Gone by Nightfall

by Dee Garretson

  Hap and I took turns coaxing him to eat and drink with what little we could buy at the stations. We weren’t always successful. The twins and Stepan were always hungry, so the rest of us cut back on what we ate to try to keep them filled up. My stomach felt like it rumbled day and night.

  I watched out the window during the day, though there wasn’t much to see. I was surprised to see Cossack troops on the move, looking as if they were maintaining some sort of order as they rode.

  “Where do you think they’re going?” I asked Dmitri.

  “I’ve been talking to some of the other passengers. One man said he’s heard a few of the generals have gone east and are putting together new regiments to fight the Bolsheviks. The Reds may hold the west, but there are people determined not to let them take over all of Russia.”

  “Do you really think they’ll be successful?” Miles asked. “They don’t have any supply lines or anything.”

  “I don’t know,” Dmitri said. “But they have to try.” He was quiet for a long time after that.

  At the next station, two men dressed in makeshift police uniforms got on. “Bag inspection!” they called. “Open your bags.”

  “Why are you inspecting bags?” Dmitri asked. “I’ve never heard of that before.”

  The man frowned. “It’s not for the likes of you to question authority. Who are you?”

  “He’s my brother,” I said, trying to make my Russian sound bad. “We’re Americans.” I hoped they wouldn’t notice Dmitri’s perfect Russian.

  That seemed to mollify the man. “Americans, you say? Good you are leaving the country. It’s for Russians now. We’re inspecting bags because some people have been trying to blow up the train bridges. They’ve thrown small bombs out the windows as the train is going over. It’s our job to keep the line open. Now show us your luggage.”

  They went through everyone’s things, and I was glad I still had the bag with the necklaces in it around my neck. When they found the boxes, they immediately opened them and poured out the trinkets I had put inside, stuffing them into their pockets. Dmitri made a move as if to protest, but I put my hand on his arm, holding my breath that they wouldn’t shake the boxes to hear the hidden jewels rattling around. They didn’t, and soon tossed the boxes back at me.

  “Thank you for your contribution to the Railway Safety Fund,” one of the men said, chuckling. I bit my tongue and stayed quiet.

  The next time soldiers stopped the train, Hap looked out the window and then drew his head back in so quickly he bumped it. “Bad news,” he said. “They’re making the people in the cars in front of us get off so they can get on.”

  I looked out the window. We were in the middle of nowhere, and snow was thick on the ground.

  “We are not getting off this train,” I said.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I GOT UP and climbed on a bench and raised my voice to get the other passengers’ attention. After I explained what was happening, I called out, “Do you want to get kicked off this train?”

  Several people called out, “No!”

  “Then pull the shades and listen to me. We only have a few minutes. I’m going outside to tell those soldiers they can’t come in here because everyone is ill. You’re going to have to help me. Do some moaning and groaning, and if anyone does board to check, act sick.” I reached into my bag until I found my nursing veil and put it on. “My brother will tell you when to make noise,” I said pointing to Hap. “Don’t let them overdo it,” I told him as I went out the door.

  I left the door cracked open and then climbed down the steps, waiting for the men to approach. When they got close enough, I called, “Do you have a doctor with you?”

  They ignored my question. The one leading them was so covered in dirt, I could hardly make out his features. “Move aside,” he yelled. “We’re boarding this car.”

  I clenched my hands to act like I was worried. “Thank goodness! So you are doctors! We’ve got several cases of typhus in this car. I had everyone who was feeling ill move back here, though I’m afraid some of the others in the front cars will fall ill too.”

  The soldier in front took a step back, bumping into the men behind him.

  “I don’t believe you,” one of the others said.

  Nika began to wail, very loudly, and others joined in. Miles coughed. He didn’t have to act. His cough was unmistakably consumptive.

  The men began to argue among themselves about what to do. The noise from inside rose and I was afraid it was becoming too fake, when it began to drop off again. What followed was almost a perfect orchestra of moans and groans with just the right pauses.

  After one particularly pathetic cry from Nika, the men moved away, walking back up the side of the train, pounding on the train cars and shouting, “Typhus! Typhus! Get off the train.”

  The soldiers who had already boarded jumped off until they were all gathered in one spot. Some of them kept pointing back at me, so I stood in the same spot, hoping no one would be brave enough to actually check. After what seemed like a very long time, the men moved off and the train chugged forward. Dmitri came out and helped me back up onto the landing outside the car.

  Once I got inside, I hugged Hap. “Brilliant!” I said. “It was perfect!” He grinned.

  As the days went on, our moment of triumph faded. Miles was no better, and I spent the next night listening to him cough while the other passengers grumbled about the noise. The day after, he was a little better and I slept for several hours after Dmitri promised he’d wake me if I was needed.

  More days passed and we stopped at a station that actually had food, though we spent far too much money on it. Dmitri rinsed his hair under a pump and most of the paint came out, leaving only a few faint tinges of red. He hadn’t had a chance to shave, and with each day he looked less and less like a count from Petrograd and more like an adventurer of some sort. I liked the look except I didn’t like the scratchiness of his face when I leaned my head against him as we dozed.

  When Miles pointed out we had to be getting close to the border, the twins and Stepan grew so excited they could hardly sit still, wanting to be the first to spot the crossing. I finally told them it would be at least another day and they settled down, keeping themselves amused with talking about the ship we’d take to America.

  That night, when everyone around us was asleep, Dmitri kissed me until I thought I was going to just melt into him. I clung to him, wanting the night to go on and on. At some point I fell asleep and dreamed we were back in our house and people were pounding on the doors and breaking the windows. I tried to scream for them to go away, but they wouldn’t stop.

  “Lottie, Lottie.” I woke up to find Dmitri shaking me gently. “You’re having a bad dream,” he said. He put his arms back around me. “Go back to sleep now.”

  I may have imagined it, but as I drifted off I thought he was singing to me, so softly it was almost a whisper. Fly, my horses, at the gallop / to my dear, you know the way! / Fly, my horses, fly at the gallop / to my dear one’s house, you know the way.

  Early the next morning, I was almost awake when I heard a terrible screeching sound, so loud it made my ears hurt, and then all of a sudden the car was tipping and everything and everyone was tumbling. Sophie was right next to me, so I grabbed her as she cried out. I was so groggy with sleep I didn’t understand what was happening until the car tipped all the way over on its side, Stepan landed on both of us with a thud, and my head hit the wall. I heard screams and cries and Nika calling for me.

  “We’ve derailed!” someone shouted. I saw Dmitri’s face in front of mine. He had a cut on his forehead and blood was pouring out, dripping down on me. “I’ve got Nika,” he said. “Are you all right?” He lifted Stepan off me. Stepan wasn’t crying, but his face was so white I thought he might faint.

  I remembered to breathe. “I’m all right, I think. Where are Miles and Hap?” I looked around and felt the panic rising in me. Why didn’t I see them?

  “Here,�
�� Hap called, already shifting baggage around and reaching out a hand to help Miles up. Miles didn’t look hurt from what I could see, but then he turned to one side and threw up.

  “Where’s Musya?” Nika cried.

  “She’s here,” Dmitri said. “Still in her basket.” The kitten had its claws dug into the wicker like it never intended to let go. It looked up at us and blinked its eyes.

  Sophie sobbed in relief and grabbed the basket.

  I managed to stand up. “We need to get out of here so I can put a bandage on your head,” I said to Dmitri. Dmitri put his hand to his forehead as if just realizing he was bleeding.

  Hap moved over to the door and helped people climb through, encouraging them to move along so everyone could get out. I took along one of the bags, which had an extra petticoat of mine. I could tear it up and use it for bandages.

  Once we were outside, I stood still, trying to understand what I was seeing. It was as if we were looking at a battle scene.

  “We’re lucky we didn’t have a working stove,” Dmitri said grimly. Two of the cars ahead of us were on fire, and there were people being helped off who I could see had been burned. The panic bubbled up again but I pushed it down. I was a nurse. I could help them. I had to concentrate on the task at hand.

  I ripped off a piece of the petticoat and handed it to Dmitri. “Hold this to your head,” I said. “I have to help the others.”

  I moved among the people, trying to help those who were hurt, but besides bandaging there wasn’t much I could do except urge people to keep the injured victims warm so they wouldn’t go into shock. I was relieved to find that another nurse had been aboard, and she and I set a woman’s broken arm. Some of the men took charge of the dead, putting them close to the engine and covering them with donated blankets. I didn’t want to know how many there were.

  I kept repeating to myself, Keep to the task at hand, though some of the burns were so horrific it was hard to keep my voice calm when I tried to comfort the victims.

  I finally took a break to check on the others and found them back in the tipped-over car. Some of the other passengers had rearranged their belongings and were sitting on what was now the floor, huddled together to keep warm. I saw tracks in the snow as if some had started to walk to safety but then turned back.

  “We can’t just wait here,” I said to Dmitri. “Some of the injured need to get to a hospital.”

  “Someone is going to have to come clear the tracks of the damaged cars or no trains are going to get through,” Dmitri said. He looked over at Sophie and Nika and Stepan, who were playing with the kitten. He lowered his voice. “The engineer is among the dead, but some men set off for help. They said the next station is only a few miles ahead.”

  Shouts came from outside. Hap jumped up and moved to the door. “It’s Cossacks,” he called.

  My heart skipped a beat. “That might be a problem,” I said, trying to stay calm. The Cossacks had always been a mystery to me, sometimes bloodthirsty and violent in carrying out the czar’s orders, especially during the pogroms, and sometimes acting as the most disciplined of soldiers. I had no idea where their loyalties lay with the czar imprisoned.

  “No, I think they’ve come to help,” Hap said. “They’re carrying supplies.”

  There were dozens of them, and they were indeed there to help, lighting campfires and sharing food. I went back to helping the wounded and didn’t realize how many hours had passed until I heard the sound of a train chugging toward us.

  The passengers took up a cheer. I watched the train draw closer and saw men leaning out the windows. They were all in uniform, and they were all wearing red bands.

  Dmitri came up beside me.

  “I didn’t know the Bolsheviks had moved this far east,” I said.

  “It’s probably mostly political prisoners who were freed from the Siberian prisons. Word has spread and they’re organizing everywhere. And I’m sure some of them are former army who deserted months ago to go home.”

  I wrapped my arm in his. “It doesn’t matter. They won’t be looking for any aristocrats from Petrograd, and you look like a regular person now anyway.”

  The train came to a stop and the soldiers poured out of it. The passengers fell silent. The leader, who had red bands around both arms, moved among the crowd, followed by two men who acted as if they were his bodyguards.

  My hands began to sweat. I didn’t like the looks of them. The leader stopped a man, and though I couldn’t hear what he said, the passenger got out a paper and handed it to him. The other soldiers had spread out and were walking around looking at everyone. I knew they were trying to determine who might have money or valuables.

  “Why are they asking for papers?” a woman next to us said.

  One man walked right up to us and stood too close. He stared at Dmitri. “You look familiar,” he said, spitting out a sunflower seed shell. “What’s your name, comrade?”

  I saw Dmitri’s jaw clench. “I don’t speak Russian,” Dmitri said in English.

  The man peered at him. “I swear I know you.”

  Dmitri looked back at him as if he hadn’t understood.

  “You remind me of a lieutenant I had in the west. One of the stinking officers who thought they were better than us and could give us orders.”

  Dmitri stayed motionless. The man pointed a finger at him. “Don’t you move. I want to talk to the captain about you.”

  The others had gathered around us. Nika grabbed Dmitri’s hand. “Do you know that man?” she asked.

  “He was part of a group trying to rebuild a bridge,” Dmitri said. “I was assigned to oversee it. He didn’t like that I knew more than him about bridges. Stay here, all of you.”

  “Where are you going?” I asked, dread filling me.

  “I need to get away. Hap hasn’t added me to one of the passports and there isn’t time now. I’ll only put you in danger if that soldier recognizes me.”

  I heard a man cry out in pain and looked to see someone doubled over, clutching his stomach. The leader stood over him with his fist clenched, as if he had just punched him.

  Another woman screamed as a different soldier tried to pull a ring off her finger. He hit her and she fell down as he wrenched her finger again. A shot rang out and a passenger, an old man, fell to the ground.

  “We all need to get out of here,” I said. “Hap, can you grab my bag that has the magic boxes in it and do it so no one notices? And get anything else you can carry.”

  “We aren’t going to be able to get very far,” Miles said. “Not in the snow and not with the twins. And it’s going to be dark soon.” A few of the passengers had taken off running, and there were already soldiers in pursuit.

  “I’ve got an idea.” Dmitri looked over at the Cossacks’ horses, which were hobbled together in a bunch. “I talked to some of those men while you were helping the passengers. They’re definitely not Bolsheviks.”

  I noticed that the Cossacks were gathering together in a group close to their horses and they all had weapons. I knew what Dmitri was thinking.

  “You’re not the only one who knows how to ride, right?” Dmitri asked me.

  “No, we all ride, but the twins only ride ponies.”

  “That’s fine. We’ll put them up with two of you.”

  “Do you really think they’re going to sell us some horses?” Miles said. He understood too.

  “Dmitri and I will go find out. The rest of you stay here.”

  Dmitri and I walked over to the Cossacks, who were still in some major discussion. There were fewer of them than there were of the Bolsheviks, but they had the horses, and every single man had a weapon. I didn’t see many weapons among the soldiers who had gotten off the train.

  Dmitri went over to one man. “Friend, we’ve got a problem.” He pointed over to the children. “We need to get them away from here. I know you have extra horses, and we’d be willing to pay you quite a bit to borrow them for a few hours.”

  The man drew
back. “Borrow? How would you get them back to us?”

  “We’d ride them across the border and then tie them up. You can retrieve them later.” Dmitri pulled out a small roll of money and tried to give it to the man. “This is good pay for renting horses. We only need four of them, and just your pack animals, not your best horses, of course.”

  The man looked over at the children and then back at us. “I don’t know. What if someone steals the horses before we can get them back?”

  I pulled the bag out from underneath my shirt and took out both a ruby necklace and a diamond one. They glittered in the sunlight.

  “These are very valuable,” I said, handing them to the man. “They’ll buy you supplies and horses for a year.”

  He held the necklaces up. “I give you my word they are real,” I said. “And I really want to get my family to a safe place. My little sisters are only five, and they are very scared.”

  I held my breath. The soldiers were getting closer to our train car.

  The man put the necklaces in his pocket and motioned to someone next to him. “Give them four horses,” he said. “You can have them. No borrowing necessary.” He turned to Dmitri and began to give him directions on how to get across the border.

  I motioned for the others to join us. The captain of the Bolsheviks had gotten about halfway down the train, talking to each person. The ones who had tried to get away were dragged to him, several of them with bleeding mouths and noses from the soldiers hitting them with rifle butts.

  “You are attracting some interest, my friend,” the Cossack said to Dmitri. “We may be able to give you some help. We’ve decided we don’t like these men on our territory. As soon as you are ready to ride, we will begin to let them know exactly who we are.”

  “Thank you,” Dmitri said.

  I didn’t know how Dmitri had become their friend so quickly, and I didn’t have time to ask him.

  The Cossacks surrounded us to hide us from view as we got organized. “Stepan, you ride with Hap, all right?” Dmitri said. “You two are going to go first. Miles, you put Sophie up with you, and you follow Hap and Stepan. Nika, you’re going to ride with Charlotte.”