ift that
the footway rises and falls like the waves of the sea. Madame Caterna,
who had ventured on it, began to turn pale.

"Caroline, Caroline," said her husband, "you will be seasick! Pull
yourself together; pull yourself together!"

She "pulled herself together," and we went up towards a pagoda which
rises over the town.

Like all the monuments of this kind, the pagoda resembles a pile of
dessert dishes placed one on the other, but the dishes are of graceful
form, and if they are in Chinese porcelain it is not astonishing.

We get an outside view of a cannon foundry, a rifle factory, the
workmen being natives. Through a fine garden we reach the governor's
house, with a capricious assemblage of bridges, kiosks, fountains and
doors like vases. There are more pavilions and upturned roofs than
there are trees and shady walks. Then there are paths paved with
bricks, among them the remains of the base of the Great Wall.

It is ten minutes to ten when we return to the station, absolutely
tired out; for the walk has been a rough one, and almost suffocating,
for the heat is very great.

My first care is to look after the van with the millions. It is there
as usual behind the train under the Chinese guard.

The message expected by the governor has arrived; the order to forward
on the van to Pekin, where the treasure is to be handed over to the
finance minister.

Where is Faruskiar? I do not see him. Has he given us the slip?

No! There he is on one of the platforms, and the Mongols are back in
the car.

Ephrinell has been off to do a round of calls--with his samples, no
doubt--and Mrs. Ephrinell has also been out on business, for a deal in
hair probably. Here they come, and without seeming to notice one
another they take their seats.

The other passengers are only Celestials. Some are going to Pekin; some
have taken their tickets for intermediate stations like Si-Ngan, Ho
Nan. Lou-Ngan, Tai-Youan. There are a hundred passengers in the train.
All my numbers are on board. There is not one missing. Thirteen, always
thirteen!

We were still on the platform, just after the signal of departure had
been given, when Caterna asked his wife what was the most curious thing
she had seen at Lan-Tcheou.

"The most curious thing, Adolphe? Those big cages, hung on to the walls
and trees, which held such curious birds--"

"Very curious, Madame Caterna," said Pan-Chao. "Birds that talk--"

"What--parrots?"

"No; criminals