AtthesametableswhichwerearrangedabouttheroomsomethirtycustomersweredrinkingEnglishbeer,porter,ginandbrandy;smoking,thewhile,longredclaypipesstuffedwithlittleballsofopiummingledwithessenceofrose。Fromtimetotimeoneofthesmokers,overcomewiththenarcotic,wouldslipunderthetable,whereuponthewaiters,takinghimbytheheadandfeet,carriedandlaidhimuponthebed。Thebedalreadysupportedtwentyofthesestupefiedsots。
FixandPassepartoutsawthattheywereinasmoking-househauntedbythosewretched,cadaverous,idioticcreatures,towhomtheEnglishmerchantsselleveryyearthemiserabledrugcalledopium,totheamountofonemillionfourhundredthousandpounds-thousandsdevotedtooneofthemostdespicableviceswhichafflicthumanity!TheChinesegovernmenthasinvainattemptedtodealwiththeevilbystringentlaws。Itpassedgraduallyfromtherich,towhomitwasatfirstexclusivelyreserved,tothelowerclasses,andthenitsravagescouldnotbearrested。Opiumissmokedeverywhere,atalltimes,bymenandwomen,intheCelestialEmpire;and,onceaccustomedtoit,thevictimscannotdispensewithit,exceptbysufferinghorriblebodilycontortionsandagonies。Agreatsmokercansmokeasmanyaseightpipesaday;buthediesinfiveyears。ItwasinoneofthesedensthatFixandPassepartout,insearchofafriendlyglass,foundthemselves。
Passepartouthadnomoney,butwillinglyacceptedFix\'sinvitationinthehopeofreturningtheobligationatsomefuturetime。
Theyorderedtwobottlesofport,towhichtheFrenchmandidamplejustice,whilstFixobservedhimwithcloseattention。Theychattedaboutthejourney,andPassepartoutwasespeciallymerryattheideathatFixwasgoingtocontinueitwiththem。Whenthebottleswereempty,however,herosetogoandtellhismasterofthechangeinthetimeofthesailingofthe`Carnatic\'。
Fixcaughthimbythearm,andsaid,`Waitamoment。\'
`Whatfor,MrFix?\'
`Iwanttohaveaserioustalkwithyou。\'
`Aserioustalk!\'criedPassepartout,drinkingupthelittlewinethatwasleftinthebottomofhisglass。`Well,we\'lltalkaboutitto-morrow;
Ihaven\'ttimenow。\'
`Stay!WhatIhavetosayconcernsyourmaster。\'
Passepartout,atthis,lookedattentivelyathiscompanion。Fix\'sfaceseemedtohaveasingularexpression。Heresumedhisseat。
`Whatisitthatyouhavetosay?\'
FixplacedhishanduponPassepartout\'sarm,and,loweringhisvoice,said,`YouhaveguessedwhoIam?\'
`Parbleu!\'saidPassepartout,smiling。`ThenI\'mgoingtotellyoueverything——\'
`NowthatIknoweverything,myfriend!Ah!that\'sverygood。Butgoon,goon。First,though,letmetellyouthatthosegentlemenhaveputthemselvestoauselessexpense。\'
`Useless!\'saidFix。`Youspeakconfidently。It\'sclearthatyoudon\'tknowhowlargethesumis。\'
`OfcourseIdo,\'returnedPassepartout。`Twentythousandpounds。\'
`Fifty-fivethousand!\'answeredFix,pressinghiscompanion\'shand。
`What!\'criedtheFrenchman。`HasMonsieurFoggdared-fifty-fivethousandpounds!Well,there\'sallthemorereasonfornotlosinganinstant,\'hecontinued,gettinguphastily。
FixpushedPassepartoutbackinhischair,andresumed:`Fifty-fivethousandpounds;andifIsucceed,Igettwothousandpounds。Ifyou\'llhelpme,I\'llletyouhavefivehundredofthem。\'
`Helpyou?\'criedPassepartout,whoseeyeswerestandingwideopen。
`Yes;helpmekeepMrFoggherefortwoorthreedays。\'
`Why,whatareyousaying?Thosegentlemenarenotsatisfiedwithfollowingmymasterandsuspectinghishonour,buttheymusttrytoputobstaclesinhisway!Iblushforthem!\'
`Whatdoyoumean?\'
`Imeanthatitisapieceofshamefultrickery。TheymightaswellwaylayMrFoggandputhismoneyintheirpockets!\'
`That\'sjustwhatwecountondoing。\'
`It\'saconspiracy,then,\'criedPassepartout,whobecamemoreandmoreexcitedastheliquormountedinhishead,forhedrankwithoutperceivingit。`Arealconspiracy!Andgentlemen,too。Bah!\'
Fixbegantobepuzzled。
`MembersoftheReformClub!\'continuedPassepartout。`Youmustknow,MonsieurFix,thatmymasterisanhonestman,andthat,whenhemakesawager,hetriestowinitfairly!\'
`ButwhodoyouthinkIam?\'askedFix,lookingathimintently。
`Parbleu!AnagentofthemembersoftheReformClub,sentoutheretointerruptmymaster\'sjourney。But,thoughIfoundyououtsometimeago,I\'vetakengoodcaretosaynothingaboutittoMrFogg。\'
`Heknowsnothing,then?\'
`Nothing,\'repliedPassepartout,againemptyinghisglass。
Thedetectivepassedhishandacrosshisforehead,hesitatingbeforehespokeagain。Whatshouldhedo?Passepartout\'smistakeseemedsincere,butitmadehisdesignmoredifficult。Itwasevidentthattheservantwasnotthemaster\'saccomplice,asFixhadbeeninclinedtosuspect。
`Well,\'saidthedetectivetohimself,`asheisnotanaccomplice,hewillhelpme。\'
Hehadnotimetolose:FoggmustbedetainedatHongKong,soheresolvedtomakeacleanbreastofit。
`Listentome,\'saidFixabruptly。`Iamnot,asyouthink,anagentofthemembersoftheReformClub——\'
`Bah!\'retortedPassepartout,withanairofraillery。
`Iamapolicedetective,sentoutherebytheLondonoffice。\'
`You,adetective?\'
`Iwillproveit。Hereismycommission。\'
PassepartoutwasspeechlesswithastonishmentwhenFixdisplayedthisdocument,thegenuinenessofwhichcouldnotbedoubted。
`MrFogg\'swager,\'resumedFix,`isonlyapretext,ofwhichyouandthegentlemenoftheReformaredupes。Hehadamotiveforsecuringyourinnocentcomplicity。\'
`Butwhy?\'
`Listen。Onthe28thoflastSeptemberarobberyoffifty-fivethousandpoundswascommittedattheBankofEnglandbyapersonwhosedescriptionwasfortunatelysecured。Hereisthisdescription;itanswersexactlytothatofMrPhileasFogg。\'
`Whatnonsense!\'criedPassepartout,strikingthetablewithhisfist。
`Mymasteristhemosthonourableofmen!\'
`Howcanyoutell?Youknowscarcelyanythingabouthim。Youwentintohisservicethedayhecameaway;andhecameawayonafoolishpretext,withouttrunks,andcarryingalargeamountinbank-notes。Andyetyouareboldenoughtoassertthatheisanhonestman!\'
`Yes,yes,\'repeatedthepoorfellow,mechanically。`Wouldyouliketobearrestedashisaccomplice?\'Passepartout,overcomebywhathehadheard,heldhisheadbetweenhishands,anddidnotdaretolookatthedetective。PhileasFogg,thesaviourofAouda,thatbraveandgenerousman,arobber!Andyethowmanypresumptionstherewereagainsthim!Passepartoutessayedtorejectthesuspicionswhichforcedthemselvesuponhismind;
hedidnotwishtobelievethathismasterwasguilty。
`Well,whatdoyouwantofme?\'saidhe,atlast,withaneffort。
`Seehere,\'repliedFix;`IhavetrackedMrFoggtothisplace,butasyetIhavefailedtoreceivethewarrantofarrestforwhichIsenttoLondon。YoumusthelpmetokeephimhereinHongKong——\'
`I!ButI——\'
`IwillsharewithyouthetwothousandpoundsrewardofferedbytheBankofEngland。\'
`Never!\'repliedPassepartout,whotriedtorise,butfellback,exhaustedinmindandbody。
`MrFix,\'hestammered;`evenshouldwhatyousaybetrue-ifmymasterisreallytherobberyouareseekingfor-whichIdeny-Ihavebeen,am,inhisservice;Ihaveseenhisgenerosityandgoodness;andIwillneverbetrayhim-notforallthegoldintheworld。Icomefromavillagewheretheydon\'teatthatkindofbread!\'
`Yourefuse?\'
`Irefuse。\'
`ConsiderthatI\'vesaidnothing,\'saidFix;`andletusdrink。\'
`Yes;letusdrink!\'
Passepartoutfelthimselfyieldingmoreandmoretotheeffectsoftheliquor。Fix,seeingthathemust,atallhazards,beseparatedfromhismaster,wishedtoentirelyovercomehim。Somepipesfullofopiumlayuponthetable。FixslippedoneintoPassepartout\'shand。Hetookitputitbetweenhislips,litit,drewseveralpuffs,andhishead,becomingheavyundertheinfluenceofthenarcotic,felluponthetable。
`Atlast!\'saidFix,seeingPassepartoutunconscious。`MrFoggwillnotbeinformedofthe\"Carnatic\'s\"departure;and,ifheis,hewillhavetogowithoutthiscursedFrenchman!\'
And,afterpayinghisbill,Fixleftthetavern。
CHAPTERXXINWHICHFIXCOMESFACETOFACEWITHPHILEASFOGG。
Whiletheseeventswerepassingattheopium-house,MrFogg,unconsciousofthedangerhewasinoflosingthesteamer,wasquietlyescortingAoudaaboutthestreetsoftheEnglishquarter,makingthenecessarypurchasesforthelongvoyagebeforethem。ItwasallverywellforanEnglishmanlikeMrFoggtomakethetouroftheworldwithacarpet-bag;aladycouldnotbeexpectedtotravelcomfortablyundersuchconditions。Heacquittedhistaskwithcharacteristicserenity,andinvariablyrepliedtotheremonstrancesofhisfaircompanion,whowasconfusedbyhispatienceandgenerosity,——
`Itisintheinterestofmyjourney-apartofmyprogramme。\'
Thepurchasesmade,theyreturnedtothehotel,wheretheydinedatasumptuouslyservedtable-d\'hô;te;afterwhichAouda,shakinghandswithherprotectoraftertheEnglishfashion,retiredtoherroomforrest。MrFoggabsorbedhimselfthroughouttheeveningintheperusaloftheTimesandIllustratedLondonNews。
Hadhebeencapableofbeingastonishedatanything,itwouldhavebeennottoseehisservantreturnatbed-time。But,knowingthatthesteamerwasnottoleaveforYokohamauntilthenextmorning,hedidnotdisturbhimselfaboutthematter。
WhenPassepartoutdidnotappearthenextmorningtoanswerhismaster\'sbell,MrFogg,notbetrayingtheleastvexation,contentedhimselfwithtakinghiscarpet-bag,callingAouda,andsendingforapalanquin。
Itwastheneighto\'clock;athalf-pastnine,itbeingthenhightide,the`Carnatic\'wouldleavetheharbour。MrFoggandAoudagotintothepalanquin,theirluggagebeingbroughtafteronawheelbarrow,andhalf-an-hourlatersteppeduponthequaywhencetheyweretoembark。MrFoggthenlearnedthatthe`Carnatic\'hadsailedtheeveningbefore。Hehadexpectedtofindnotonlythesteamer,buthisdomestic,andwasforcedtogiveupboth;
butnosignofdisappointmentappearedonhisface,andhemerelyremarkedtoAouda,`Itisanaccident,madam;nothingmore。\'
Atthismomentamanwhohadbeenobservinghimattentivelyapproached。
ItwasFix,who,bowing,addressedMrFogg:`Wereyounot,likeme,sir,apassengerbythe\"Rangoon\",whicharrivedyesterday?\'
`Iwas,sir,\'repliedMrFoggcoldly。`ButIhavenotthehonour——\'
`Pardonme;IthoughtIshouldfindyourservanthere。
`Doyouknowwhereheis,sir?\'askedAoudaanxiously。
`What!\'respondedFix,feigningsurprise。`Ishenotwithyou?\'
`No,\'saidAouda。`Hehasnotmadehisappearancesinceyesterday。Couldhehavegoneonboardthe\"Carnatic\"withoutus?\'
`Withoutyou,madam?\'answeredthedetective。`Excuseme,didyouintendtosailinthe\"Carnatic\"?\'
`Yes,sir。\'
`SodidI,madam,andIamexcessivelydisappointed。The\"Carnatic\",itsrepairsbeingcompleted,leftHongKongtwelvehoursbeforethestatedtime,withoutanynoticebeinggiven;andwemustnowwaitaweekforanothersteamer。\'
Ashesaid`aweek\'Fixfelthisheartleapforjoy。FoggdetainedatHongKongaweek!Therewouldbetimeforthewarranttoarrive,andfortuneatlastfavouredtherepresentativeofthelaw。HishorrormaybeimaginedwhenheheardMrFoggsay,inhisplacidvoice,`Butthereareothervesselsbesidesthe\"Carnatic\",itseemstome,intheharbourofHongKong。\'
And,offeringhisarmtoAouda,hedirectedhisstepstowardthedocksinsearchofsomecraftabouttostart。Fix,stupefied,followed;itseemedasifhewereattachedtoMrFoggbyaninvisiblethread。Chance,however,appearedreallytohaveabandonedthemanithadhithertoservedsowell。
ForthreehoursPhileasFoggwanderedaboutthedocks,withthedetermination,ifnecessary,tocharteravesseltocarryhimtoYokohama;buthecouldonlyfindvesselswhichwereloadingorunloading,andwhichcouldnotthereforesetsail。Fixbegantohopeagain。
ButMrFogg,farfrombeingdiscouraged,wascontinuinghissearch,resolvednottostopifhehadtoresorttoMacao,whenhewasaccostedbyasailorononeofthewharves。
`Isyourhonourlookingforaboat?\'
`Haveyouaboatreadytosail?\'
`Yes,yourhonour;apilot-boat-No。43-thebestintheharbour。\'
`Doesshegofast?\'
`Betweeneightandnineknotsthehour。Willyoulookather?\'
`Yes。\'
`Yourhonourwillbesatisfiedwithher。Isitforaseaexcursion?\'
`No;foravoyage。\'
`Avoyage?\'
`Yes;willyouagreetotakemetoYokohama?\'
Thesailorleanedontherailing,openedhiseyeswide,andsaid,`Isyourhonourjoking?\'
`No。Ihavemissedthe\"Carnatic\",andImustgettoYokohamabythe14thatthelatest,totaketheboatforSanFrancisco。\'
`Iamsorry,\'saidthesailor;`butitisimpossible。\'
`Iofferyouahundredpoundsperday,andanadditionalrewardoftwohundredpoundsifIreachYokohamaintime。\'
`Areyouinearnest?\'
`Verymuchso。\'
Thepilotwalkedawayalittledistance,andgazedouttosea,evidentlystrugglingbetweentheanxietytogainalargesumandthefearofventuringsofar。Fixwasinmortalsuspense。
MrFoggturnedtoAoudaandaskedher,`Youwouldnotbeafraid,wouldyou,madam?\'
`Notwithyou,MrFogg,\'washeranswer。
Thepilotnowreturned,shufflinghishatinhishands。
`Well,pilot?\'askedMrFogg。
`Well,yourhonour,\'repliedhe;`Icouldnotriskmyself,mymen,ormylittleboatofscarcelytwentytonsonsolongavoyageatthistimeofyear。Besides,wecouldnotreachYokohamaintime,foritissixteenhundredandsixtymilesfromHongKong。\'
`Onlysixteenhundred,\'saidMrFogg。
`It\'sthesamething。\'Fixbreathedmorefreely。
`But,\'addedthepilot;`itmightbearrangedanotherway。\'
Fixceasedtobreatheatall。
`How?\'askedMrFogg。
`BygoingtoNagasaki,attheextremesouthofJapan,oreventoShanghai,whichisonlyeighthundredmilesfromhere。IngoingtoShanghaiweshouldnotbeforcedtosailwideoftheChinesecoast,whichwouldbeagreatadvantage,asthecurrentsrunnorthward,andwouldaidus。
`Pilot,\'saidMrFogg,`ImusttaketheAmericansteameratYokohama,andnotatShanghaiorNagasaki。\'
`Whynot?\'returnedthepilot。`TheSanFranciscosteamerdoesnotstartfromYokohama。ItputsinatYokohamaandNagasaki,butitstartsfromShanghai。\'
`Youaresureofthat?\'
`Perfectly。\'
`AndwhendoestheboatleaveShanghai?\'
`Onthe11th,atsevenintheevening。Wehave,therefore,fourdaysbeforeus,thatisninety-sixhours;andinthattime,ifwehadgoodluckandasouth-westwind,andtheseawascalm,wecouldmakethoseeighthundredmilestoShanghai。\'
`Andyoucouldgo——\'
`Inanhour;assoonasprovisionscouldbegotaboardandthesailsputup。\'
`Itisabargain。Areyouthemasteroftheboat?\'
`Yes;JohnBunsby,masterofthe\"Tankadere\"。\'
`Wouldyoulikesomeearnest-money?\'
`Ifitwouldnotputyourhonourout——\'
`Herearetwohundredpoundsonaccount。Sir,\'addedPhileasFogg,turningtoFix,`ifyouwouldliketotakeadvantage——\'
`Thanks,sir;Iwasabouttoaskthefavour。\'
`Verywell。Inhalf-an-hourweshallgoonboard。\'
`ButpoorPassepartout?\'urgedAouda,whowasmuchdisturbedbytheservant\'sdisappearance。
`IshalldoallIcantofindhim,\'repliedPhileasFogg。
WhileFix,inafeverish,nervousstate,repairedtothepilot-boattheothersdirectedtheircoursetothepolice-stationatHongKong。PhileasFoggtheregavePassepartout\'sdescription,andleftasumofmoneytobespentinthesearchforhim。ThesameformalitieshavingbeengonethroughattheFrenchconsulate,andthepalanquinhavingstoppedatthehotelfortheluggage,whichhadbeensentbackthere,theyreturnedtothewharf。
Itwasnowthreeo\'clock;andpilot-boatNo。43,withitscrewonboard,anditsprovisionsstoredaway,wasreadyfordeparture。
The`Tankadere\'wasaneatlittlecraftoftwentytons,asgracefullybuiltasifshewerearacingyacht。Hershiningcoppersheathing,hergalvanizediron-work,herdeck,whiteasivory,betrayedthepridetakenbyJohnBunsbyinmakingherpresentable。Hertwomastsleanedatriflebackward;shecarriedbrigantine,foresail,storm-jibandstanding-jib,andwaswellriggedforrunningbeforethewind;andsheseemedcapableofbriskspeed,which,indeed,shehadalreadyprovedbygainingseveralprizesinpilot-boatraces。Thecrewofthe`Tankadere\'wascomposedofJohnBunsby,themaster,andfourhardymariners,whowerefamiliarwiththeChineseseas。JohnBunsbyhimself,amanofforty-fiveorthereabouts,vigorous,sunburnt,withasprightlyexpressionoftheeye,andenergeticandself-reliantcountenance,wouldhaveinspiredconfidenceinthemosttimid。
PhileasFoggandAoudawentonboard,wheretheyfoundFixalreadyinstalled。
Belowdeckwasasquarecabin,ofwhichthewallsbulgedoutintheformofcots,aboveacirculardivan;inthecentrewasatableprovidedwithaswinginglamp。Theaccommodationwasconfined,butneat。
`Iamsorrytohavenothingbettertoofferyou,\'saidMrFoggtoFix,whobowedwithoutresponding。
ThedetectivehadafeelingakintohumiliationinprofitingbythekindnessofMrFogg。
`It\'scertain,\'thoughthe,`thoughrascalasheis,heisapoliteone!\'
ThesailsandtheEnglishflagwerehoistedattenminutespastthree。
MrFoggandAouda,whowereseatedondeck,castalastglanceatthequay,inthehopeofespyingPassepartout。Fixwasnotwithouthisfearslestchanceshoulddirectthestepsoftheunfortunateservant,whomhehadsobadlytreated,inthisdirection;inwhichcaseanexplanationthereverseofsatisfactorytothedetectivemusthaveensued。ButtheFrenchmandidnotappear,and,withoutdoubt,wasstilllyingunderthestupefyinginfluenceoftheopium。
JohnBunsby,master,atlengthgavetheordertostart,andthe`Tankadere\',takingthewindunderherbrigantine,foresailandstanding-jib,boundedbrisklyforwardoverthewaves。
CHAPTERXXIINWHICHTHEMASTEROFTHETANKADERERUNSGREATRISKOFLOSINGAREWARD
OFTWOHUNDREDPOUNDS。
Thisvoyageofeighthundredmileswasaperilousventure,onacraftoftwentytons,andatthatseasonoftheyear。TheChineseseasareusuallyboisterous,subjecttoterriblegalesofwind,andespeciallyduringtheequinoxes;anditwasnowearlyNovember。
Itwouldclearlyhavebeentothemaster\'sadvantagetocarryhispassengerstoYokohama,sincehewaspaidacertainsumperday;buthewouldhavebeenrashtoattemptsuchavoyage,anditwasimprudenteventoattempttoreachShanghai。ButJohnBunsbybelievedinthe`Tankadere\',whichrodeonthewaveslikeaseagull;andperhapshewasnotwrong。
LateinthedaytheypassedthroughthecapriciouschannelsofHongKong,andthe`Tankadere\',impelledbyfavourablewinds,conductedherselfadmirably。
`Idonotneed,pilot,\'saidPhileasFogg,whentheygotintotheopensea,`toadviseyoutouseallpossiblespeed。\'
`Trustme,yourhonour。Wearecarryingallthesailthewindwillletus。Thepoleswouldaddnothing,andareonlyusedwhenwearegoingintoport。\'
`It\'syourtrade,notmine,pilot,andIconfideinyou。\'
PhileasFogg,withbodyerectandlegswideapart,standinglikeasailor,gazedwithoutstaggeringattheswellingwaters。Theyoungwoman,whowasseatedaft,wasprofoundlyaffectedasshelookedoutupontheocean,darkeningnowwiththetwilight,onwhichshehadventuredinsofrailavessel。
Aboveherheadrustledthewhitesails,whichseemedlikegreatwhitewings。
Theboat,carriedforwardbythewind,seemedtobeflyingintheair。
Nightcame。Themoonwasenteringherfirstquarter,andherinsufficientlightwouldsoondieoutinthemistonthehorizon。Cloudswererisingfromtheeast,andalreadyovercastapartoftheheavens。
Thepilothadhungouthislights,whichwasverynecessaryintheseseascrowdedwithvesselsboundlandward;forcollisionsarenotuncommonoccurrences,and,atthespeedshewasgoingtheleastshockwouldshatterthegallantlittlecraft。
Fix,seatedinthebow,gavehimselfuptomeditation。Hekeptapartfromhisfellow-travellers,knowingMrFogg\'staciturntastes;besides,hedidnotquiteliketotalktothemanwhosefavourshehadaccepted。
Hewasthinking,too,ofthefuture。ItseemedcertainFoggwouldnotstopatYokohama,butwouldatoncetaketheboatforSanFrancisco;andthevastextentofAmericawouldinsurehimimpunityandsafety。Fogg\'splanappearedtohimthesimplestintheworld。InsteadofsailingdirectlyfromEnglandtotheUnitedStates,likeacommonvillain,hehadtraversedthreequartersoftheglobe,soastogaintheAmericancontinentmoresurely;andthere,afterthrowingthepoliceoffhistrack,hewouldquietlyenjoyhimselfwiththefortunestolenfromthebank。But,onceintheUnitedStates,whatshouldhe,Fix,do?Shouldheabandonthisman?No,ahundredtimesno!Untilhehadsecuredhisextradition,hewouldnotlosesightofhimforanhour。Itwashisduty,andhewouldfulfilittotheend。
Atallevents,therewasonethingtobethankfulfor;Passepartoutwasnotwithhismaster;anditwasaboveallimportant,aftertheconfidencesFixhadimpartedtohim,thattheservantshouldneverhavespeechwithhismaster。
PhileasFoggwasalsothinkingofPassepartout,whohadsostrangelydisappeared。Lookingatthematterfromeverypointofview,itdidnotseemtohimimpossiblethat,bysomemistake,themanmighthaveembarkedonthe`Carnatic\'atthelastmoment;andthiswasalsoAouda\'sopinion,whoregrettedverymuchthelossoftheworthyfellowtowhomsheowedsomuch。TheymightthenfindhimatYokohama;forifthe`Carnatic\'wascarryinghimthither,itwouldbeeasytoascertainifhehadbeenonboard。
Abriskbreezearoseaboutteno\'clock;but,thoughitmighthavebeenprudenotakeinareef,thepilot,aftercarefullyexaminingtheheavens,letthecraftremainriggedasbefore。The`Tankadere\'boresailadmirablyasshedrewagreatdealofwater,andeverythingwaspreparedforhighspeedincaseofagale。
MrFoggandAoudadescendedintothecabinatmidnight,havingbeenalreadyprecededbyFix,whohadlaindownononeofthecots。Thepilotandcrewremainedondeckallnight。
Atsunrisethenextday,whichwasNovember8th,theboathadmademorethanonehundredmiles。
Thelogindicatedameanspeedofbetweeneightandninemiles。The`Tankadere\'stillcarriedallsail,andwasaccomplishinghergreatestcapacityofspeed。Ifthewindheldasitwas,thechanceswouldbeinherfavour。Duringthedayshekeptalongthecoast,wherethecurrentswerefavourable;thecoast,irregularinprofile,andvisiblesometimesacrosstheclearings,wasatmostfivemilesdistant。Theseawaslessboisterous,sincethewindcameoffland-afortunatecircumstancefortheboat,whichwouldsuffer,owingtoitssmalltonnage,byaheavysurgeonthesea。
Thebreezesubsidedalittletowardsnoon,andsetinfromthesouth-west。
Thepilotputuphispoles,buttookthemdownagainwithintwohours,asthewindfreshenedupanew。
MrFoggandAouda,happilyunaffectedbytheroughnessofthesea,atewithgoodappetite,Fixbeinginvitedtosharetheirrepast,whichheacceptedwithsecretchagrin。Totravelatthisman\'sexpenseandliveuponhisprovisionswasnotpalatabletohim。Still,hewasobligedtoeat,andsoheate。
Whenthemealwasover,hetookMrFoggapart,andsaid,`Sir,\'-this`sir\'scorchedhislips,andhehadtocontrolhimselftoavoidcollaringthis`gentleman\'-`sir,youhavebeenverykindtogivemeapassageonthisboat。But,thoughmymeanswillnotadmitofmyexpendingthemasfreelyasyou,Imustasktopaymyshare——\'
`Letusnotspeakofthat,sir,\'repliedMrFogg。
`But,ifIinsist——\'
`No,sir,\'repeatedMrFogg,inatonewhichdidnotadmitofareply。
`Thisentersintomygeneralexpenses。\'
Fix,ashebowed,hadastifledfeeling,andgoingforward,whereheensconcedhimself,didnotopenhismouthfortherestoftheday。
Meanwhiletheywereprogressingfamously,andJohnBunsbywasinhighhope。HeseveraltimesassuredMrFoggthattheywouldreachShanghaiintime;towhichthatgentlemanrespondedthathecounteduponit。Thecrewsettoworkingoodearnest,inspiredbytherewardtobegained。Therewasnotasheetwhichwasnottightened,notasailwhichwasnotvigorouslyhoisted;notalurchcouldbechargedtothemanatthehelm。TheyworkedasdesperatelyasiftheywerecontestinginaRoyalYachtregatta。
Byevening,thelogshowedthattwohundredandtwentymileshadbeenaccomplishedfromHongKong,andMrFoggmighthopethathewouldbeabletoreachYokohamawithoutrecordinganydelayinhisjournal;inwhichcase,theonlymisadventurewhichhadovertakenhimsinceheleftLondonwouldnotseriouslyaffecthisjourney。
The`Tankadere\'enteredtheStraitsofFo-Kien,whichseparatetheislandofFormosafromtheChinesecoast,inthesmallhoursofthenight,andcrossedtheTropicofCancer。Theseawasveryroughinthestraits,fullofeddiesformedbythecountercurrents,andthechoppingwavesbrokehercourse,whilstitbecameverydifficulttostandondeck。
Atdaybreakthewindbegantoblowhardagain,andtheheavensseemedtopredictagale。Thebarometerannouncedaspeedychange,themercuryrisingandfallingcapriciously;theseaalso,inthesouth-east,raisedlongsurgeswhichindicatedatempest。Thesunhadsettheeveningbeforeinaredmist,inthemidstofthephosphorescentscintillationsoftheocean。
JohnBunsbylongexaminedthethreateningaspectoftheheavens,mutteringindistinctlybetweenhisteeth。AtlasthesaidinalowvoicetoMrFogg。
`ShallIspeakouttoyourhonour?\'
`Ofcourse。\'
`Well,wearegoingtohaveasquall。\'
`Isthewindnorthorsouth?\'askedMrFoggquietly。
`South。Look!atyphooniscomingup。\'
`Gladit\'satyphoonfromthesouth,foritwillcarryusforward。\'
`Oh,ifyoutakeitthatway,\'saidJohnBunsby,`I\'venothingmoretosay。\'JohnBunsby\'ssuspicionswereconfirmed。Atalessadvancedseasonoftheyearthetyphoon,accordingtoafamousmeteorologist,wouldhavepassedawaylikealuminouscascadeofelectricflame;butinthewinterequinox,itwastobefearedthatitwouldburstuponthemwithgreatviolence。
Thepilottookhisprecautionsinadvance。Hereefedallsail,thepole-mastsweredispensedwith;allhandswentforwardtothebows。Asingletriangularsail,ofstrongcanvas,washoistedasastorm-jib,soastoholdthewindfrombehind。Thentheywaited。
JohnBunsbyhadrequestedhispassengerstogobelow;butthisimprisonmentinsonarrowaspace,withlittleair,andtheboatbouncinginthegale,wasfarfrompleasant。NeitherMrFogg,Fix,norAoudaconsentedtoleavethedeck。
Thestormofrainandwinddescendeduponthemtowardseighto\'clock。
Withbutitsbitofsail,the`Tankadere\'wasliftedlikeafeatherbyawind,anideaofwhoseviolencecanscarcelybegiven。Tocompareherspeedtofourtimesthatofalocomotivegoingonfullsteamwouldbebelowthetruth。
Theboatscuddedthusnorthwardduringthewholeday,borneonbymonstrouswaves,preservingalways,fortunately,aspeedequaltotheirs。Twentytimessheseemedalmosttobesubmergedbythesemountainsofwaterwhichrosebehindher;buttheadroitmanagementofthepilotsavedher。Thepassengerswereoftenbathedinspray,buttheysubmittedtoitphilosophically。
Fixcursedit,nodoubt;butAouda,withhereyesfasteneduponherprotector,whosecoolnessamazedher,showedher-selfworthyofh~,andbravelyweatheredthestorm。AsforPhileasFogg,itseemedjustasifthetyphoonwereapartofhisprogramme。
Uptothistimethe`Tankadere\'hadalwaysheldhercoursetothenorth;
buttowardseveningthewind,veeringthreequarters,boredownfromthenorth-west。Theboat,nowlyinginthetroughofthewaves,shookandrolledterribly;theseastruckherwithfearfulviolence。Atnightthetempestincreasedinviolence。JohnBunsbysawtheapproachofdarknessandtherisingofthestormwithdarkmisgivings。Hethoughtawhile,andthenaskedhiscrewifitwasnottimetoslackenspeed。AfteraconsultationheapproachedMrFogg,andsaid,`Ithinkyourhonour,thatweshoulddowelltomakeforoneoftheportsonthecoast。\'
`Ithinksotoo。\'
`Ah!\'saidthepilot。`Butwhichone?\'
`Iknowofbutone,\'returnedMrFoggtranquilly。
`Andthatis——
`Shanghai。\'
Thepilot,atfirst,didnotseemtocomprehend;hecouldscarcelyrealizesomuchdeterminationandtenacity。Thenhecried,`Well-yes!Yourhonourisright。ToShanghai!\'
Sothe`Tankadere\'keptsteadilyonhernorthwardtrack。
Thenightwasreallyterrible;itwouldbeamiracleifthecraftdidnotfounder。Twiceitwouldhavebeenalloverwithherifthecrewhadnotbeenconstantlyonthewatch。Aoudawasexhausted,butdidnotutteracomplaint。MorethanonceMrFoggrushedtoprotectherfromtheviolenceofthewaves。
Dayreappeared。Thetempeststillragedwithundiminishedfury;butthewindnowreturnedtothesouth-east。Itwasafavourablechange,andthe`Tankadere\'againboundedforwardonthismountainoussea,thoughthewavescrossedeachother,andimpartedshocksandcounter-shockswhichwouldhavecrushedacraftlesssolidlybuilt。Fromtimetotimethecoastwasvisiblethroughthebrokenmist,butnovesselwasinsight。The`Tankadere\'
wasaloneuponthesea。
Thereweresomesignsofacalmatnoon,andthesebecamemoredistinctasthesundescendedtowardthehorizon。Thetempesthadbeenasbriefasterrific。Thepassengers,thoroughlyexhausted,couldnoweatalittle,andtakesomerepose。
Thenightwascomparativelyquiet。Someofthesailswereagainhoisted,andthespeedoftheboatwasverygood。Thenextmorningatdawntheyespiedthecoast,andJohnBunsbywasabletoassertthattheywerenotonehundredmilesfromShanghai。Ahundredmiles,andonlyonedaytotraversethem!
ThatveryeveningMrFoggwasdueatShanghai,ifhedidnotwishtomissthesteamertoYokohama。Hadtherebeennostorm,duringwhichseveralhourswerelost,theywouldbeatthismomentwithinthirtymilesoftheirdestination。
Thewindgrewdecidedlycalmer,andhappilytheseafellwithit。Allsailswerenowhoisted,andatnoonthe`Tankadere\'waswithinforty-fivemilesofShanghai。Thereremainedyetsixhoursinwhichtoaccomplishthatdistance。Allonboardfearedthatitcouldnotbedone,andeveryone-PhileasFogg,nodoubt,excepted-felthisheartbeatwithimpatience。
Theboatmustkeepupanaverageofninemilesanhour,andthewindwasbecomingcalmereverymoment!Itwasacapriciousbreeze,comingfromthecoast,andafteritpassedtheseabecamesmooth。Still,the`Tankadere\'
wassolight,andherfinesailscaughttheficklezephyrssowell,that,withtheaidofthecurrent,JohnBunsbyfoundhimselfatsixo\'clocknotmorethantenmilesfromthemouthofShanghairiver。Shanghaiitselfissituatedatleasttwelvemilesupthestream。AtseventheywerestillthreemilesfromShanghai。Thepilotsworeanangryoath;therewardoftwohundredpoundswasevidentlyonthepointofescapinghim。HelookedatMrFogg。MrFoggwasperfectlytranquil;andyethiswholefortunewasatthismomentatstake。
Atthismoment,also,alongblackfunnel,crownedwithwreathsofsmoke,appearedontheedgeofthewaters。ItwastheAmericansteamer,leavingforYokohamaattheappointedtime。
`Confoundher!\'criedJohnBunsby,pushingbacktherudderwithadesperatejerk。
`Signalher!\'saidPhileasFoggquietly。
Asmallbrasscannonstoodontheforwarddeckofthe`Tankadere\',formakingsignalsinthefogs。Itwasloadedtothemuzzle;butjustasthepilotwasabouttoapplyared-hotcoaltothetouchhole,MrFoggsaid,`Hoistyourflag!\'
Theflagwasrunupathalfmast,and,thisbeingthesignalofdistress,itwashopedthattheAmericansteamer,perceivingit,wouldchangehercoursealittle,soastosuccourthepilot-boat。
`Fire!\'saidMrFogg。Andtheboomingofthelittlecannonresoundedintheair。
CHAPTERXXIIINWHICHPASSEPARTOUTFINDSOUTTHAT,EVENATTHEANTIPODES,ITISCONVENIENT
TOHAVESOMEMONEYINONE\'SPOCKET。
The`Carnatic\',settingsailfromHongKongathalf-pastsixonthe7thNovember,directedhercourseatfullsteamtowardsJapan。Shecarriedalargecargoandawell-filledcabinofpassengers。Twostate-roomsintherearwere,however,unoccupied,-thosewhichhadbeenengagedbyPhileasFogg。
Thenextdayapassengerwithahalf-stupefiedeye,staggeringgait,anddisorderedhair,wasseentoemergefromthesecondcabin,andtotottertoaseatondeck。
ItwasPassepartout;andwhathadhappenedtohimwasasfollows:-
ShortlyafterFixlefttheopiumden,twowaitershadliftedtheunconsciousPassepartout,andhadcarriedhimtothebedreservedforthesmokers。
Threehourslater,pursuedeveninhisdreamsbyafixedidea,thepoorfellowawoke,andstruggledagainstthestupefyinginfluenceofthenarcotic。
Thethoughtofadutyunfulfilledshookoffhistorpor,andhehurriedfromtheabodeofdrunkenness。Staggeringandholdinghimselfupbykeepingagainstthewalls,fallingdownandcreepingupagain,andirresistiblyimpelledbyakindofinstinct,hekeptcryingout,`The\"Carnatic\"!the\"Carnatic\"!\'
Thesteamerlaypuffingalongsidethequay,onthepointofstarting。
Passepartouthadbutfewstepstogo;and,rushingupontheplank,hecrossedit,andfellunconsciousonthedeck,justasthe`Carnatic\'wasmovingoff。Severalsailors,whowereevidentlyaccustomedtothissortofscene,carriedthepoorFrenchmandownintothesecondcabin,andPassepartoutdidnotwakeuntiltheywereonehundredandfiftymilesawayfromChina。
Thushefoundhimselfthenextmorningonthedeckofthe`Carnatic\',andeagerlyinhalingtheexhilaratingsea-breeze。Thepureairsoberedhim。
Hebegantocollecthissenses,whichhefoundadifficulttask;butatlastherecalledtheeventsoftheeveningbefore,Fix\'srevelation,andtheopium-house。
`Itisevident,\'hesaidtohimself,`thatIhavebeenabominablydrunk!
WhatwillMrFoggsay?AtleastIhavenotmissedthesteamer,whichisthemostimportantthing。\'
Then,asFixoccurredtohim:-`Asforthatrascal,Ihopewearewellridofhim,andthathehasnotdared,asheproposed,tofollowusonboardthe`Carnatic\'。AdetectiveonthetrackofMrFogg,accusedofrobbingtheBankofEngland!Pshaw!MrFoggisnomorearobberthanIamamurderer。\'
ShouldhedivulgeFix\'srealerrandtohismaster?Woulditdototellthepartthedetectivewasplaying?WoulditnotbebettertowaituntilMrFoggreachedLondonagain,andthenimparttohimthatanagentofthemetropolitanpolicehadbeenfollowinghimroundtheworld,andhaveagoodlaughoverit?Nodoubt;atleast,itwasworthconsidering。ThefirstthingtodowastofindMrFogg,andapologizeforhissingularbehaviour。
Passepartoutgotupandproceeded,aswellashecouldwiththerollingofthesteamer,totheafter-deck。HesawnoonewhoresembledeitherhismasterorAouda。`Good!\'mutteredhe;`Aoudahasnotgotupyet,andMrFogghasprobablyfoundsomepartnersatwhist。\'
Hedescendedtothesaloon。MrFoggwasnotthere。Passepartouthadonly,however,toaskthepurserthenumberofhismaster\'sstate-room。
ThepurserrepliedthathedidnotknowanypassengerbythenameofFogg。
`Ibegyourpardon,\'saidPassepartoutpersistently。`Heisatallgentleman,quietandnotverytalkative,andhaswithhimayounglady——\'
`Thereisnoyoungladyonboard,\'interruptedthepurser。`Hereisalistofthepassengers;youmayseeforyourself。\'
Passepartoutscannedthelist,buthismaster\'snamewasnotuponit。
Allatonceanideastruckhim。
`Ah!amIonthe\"Carnatic\"?\'
`Yes。\'
`OnthewaytoYokohama?\'
`Certainly。\'
Passepartouthadforaninstantfearedthathewasonthewrongboat;
but,thoughhewasreallyonthe`Carnatic\',hismasterwasnotthere。
Hefellthunderstruckonaseat。Hesawitallnow。Herememberedthatthetimeofsailinghadbeenchanged,thatheshouldhaveinformedhismasterofthatfact,andthathehadnotdoneso。Itwashisfault,then,thatMrFoggandAoudahadmissedthesteamer。Yes,butitwasstillmorethefaultofthetraitorwho,inordertoseparatehimfromhismaster,anddetainthelatteratHongKong,hadinveigledhimintogettingdrunk!
Henowsawthedetective\'strick;andatthismomentMrFoggwascertainlyruined,hisbetwaslost,andhehimselfperhapsarrestedandimprisoned!
AtthisthoughtPassepartouttorehishair。Ah,ifFixevercamewithinhisreach,whatasettlingofaccountstherewouldbe!
Afterhisfirstdepression,Passepartoutbecamecalmer,andbegantostudyhiituation。Itwascertainlynotanenviableone。HefoundhimselfonthewaytoJapan,andwhatshouldhedowhenhegotthere?Hispocketwasempty;hehadnotasolitaryshilling-notsomuchasapenny。Hispassagehadfortunatelybeenpaidforinadvance;hehadfiveorsixdaysinwhichtodecideuponhisfuturecourse。Hefelltoatmealswithanappetite,andateforMrFogg,Aoudaandhimself。HehelpedhimselfasgenerouslyasifJapanwereadesert,wherenothingtoeatwastobelookedfor。