s it?"

"That you will be present at the departure of the case, so as to avoid
any mistake."

"I will be there, Kinko, I will be there. Glass fragile, I will see
that they don't handle it too roughly. And if you like I will accompany
the case to Avenue Cha-Coua--"

"I hardly like to ask you to do that--"

"You are wrong, Kinko. You should not stand on ceremony with a friend,
and I am yours, Kinko. Besides, it will be a pleasure to me to make the
acquaintance of Mademoiselle Zinca Klork. I will be there when they
deliver the box, the precious box. I will help her to get the nails out
of it--"

"The nails out of it, Monsieur Bombarnac? My panel? Ah, I will jump
through my panel!"

A terrible clap of thunder interrupted our conversation. I thought the
train had been thrown off the line by the commotion of the air. I left
the young Roumanian and regained my place within the car.

In the morning--26th of May, 7 A.M.--we arrived at Lan-Tcheou. Three
hours to stop, three hours only.

"Come, Major Noltitz, come, Pan-Chao, come, Caterna, we have not a
minute to spare."

But as we are leaving the station we are stopped by the appearance of a
tall, fat, gray, solemn personage. It is the governor of the town in a
double robe of white and yellow silk, fan in hand, buckled belt, and a
mantilla--a black mantilla which would have looked much better on the
shoulders of a manola. He is accompanied by a certain number of
globular mandarins, and the Celestials salute him by holding out their
two fists, which they move up and down as they nod their heads.

"Ah! What is this gentleman going to do? Is it some Chinese formality?
A visit to the passengers and their baggage? And Kinko, what about him?"

Nothing alarming, after all. It is only about the treasure of the Son
of Heaven. The governor and his suite have stopped before the precious
van, bolted and sealed, and are looking at it with that respectful
admiration which is experienced even in China before a box containing
many millions.

I ask Popof what is meant by the governor's presence, has it anything
to do with us?

"Not at all," says Popof; "the order has come from Pekin to telegraph
the arrival of the treasure. The governor has done so, and he is
awaiting a reply as to whether he is to send it on to Pekin or keep it
provisionally at Lan-Tcheou."

"That will not delay us?"

"I don't think so."

"Then come on," said I to my companions. But if the imperial treasure