They shook every pillow, blanket, shirt, quilt and article of clothing, screwed
them up in their fists, threw them on the floor like rags, and trampled on them
with their boots. They put everything they liked on a large table and claimed
it as a reward for their labours.
When they had finished with our packages, they threw them on the
floor, all jumbled together as in the aftermath of a fire, cut to pieces and
crushed underfoot like a pile of rubbish. Then they made us bring in snow in
our coattails and spread it about, after which they broke into a wild dance,
trampling on everything with their boots. When they were convinced that
everything was ruined and unusable, they kicked it outside into the snow-covered
courtyard. By then the snow was half a metre deep and it was still snowing.
Another group of them beat us with whips and sticks and kicked us in
the stomach. At every cry of pain, they smashed their fists into our chins,
lacerating our tongues and knocking out teeth. They kicked me out into the
snow with their boots. As I fell, bloodied and beaten, I heard the convulsive
screams of the women, who were also being beaten.
I was unable to get back on my feet and lay unconscious until the other
passengers lifted me up. They laid me on the wagon, where they had already
placed some wet rags which they had dragged out of the snow. I was so weak
that I was sure I was not long for this world. However, I gradually came to
myself, and only then, after all that had happened, did the question arise of
where we should go and what we should do. It was gone 4 o’clock. The snow
and blizzard stung our eyes. They had left us without a sound limb in our
bodies, and we had to be out in the street in such weather.
We decided to get as far away from there as possible and go into a side
street. [9] There we came to a halt and forced the coachman and his assistant,
an Aryan, to go and find us a place to rest after that dance of the
demons. They returned an hour and a half later with the news that they had
found their friend’s apartment, and we set off there. As it turned out, it was
all the fault of the coachman, who should not have taken the main road but
should have turned off immediately into a side street on the outskirts of town
where his acquaintance lived.
We dragged ourselves there with the little strength we had left. As soon
as we entered the house, we were convinced that we would not get any rest
there, because the whole floor from end to end was covered with men and
women packed tightly together. They were asleep, snorting and snoring away,
