when the Turgans. warring with General Sheng Shi-tsai. insisted pon appropriating one of the five cars in Dr. Hedin's caravan, He refused on the ground that the cars were the property of the National JGovernment, but the time came when General Ma Téung-ying's Turgan troops would toke no refusal. They stripped Dr. Hedin and his men to the waist. and lined them up for execution. Only then, said Dr. Hedin, did he agree to let them have the car they required.
chauffeur was commandeered with the Deserted City Discover:
He was more interested in the truth of a prophesy that he made atier visiting the Tashim River country in 1896, 1900, and 1001, "At that time he declared that, inasmuch fas the desert was nearly level, and the river had shifted its course east Ward in 930 A. D., before long. must again turn forth, for its own enormous silt deposits would make this necessary. He recounted his amazement at learning In 1028 that the Tashim had done precisely th and recalled his discovery of Loulan, 8 alty that was deserted in 390 A. D.
the river-turned, Established for the sole purpose of guarding the fanelent "Imperial roads" and route from China to Imperial Rome In the days of Christ and before, Loulan existed because, in the midst of the desert, the Tashim ted it Iifegiving water. With. the change of the river ie, the old city per-and trade over that road was Knowledge of the Tashim removed obstacle the way, of re-opening the way long which only Imagination could recall the long dead sound of jingling ti Government, and. the He propered this
latest expedition was the' result. It the Russian Government will consent to connecting the old road with tts road system, there is nothing to tay "contemporary. motor travel through deserts long hidden in the very heart of Asia, he insisted. edition was. imps from March 1 to March 13." On that date, Gen, Ma was forced to flee. and gain appropriated the cars, this time leaving none behind. After ting safely off, he sent them back, together with a roll of unborn-sheep skins, and his apologies to Dr. Hedin. Met on their way back to Korla by the pursuing army of Gen. Sheng. the ears were Used {n the pursuit of Gen. Ma, and tually, after being used by both armies, found their way paci into Dr. Hedin's possession.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.