BIGGLES IN THE GOBI

by Captain W. E. Johns

IV. TRAGEDY AT NAN-HU (Pages 44 – 53)

They all go to the guest house and look around. There are ominous stains on the uncovered floor and bullet holes in the walls. They go outside and look around. “Signs of strife were not wanting. Everything was trampled and in disorder. There were hoof marks in soft ground, and lying amongst them were expended cartridges for weapons of several different calibres”. They see a mound of newly turned earth and Algy guesses it is where people are buried. On looking up at the cliff, Ginger spots somebody watching them and Algy hails them. He says they are English and have come to fetch some people home. Five people come out of the cave, two men and two women who are clearly Europeans and one Chinese man. Feng-tao recognises his countryman and they converse. One lady is middle aged and she is called Miss Summers, the other is quite young and she is called Miss Treves. The two European men are Ritzen, a Swedish citizen in his mid-twenties and Father Dubron, a Frenchman. The Chinese man is Kao-Ming, known as Ming. Ritzen explains how glad they are to see them as they had no food left. Algy suggests they get the supplies in, have something to eat, then he can tell them what has happened. An hour later, Ritzen explains how ten days ago, he and Father Dubron were out collecting dry wood for the fire when a bunch of Kirghiz brigands arrived, men of the Mongolian-Tartar family. They come about twice a year. “They’d do a lot of shouting, feed and water their horses, take what they could find and then gallop off again”. Algy says they saw two of them in the desert. “They must have been two of those who escaped the massacre here,” said Ritzen. The Kirghiz men arrived demanding food and water. Miss Summers then takes up the story and says a big party of Chinese cavalry charged up and caught them, and everyone else, unprepared. These soldiers of the New Red Army opened fire at once and for half an hour battle raged. Dead and wounded men lay about everywhere. One of the missionaries’ party, Mr. Carter was killed and an American, Mr. Bates was wounded and died two days later. Five people were taken prisoner and taken away: Four members of the missionaries’ party and the Chinese Abbot Ching-Fu. There were originally eleven in the party, Mr. Greuze, a Swiss was murdered by being tortured by a New Chinese Army Colonel called Ma Chang. “He’s the big man at Tunhwang, and a greater villain never lived”. Two of their party were killed in the battle, four taken away with the Abbot Ching-Fu and so four Europeans remain. Ritzen says when they heard shooting, they could only hurry back and watch helplessly from a distance. Ming and the women were able to hide in the caves. “This part of the world has long been a melting-pot for a dozen different races and religions. All hate each other. Can you wonder that life is held cheaply, and death by violence a thing so commonplace that no one bothers much about it”. Algy asks what became of the prisoners and Ritzen says that a friend of the Abbot brought word they were in prison at Tunghang, awaiting trial as agents and collaborators. “They may wait months, or years, for their trial – or the mockery of one”. “How frightful!” muttered Ginger, aghast. Algy asks if the Kirghiz or Chinese might come back. Ritzen says that is hard to say. “Our fear has been that under torture, which is still practised here, our own people might be compelled to confess that there are more Europeans at Nan-hu”. Algy says the first thing to do is post a sentry so they are not surprised by anyone. They must take the greatest care to ensure no cans or cartons are left lying around to show that someone is there or that stores have been brought there. The most important thing is to prepare a piece of ground for the aircraft to land next week. Ginger asks about the prisoners. Algy replies “It goes against the grain to abandon the prisoners to their fate, but the question of how far we should be justified in risking the lives of everyone here in an attempt to save them is one that will need a lot of thought”. Algy assigns jobs. “And so the work began”.