and asked them to save them. Instead of answering they searched with greedy eyes to see if there was not something else that they could appropriate. Among our visitors there were also some who explained indignantly, "You Jewish communists, you changed our holy houses of God into stables. In Kiev you killed our brothers. We will torture you as you tortured them." There were also some who told with special gusto how the Jews were being massacred everywhere, how their eyes were being gouged out and the women's breasts cut off, etc. It was clear to us that we were lost. We lay on the floor motionless and without a sound. The women did not even shed tears. Only here and there one heard a child cry or ask for something to eat. During the day twelve more Jews were brought in, who were caught in a boat on the river, and also the Jewish communist agitator Shapoval, who boarded the steamer with us at Kiev in the company of the members of the Red Army. Shapoval was brought in by a powerful fellow of middle age, wearing a red military uniform. As I learned later, this was Klimenko, the chieftain of the band. Shapoval told us confidentially that it was possible to come to terms with this man and buy our freedom. We fell at his feet, embraced and kissed him, begged for our lives and promised "mountains of gold/' He said coolly, "Give me 30,000 rubles." The Jews of Petrovichi entreated, "Let two of us go to the village and we will bring you the money." "60,000 rubles," was the answer. "We will give you 100,000. Keep our women and children as hostages, let us go to the village and we will bring you the money." Klimenko went away with the statement that he would come back later. In the meantime peasants came in and out, and when they saw the naked persons before them from whom there was nothing further to take they insulted us in the coarsest fashion. Klimenko came back. We began to hope again. We kissed his boots and begged him, "Let two of us go to the village and bring you the money." Klimenko heard the sobbing and crying, accepted our kisses graciously and demanded 900,000 rubles. We promised. But he thought differently, asked us for the addresses that he might get the money himself and departed. The day
UKRAINE