The Rebirth of Russia

stage was set, and, almost before the people realised it, they were in the midst of delirious and dramatic doings. Long before nine o'clock, the streets were black with crowds. Petrograd was all curiosity and eagerness to know what would happen. There were troops everywhere, and it was not long before these men in grey revealed the result of the great deci- .sion which the stormy discussions of the night before had evoked. In other outbreaks, the so-called household troops, together with Cossacks, always stood their ground, bulwark of the imperialhope, slave of the royal command. But things were different now. The die had been cast and another one of the miracles was about to happen. The Preobrajenskys, finest of the Guards Regiments, and long the chief pride and protection of the Russian monarchy, revolted when ordered to fire on the mob, shot some of its officers, and then marched down the street singing and cheering. The Volynskys?also of the Guards?sent to coerce mutineers, joined them, and were soon followed by the Pavlovskys. By noon, nearly twenty thousand troops, the flower of the army, had ranged themselves on the side of the multitude. At first they wandered about like schoolboys broken out of school. They did not loot; there was no drunkenness; they only shouted, cheered, argued. Crowds of workmen joined them, and the disorganised and officerless mass stormed and captured the Arsenal. An immense store of arms and ammunition fell into the ha...