sing,
and gained freedom for 100 roubles; and here my narrative of the making
of a Cossack had better end. Sufficient to say I never met a
freer-hearted set of men in my travels round the world than these
dreadful guardians of the Tsars, and if in course of time I get tired of
England, I shall claim my kinship with these freemen of forest and
plain. These men so love liberty that not even the Tsars dared interfere
with their rights.

CHAPTER XXI

HOMEWARD BOUND

On May 17 Omsk was excluded from the Vatka (station), and by this
indirect means became aware that the Supreme Governor was returning from
the front. The Cossack Guard lined up outside, while detachments of
Russian infantry in English uniform occupied the platform. The Russian
Tommies looked quite smart, and except for their long, narrow,
triangular bayonets, might easily have been mistaken for English troops.
While awaiting the train, General Knox informed me that two of our
proposals, "Women's suffrage" and "Universal education," had been cut
out by the reactionaries. Why are the churches of the world so hostile
to the popular education of the people? The Church is quite prepared to
allow the people to receive educational instruction if controlled by the
priests. It prefers to leave them in ignorance and the easy prey of
Bolshevik charlatanism rather than allow free play for intelligent
thinking. Women's suffrage was opposed by quite a different set of men,
mostly those who make enormous display of deference to drawing-room
ladies, and look upon us Englishmen as wanting in gallantry because we
do not kiss every feminine hand we shake. On the whole I think it is
good to have pushed them ahead so far. Measured by Russian standards, it
amounts to a revolution in ideas of government. The great thing just now
is to fix some point beyond which the pendulum shall not be allowed to
swing towards reaction. The workmen are sick of strife and would gladly
go straight back to the old regime as an easy way of escape from
Bolshevism. This is the danger from which English diplomacy has tried,
and is trying, to guard the Russian people if possible.

Thus, having finished my work at Omsk, I asked that arrangements might
be made as quickly as possible to transport my escort and myself to
Vladivostok. The arrangements were completed by May 21, when I announced
myself ready to begin the first stage of my journey homeward. The
Supreme Governor surprised me by proposin