Chapter 18

"Millions--there are millions in that pretended mortuary van!"

In spite of myself, this imprudent phrase had escaped me in such a way
that the secret of the imperial treasure was instantly known to all, to
the railway men as well as to the passengers. And so, for greater
security, the Persian government, in agreement with the Chinese
government, has allowed it to be believed that we were carrying the
corpse of a mandarin, when we were really taking to Pekin a treasure
worth fifteen million of francs.

Heaven pardon me, what a howler--pardonable assuredly--but what a
howler I had been guilty of! But why should I have doubted what Popof
told me, and why should Popof have suspected what the Persians had told
him regarding this Yen Lou? There was no reason for our doubting their
veracity.

I am none the less deeply humiliated in my self-esteem as a journalist,
and I am much annoyed at the call to order which I have brought upon
myself. I shall take very good care not to breathe a word of my
misadventure, even to the major. Is it credible? In Paris the
_Twentieth Century_ is better informed of what concerns the Grand
Transasiatic than I am! They knew that an imperial treasure is in the
van, and I did not! Oh! the mistakes of special correspondents!

Now the secret is divulged, and we know that this treasure, composed of
gold and precious stones, formerly deposited in the hands of the Shah
of Persia, is being sent to its legitimate owner, the Son of Heaven.

That is why my lord Faruskiar, who was aware of it in consequence of
his position as general manager of the company, had joined the train at
Douchak so as to accompany the treasure to its destination. That is why
he and Ghangir--and the three other Mongols--had so carefully watched
this precious van, and why they had shown themselves so anxious when it
had been left behind by the breakage of the coupling, and why they were
so eager for its recovery. Yes, all is explained!

That is also why a detachment of Chinese soldiers has taken over the
van at Kachgar, in relief of the Persians! That is why Pan-Chao never
heard of Yen Lou, nor of any exalted personage of that name existing in
the Celestial Empire!

We started to time, and, as may be supposed, our traveling companions
could talk of nothing else but the millions which were enough to enrich
every one in the train.

"This pretended mortuary van has always been suspicious to me," said
Major Noltitz. "And that was why I questioned Pan-Chao regarding the
dead mandarin."

"I remember," I said; "and I could not quite understand the motive of
your question. It is certain now that we have got a treasure in tow."