Chapter 27

If ever the expression, "sinking in sight of port," could be used in
its precise meaning, it evidently can in this case. And I must beg you
to excuse me. But although a ship may sink by the side of the jetty, we
must not conclude that she is lost. That Kinko's liberty is in danger,
providing the intervention of myself and fellow passengers is of no
avail, agreed. But he is alive, and that is the essential point.

But we must not waste an hour, for if the police is not perfect in
China, it is at least prompt and expeditious. Soon caught, soon
hanged--and it will not do for them to hang Kinko, even metaphorically.

I offer my arm to Mademoiselle Zinca, and I lead her to my carriage,
and we return rapidly towards the _Hotel of the Ten Thousand Dreams_.

There I find Major Noltitz and the Caternas, and by a lucky chance
young Pan-Chao, without Dr. Tio-King. Pan-Chao would like nothing
better than to be our interpreter before the Chinese authorities.

And then, before the weeping Zinca, I told my companions all about
Kinko, how he had traveled, how I had made his acquaintance on the
journey. I told them that if he had defrauded the Transasiatic Company
it was thanks to this fraud that he was able to get on to the train at
Uzun Ada. And if he had not been in the train we should all have been
engulfed in the abyss of the Tjon valley.

And I enlarged on the facts which I alone knew. I had surprised
Faruskiar at the very moment he was about to accomplish his crime, but
it was Kinko who, at the peril of his life, with coolness and courage
superhuman, had thrown on the coals, hung on to the lever of the safety
valves, and stopped the train by blowing up the engine.

What an explosion there was of exclamatory ohs and ahs when I had
finished my recital, and in a burst of gratitude, somewhat of the
theatrical sort, our actor shouted:

"Hurrah for Kinko! He ought to have a medal!"

Until the Son of Heaven accorded this hero a green dragon of some sort,
Madame Caterna took Zinca's hand, drew her to her heart and embraced
her--embraced her without being able to restrain her tears. Just think
of a love story interrupted at the last chapter!

But we must hasten, and as Caterna says, "all on the scene for the
fifth"--the fifth act, in which dramas generally clear themselves up.

"We must not let this brave fellow suffer!" said Major Noltitz; "we
must see the Grand Transasiatic people, and when they learn the facts
they will be the first to stop the prosecution."

"Doubtless," I said, "for it cannot be denied that Kinko saved the
train and its passengers."

"To say nothing of the imperial treasure," added