n the part of
one I know to be so energetic. But as soon as he sees us his face
betrays a ray of hope.

At this moment the carter, brought forward by the police, relates the
affair to a good sort of fellow in spectacles, who shakes his head in
anything but a hopeful way for the prisoner, who, even if he were as
innocent as a new-born child, could not defend himself, inasmuch as he
did not know Chinese.

Then it is that Pan-Chao presents himself. The judge recognized him and
smiled. In fact, our companion was the son of a rich merchant in Pekin,
a tea merchant in the Toung-Tien and Soung-Fong-Cao trade. And these
nods of the judge's head became more sympathetically significant.

Our young advocate was really pathetic and amusing. He interested the
judge, he excited the audience with the story of the journey, he told
them all about it, and finally he offered to pay the company what was
due to them.

Unfortunately the judge could not consent. There had been material
damages, moral damages, etc., etc.

Thereupon Pan-Chao became animated, and although we understood nothing
he said, we guessed that he was speaking of the courage of Kinko, of
the sacrifice he had made for the safety of the travelers, and finally,
as a supreme argument, he pleaded that his client had saved the
imperial treasure.

Useless eloquence? Arguments were of no avail with this pitiless
magistrate, who had not acquitted ten prisoners in is life. He spared
the delinquent the bastinado; but he gave him six months in prison, and
condemned him in damages against the Grand Transasiatic Company. And
then at a sign from this condemning machine poor Kinko was taken away.

Let not my readers pity Kinko's fate. I may as well say at once that
everything was arranged satisfactorily.

Next morning Kinko made a triumphal entry into the house in the Avenue
Cha-Coua, where we were assembled, while Madame Caterna was showering
her maternal consolations on the unhappy Zinca Klork.

The newspapers had got wind of the affair. The _Chi Bao_ of Pekin and
the _Chinese Times_ of Tien-Tsin had demanded mercy for the young
Roumanian. These cries for mercy had reached the feet of the Son of
Heaven--the very spot where the imperial ears are placed. Besides,
Pan-Chao had sent to his majesty a petition relating the incidents of
the journey, and insisting on the point that had it not been for
Kinko's devotion, the gold and precious stones would be in the hands of
Faruskiar