Chapter 18 - Page 2

"And I add," said the major, "that the Chinese government has done
wisely in sending an escort of twenty well-armed men. From Kothan to
Lan Teheou the trains will have two thousand kilometres to traverse
through the desert, and the safety of the line is not as great as it
might be across the Gobi."

"All the more so, major, as the redoubtable Ki-Tsang has been reported
in the northern provinces."

"Quite so, and a haul of fifteen millions is worth having by a bandit
chief."

"But how could the chief be informed of the treasure being sent?"

"That sort of people always know what it is their interest to know."

"Yes," thought I, "although they do not read the _Twentieth Century._"

Meanwhile different opinions were being exchanged on the gangways. Some
would rather travel with the millions than carry a corpse along with
them, even though it was that of a first-class mandarin. Others
considered the carrying of the treasure a danger to the passengers. And
that was the opinion of Baron Weissschnitzerdörfer in a furious attack
on Popof.

"You ought to have told us about it, sir, you ought to have told us
about it! Those millions are known to be in the train, and they will
tempt people to attack us. And an attack, even if repulsed, will mean
delay, and delay I will not submit to! No, sir, I will not!"

"No one will attack us," replied Popof. "No one will dream of doing it!"

"And how do you know that? how do you know that?"

"Be calm, pray."

"I will not be calm; and if there is a delay, I will hold the company
responsible!"

That is understood; a hundred thousand florins damages to Monsieur le
Baron Tour de Monde.

Let us pass to the other passengers.

Ephrinell looked at the matter, of course, from a very practical point
of view.

"There can be no doubt that our risks have been greatly increased by
this treasure, and in case of accident on account of it, the _Life
Travelers' Society_, in which I am insured, will, I expect, refuse to
pay, so that the Grand Transasiatic Company will have all the
responsibility."

"Of course," said Miss Bluett; "and if they had not found the missing
van the company would have been in a serious difficulty with China.
Would it not, Fulk?"

"Exactly, Horatia!"

Horatia and Fulk--nothing less.

The Anglo-American couple were right, the enormous loss would have had
to be borne by the Grand Transasiatic, for the company must have known
they were carrying a treasure and not a corpse--and thereby they were