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0100 History of the Expedition in Asia, 1927-1935 : vol.3
History of the Expedition in Asia, 1927-1935 : vol.3 / Page 100 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000210
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wooden columns; and the pillared hall is rich in effective contrasts of light and shade, as much of the roof is gone.'

Opposite it was the Altunluq-mazar, a simple rectangular building with a low cupola. In the interior, above the ground, stood the sarcophagus-like, oblong monuments that are built upon the graves.

OUR ESCORT

At last all obstacles to our starting were removed; and on the morning of February 12th we turned out before sunrise.

There was endless running about and shouting, and in the midst of this confusion the commandant arrived.

He gave his last orders to our escort, for which he had produced six men. We explained, however, that we had room for no more than four. He gave us five, one of whom (we decided) was to get out at the first village.

The colonel whom CHANG had presented to us as commander of our escort was a Tungan named MA YING-PIAO. His glorious career may be briefly sketched. He had been under the command of the young General MA CHUNG-YING in Kansu, where he had been called Ka chun-chang ( »The Little General ») . MA CHUNG-PING himself was best known in Kansu as Ka ssu-ling ( »The Little Commandant ») . About 1931-32 he stormed like a fiend over all the country from Ning-hsia by Liang-chow, Kanchow and Suchow to Anhsi, sacking, murdering and devastating in town, village and countryside all along the old Imperial Highway. He was said to have thousands of lives on his conscience — all Chinese, and mostly women and children.

When General MA invaded Sinkiang, MA YING-PIAO was a member of his staff and was ordered to Hami. His examination of the Foreign Minister's luggage, mentioned in the foregoing, caused the Minister to complain to General MA. The latter thereupon removed MA YING-PIAO from his post at Hami, making him instead commandant at Barkul — a change that was hardly a punishment. In this new post he made himself so hated by Chinese and Turkis alike, through injustice, caprice and cruelty of all kinds, that it was decided to get rid of him. He only saved his life by a speedy retreat. In his flight to the western gate of the town with half a dozen followers the party was seized by the soldiers on guard and beheaded to a man — with the exception of MA himself, who managed to escape in disguise. He continued his flight alone through the mountain passes of the T'ien-shan, and arrived at Pichan half dead from starvation. From here he had reached Hami three weeks before our own party.

This, then, was the hero whom Commandant CHANG had now placed in charge 1 Compare our Plate 21 and Tafel 27 in VON LE COQ'S Auf Hellas Sturen in Ostturkistan. F. B.

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