uth. It is evidently written above that I am not to hear the
sound of his voice! The Russian and the Englishman each received the
regulation visa, and the affair went no further.

My lord Faruskiar, followed by Ghangir, then arrived before the man in
spectacles, who looked at him with a certain amount of attention. Major
Noltitz and I watched him. How would he submit to this examination?
Perhaps we were to be undeceived regarding him.

But what was our surprise and even our stupefaction at the dramatic
outburst which at once took place!

After throwing a glance at the papers presented to him by Ghangir, the
Chinese functionary rose and bowed respectfully to Faruskiar, saying:

"May the General Manager of the Grand Transasiatic deign to receive my
ten thousand respects!"

General Manager, that is what he is, this lord Faruskiar! All is
explained. During our crossing of Russian Turkestan he had maintained
his _incognito_ like a great personage in a foreign country; but now on
the Chinese railways he resumed the rank which belonged to him.

And I--in a joke, it is true--had permitted myself to identify him with
the pirate Ki-Tsang. And Major Noltitz, who had spent his time
suspecting him! At last I have some one of note in our train--I have
him, this somebody, I will make his acquaintance, I will cultivate it
like a rare plant, and if he will only speak Russian I will interview
him down to his boots!

Good! I am completely upset, and I could not help shrugging my
shoulders, when the major whispers to me:

"Perhaps one of the bandit chiefs with whom the Grand Transasiatic had
to make terms!"

"Come, major, be serious."

The visit was nearing its end when Baron Weissschnitzerdoerfer appeared.

He is preoccupied, he is troubled, he is anxious, he is confused, he is
fidgety. Why is he shaking, and bending, and diving into his pockets
like a man who has lost something valuable?

"Your papers!" demands the interpreter in German.

"My papers!" replies the baron, "I am looking for them. I have not got
them; they were in my letter case."

And he dived again into his trousers pockets, his waistcoat pockets,
his coat pockets, his great-coat pockets--there were twenty of them at
the least--and he found nothing.

"Be quick--be quick!" said the interpreter. "The train cannot wait!"

"I object to its going without me!" exclaimed the baron. "These
papers--how have they gone astray? I must have let them drop out of my
c