The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-18

Still the wind did not become as
severe as might have been feared. 1t
was not one of those hurricanes which
sweep on with a velocity of ninety
miles an hour. It continued Quite fresh,
but unfortunately it blew obstinately
from the southeast. and did not allow
the sails to be hoisted. And yet, as we
viii see. it would have been very useful
if they could have come to the aid of
the steam!
The 10th of December was the seven
ty-fifth day that had elapsed since leav-
ing London. The Henrietta had not
yet been seriously delayed. The half
of the voyage was nearly accomplished,
and the worst localities had been
passed. In summer success would
have been certain. In winter they were
at the mercy of the bad weather.
Passepartout did not speak. Secret
ly he hoped, and, if the wind failed
them. he counted at least upon the
steam.
Now. on this day, the engineer as.
cended to the deck, met Mr.. Fogg, and
talked very earnestly with him.
Without knowing why-by apresenti-
ment, doubtless -Passepartout felt a
vague uneasiness. He would have
given one of his ears to have heard
with the other what was said But he
could catch few words, these among
others, uttered by his master:
"You are certain of what you sayP"
Il am certain, sir" replied the en-
gineer. "Do not forget that, since our
departure, all our furnaces have been
going, and, although we had enough
coal 10 go under small head of steam
from New York to Bordeaux, we have
not enough for full head of steam
from New York to Liverpool?'
Il will take the matter under con-
sideration,' replied Mr.. Fogg.
Passepartout understood. A mortal
fear took possession of him.
The coal was about TO give out.
"Ah. if nv master wards that of"
he said to himself, she viii certainly be
a famous mann
And, having met Fix, he could not
help posting him as to the situation.
"Then," replied the detective, with
set teeth. you believe that we are GO
ing to Liyerpool?'
a do, indeedr'
" ldiotr' replied the detective,
Struggling his shoulders as he turned
away.
Passepartout was on the point of
sharply resenting the epithet, whose
true signihcation he could not under
stand; but he said TO himself that the
unfortunate Fix must be very much
disappointed, and humiliatedin his self
esteem, having SO awkwardly followed
false scent around the world, and he
refrained from condemning him.
And now what course was Phileas
Eogg going to take? 1t was difficult to
guess. But il appeared that the phleg-
matte gentleman decided upon one,
for that evening he sent for the engineer
and said to him:
Keep up your fires and continue on
your course until the complete exhaust
ion of the fuel"
A few moments after, the smoke stack
of the Henrietta was vomiting torrents
of smoke.
The vessel continued, then, to sail
under full steam; but, as he had an
nOunced, two days later, the 18th, the
engineer informed him that the coal
would give out during the day.
Don't let the fires go down." re-
the valves be charged.
About noon of this day, having taken
observations and calculated the position
of the vessel, Phileas Fogg sent for
Passepartout and ordered him to go
for Captain Speedy. This good fellow
felt as if he had been commanded to
unchain tiger, and he descended into
the poop, saying to himself:
Positively shall find a madman"
| In. fact, few minutes later a bomb
came on the poop-deck, in the midst of
cries and oaths. This bomb was Cap
tain Speedy. 1t was evident that it
was going to burst.
Where are we?' were the first
words he uttered in the midst of his
choking anger, and certainly if the
worthy man had been apoplectic, he
would never have recovered from it.
Where are weP' he repeated, his
face purple.
"Seven hundred and seventy miles
from Liverpool, replied Mr.. Fogg.
with imperturbable calmness.
Pirater' cried Andrew Speedy.
Il have sent for you, sir"
" Sea-skimmern'
-" Sir" continued Phileas Fogg,
''to ask you to sell me your ship"
mo! by all the devils, nor
q shall be obliged to burn her."
$40 burn nv shipr'
AT least her upper portions, for we
are out of fuel
Burn my shipr' cried Captain
Speedy, who could nolonger pronounce
his syllables. ga ship that is worth
fifty thousand dollarsr'
Here are sixty thousandr' replied
Phileas Fogg, offering him roll of
bank notes.
This produced a powerful effect upon
Andrew Speedy. NoAmerican is with
out emotion at the sight of sixty thou
sand dollars. The Captain forgot in an
instant his anger, his Imprisonment,
all his grievances from his passenger.
His ship was twenty years old. 1t
might be quite bargain! The bomb
could not explode. Mr.. Fogg had with
drawn the fuse.
"And the iron hull will be left me, -
he said, in singularly softened tone.
1.-THE iron hull and the engine, sir.
1t is bargainP"
"a bargain"
And Andrew Speedy, snatching the
roll of bank notes counted them and
slipped them into his pocket.
During this scene, Passepartout was
white as sheet. As for Fix he mar.
rowly escaped an apoplectic fit Near.
| ly twenty thousand pounds spent, and
yet this Fogg was going to relinquish
to the seller the hull and the engine,
that is. nearly the entire value Of the
vessel! 1t is true that the sum stoler
from the bank amounted to fifty-fiye
thousand pounds!
When Andrew Speedy had pocketed
his money, Mr.. Fogg said to him:
"Sir, don't let all this astonish you
Know that | lose twenty Thousand
pounds if l am not in London on the
2lst of December, at quarter before
nine in the evening. Now, | had missed
the steamer from New York, and a!