The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-03

Cromarty, who appeared not to under
stand this stop in a midst of forest of
tamarinds and acacias. Passepartout,
not less surprised, rushed on to the
track and returned almost immediately,
crying" Monsieur, no more rail
wayp'
"What do you mean?' asked Sir
Francis Cremarty.
81 mean that this train goes no
further!
The Brigadier-General Immediately
got out of the car. Phileas Fogg. in no
hurry, followed him. Both spoke to
the conductor.
Where are we?" asked Sir Francis
Cromarty.
AT the hamlet of Kholby," replied
the conductor.
1--WE stop here?"
Without doubt. The railway is not
finished"
"How! 1t is not finished?"
mo! There is still a section of fifty
miles to construct between this point
and Allahabad, where the track COM
mences again"
But the papers have announced the
opening of the entire line"
but. General, the papers were mis-
taken"
And you gave tickets from Bombay
10 Calcuttar' replied Sir Francis Gro
marty, who was beginning to be ex-
cited.
"Of course" replied the conductor;
''but travellers know very we'll that they
have to be otherwise transported from
Kholby to Allahabad.
Sir Francis Cromarty was furious.
Passepartout would have willingly
knocked the conductor down who could
not help himself He did not dare look
at his master.
"Sir Francis" said Mr. Fogg,
simply, ave will go, if you will be
kind enough, to sec about some way of
reaching Allahahad"
"Mr. Fogg, this is delay absolutely
prejudicial to your interestsn'
mo, Sir Francis. it was provided
for"
"What, did you know that therail-
way -"
"By no means, but l knew that
| some obstacle or other would occur
sooner or later upon my route Now,
nothing is interfered with. | have
gained two days which can afford to
| lose. A steamer leaves Calcutta for
Hong Kong at noon on the 2jth. This
is only the 23d, and we shall arrive at
Calcutta in time
Nothing could be said in reply to such
complete certainty.
1t was only too true that the finished
portion of the railway stopped at this
| point. The newspapers are like GER
tain watches which have a mania of
| getting ahead of time, and they had
announced the finishing of the line pre-
maturely. The most of the passengers
| knew of this break in the line, and, de-
| icending from the train, they examined
the vehlcles OF all sorts In the village,
| four wheeled Participants, carts drawn
| by zebus, a sort of OK with humps,
travelling cars resembling walking pa
godas, palanquins, ponies, etc, Mr..
Fogg and Sir Francis Cromarty, after
having hunted through the entire vii
lage. returned without having found
anything,
Il shall go on foot" said Mr. Fogg.
Passepartout, who had then rejoiRed
his master, made significant grimace,
looking down at his magnificent but
delicate slippers. Very fortunately,
he had also been hunting for some
thing, and, hesitatiBg a little, he said:
Monsieur, | believe have found q
means of conveyance"
"Whatg'
"An elephant, belonging to an Indian
living hundred steps from here
LET us 90 to see the elephant" re-
piled Mr.. Fogg. Five minutes later,
Phileas Fogg, Sir Francis Cromarty, and
Passepartout arrived at hut which was
against an Enclosure of high palisades.
In the hut there was an Indian, and in
the inclosure an elephant. Upon their
demand, the Indian took Mr.. Fogg and
his two companions into the Enclosure.
They found there a half-tamed ami
NAL, which his owner was raising, moi
to hire out, but as beast of combat.
To this end he had commenced to mod
ify the naturally mild character of the an
imal in manner to lead him gradually
to that paroxysm OF rage called
"mutsh'' in the Hindoo language, and
that by feeding him for three months
with sugar and butter. This treatment
may not seem the proper one to obtain
such a result, but it is none the less
employed with success by their
keepers.
Kiouni, the animals name, could,
like all his fellows, go rapidly ON long
march, and in default of other con-
veyance, Phileas Fogg determined to
employ him. But elephants are very
expensive in India, where they are be-
ginning to get scarce. The males
which are alone fit for circus feats, are
very much sought for. These animals
are rarely reproduced when they are
reduced to the tame state, so that they
can be obtained only bv hunting. Sc
they are the object of extreme care. and
when Mr.. Fogg asked the Indian if he
would hire him his elephant he fatty
refused
Fogg persisted and offered an exces.
sive price for the animal, ten pounds pei
hour. Refused. Twenty pounds. Still
refused Forty pounds. Refused
again. Passepartout jumped at every
advance in price But the Indian
would not be tempted. The sum was
, handsome one, however Admitting
the elephant to be employed fifteer
hours to reach Allahabad, it was SIX
hundred pounds earned for his owner
, Phileas Fogg, without being at all ex
! cited, proposed then to the Indian to buy
! his animal, and offered him at first one
, thousand pounds. The Indian woult
not SELL Perhaps the rogue scented 5
large transaction.
Sir Francis Cromarty took Mr.. Foge
aside and begged him to reflect before
going further. Phileas Fogg replied tt
his companion that he was not in the
habit of acting without reflection, thai
: bet of twenty thousand pounds wa
at stake. that this elephant was neces
sary to him, and that, should he pay
twenty times his value. he would have
this elephant.
, MIR. Fogg won't again for the Indian
: whose small eyes, lit up with greed
shOWnu that with him r. moe univ s