The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-17
TOUROF THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS.
JULES vEKNE's GREAT STORY.

Hil6dS TOHg olfItlCu nliOiiS5 OIio oOiolOio
the reward he had promised them,
whilst Passepartout repeated to himself,
not without reason:
Il must confess that am certainly
costing my master very dearly"
Fix, without uttering word, looked
at Mr.. Fogg. and it would have been
difficult to analyze the impressions
struggling within him. As for Mrs.
Aouda, she took the gentleman's hand,
and pressed it in hers, without being
able to utter word!
In the meantime Passepartout, upon
his arrival, was looking for the train at
the station. He thought he would find
it there, ready to start for Omaha, and
he hoped they could still make up the
lost time.
1.-The train, the trainn' he cried.
Gone" replied Fix.
And when will the next train pass?"
asked Phileas Fogg.
mot until this evening"
Abr simply replied the impossible
gentleman.
| CHAPTER XXI.
| IN WHICH THE DETECTIVE FIX TAKES SERIOUS
| LY IN CHARGE PHILEAS FoGG'S INTERESTS.
| Phileas Fogg found himself twenty
hours behind time. Passepartout, the
involuntary cause of this delay, was
desperate. He had certainly ruined his
master!
At this moment the detective ap-
preached Mr.. Fogg, and looking close
ly in his face, asked:
"Vefy seriously sir, you are in hur-
ry?"
VERY seriously" replied Mr.. Fogg.
Il insist continued Fix. sit is
very much to your interest to be in New
York on the 18th, before nine O'Clock in
the evening, the time of departure of
the Liverpool steamer"
Il have very great interest. "
''And if your journey had not been
interrupted by this Indian attack, you
would have arrived in New York on the
morning of the 18th.
Eyes, twelve hours before the de-
parture of the steamer"
"Well, you are now twenty hours be-
| hind time The difference between
twenty and twelve is eight. Eight
hours are to be made up. Do you wish
to try to do it,"
ION footp" asked Mr. Fogg.
mo, on sledge," replied Fix, ''on
a sledge with sails. A man has pro-
posed this means of conveyance to me.
1t was the man who had spoken to the
detective during the night, and whose
offer he had refused.
Phileas Fogg did not reply to Fix;
but Fix having shown him the man in
question, who was walking UP and
down before the station, the gentleman
went to him. An instant after, Philoas
FOgg and this American, named Nudge,
entered hut built at the foot of Fort
Kearney.
There Mr.. Fogg examined very
singular vehicle, q sort of frame laid on
two long beams, little raised in front,
like the runners of sledge, and upon
which five or six persons could be
seated. On the front of the frame was
fastened very high mast, to which an
immense brigantine sail was attached.
The mast, firmly held by metallic fast
enings, held an iron stay, which served
to hoist large jib-s sail. At the rear g
sort of rudder allowed the apparatus to
/ be steered.
AS could be seen, it was a sledge,
sloop-rigged. During the winter, or
. the icy plains, when the trains are
blocked up by the snow, these vehicles
make extremely rapid trips from ont
station to another. They carry tire
mendous press of sail, far more than ;
cutter, and, with the wind behind, they
glide over the. surface of the prairie
with speed equal to, if not greater
than, that of an express train.
In few moments the bargain wa
closed between Mr.. Fogg and the owne
7 of this land craft The wind was good
1t blew with strong breeze from thu
west. The snow had hardened, anC
Nudge was certain that he could taxi
Mr.. FOgg in q few hours to Omaha
There the trains are frequent, and TIT
routes leading to Chicago and New
, York numerous 1t was not iIRpOssi
o Bile to make up the ti.as lost. Their
should be no hesitation in making tht
attempt
Mr.. Fogg, not wishing to expose Mrs
: Aouda to the discomforts of trip il
, the open air, with the cold rendered
, more unbearable by the speed, propOseC
to her to remain under Passepartout'
n care at Kearney Station. The homes
= fellow would undertake to bring her t.
IS Europe by better route and unde
3 more acceptable conditions.
n Mrs. Aouda refused to be separate,
5 from Mr.. Fogg, and Passepartout fel
), very happy at this determination. In
J. deed, nothing in the world would hav
e induced him to leave his master, sine
n Fix was to accompany him.
t. Asto what the detective then thought
d it would be difficult to say. Had hi
Is convictions been shaken by Philea
c Fogg's return, or rather did he conside
: him a very shrewd rogue, who. havin
V accomplished his tour of the world
:, believed that he would be entirely SAT
, in EnglandP Perhaps Fix's opinio
: concerning Phileas Fogg was reall
modified. But he was none the less de
v cided to do his duty, and more impa
n tient than all of them TO hasten with a
his might the return to England.
At eight o'clock the sledge was read
to start. The travelers-we wer
= tempted to say the passengers-too
i their places, and wrapped themselve
q closely in their travelling cloaks. Tn
% two immense sails were hOisted, and
q under the pressure of the wind, tn
q vehicle slipped over the hardened snoV
2 with speed of forty miles an hour.
ID The distance between Fort Kearne
! and Omaha is, in straight line--in
. Decline, as the Americans say-tw
!, hundred miles at the most If the win
Il continued, this distance could be az
u complished in five hours. If no acc
u dent happened, the sledge ought t
y reach Omaha at one in the afternoon.
: What journey! The travellers, hue
II died up against each other, could nc
L speak. The cold, increased by tn
n speed, cut off their words. The sledg
: glided as lightly over the surface of tn
y plain as a vessel over the surface of tn
water--with the swell at least Whe