In which certain incidents are
narrated which are only to be
met with on American railroads
The train pursued
its course, that evening, without
interruption,
passing Fort Saunders, crossing
Cheyne Pass, and reaching Evans
Pass. The road here attained
the highest elevation of the
journey, eight thousand and ninety-two
feet above the level of the sea.
The travellers had now only to
descend to the Atlantic by limitless
plains, levelled by nature. A
branch of the "grand trunk" led
off southward to Denver, the
capital of Colorado. The country
round about is rich in gold and
silver, and more than fifty thousand
inhabitants are already settled
there.
Thirteen hundred and eighty-two
miles had been passed over from
San Francisco, in three days
and three nights; four days and
nights more would probably bring
them to New York. Phileas Fogg
was not as yet behind-hand.
During the night Camp Walbach
was passed on the left; Lodge
Pole Creek ran parallel with
the road, marking the boundary
between the territories of Wyoming
and Colorado. They entered Nebraska
at eleven, passed near Sedgwick,
and touched at Julesburg, on
the southern branch of the Platte
River.
It was here that the Union
Pacific Railroad was inaugurated
on the 23rd of October, 1867,
by the chief engineer, General
Dodge. Two powerful locomotives,
carrying nine cars of invited
guests, amongst whom was Thomas
C. Durant, vice-president of
the road, stopped at this point;
cheers were given, the Sioux
and Pawnees performed an imitation
Indian battle, fireworks were
let off, and the first number
of the Railway Pioneer was printed
by a press brought on the train.
Thus was celebrated the inauguration
of this great railroad, a mighty
instrument of progress and civilisation,
thrown across the desert, and
destined to link together cities
and towns which do not yet exist.
The whistle of the locomotive,
more powerful than Amphion's
lyre, was about to bid them rise
from American soil.
Fort McPherson was left behind
at eight in the morning, and
three hundred and fifty-seven
miles had yet to be traversed
before reaching Omaha. The road
followed the capricious windings
of the southern branch of the
Platte River, on its left bank.
At nine the train stopped at
the important town of North Platte,
built between the two arms of
the river, which rejoin each
other around it and form a single
artery a large tributary whose
waters empty into the Missouri
a little above Omaha.
The one hundred and first meridian
was passed.
Mr. Fogg and his partners had
resumed their game; no one--not
even the dummy-- complained of
the length of the trip. Fix had
begun by winning several guineas,
which he seemed likely to lose;
but he showed himself a not less
eager whist-player than Mr. Fogg.
During the morning, chance distinctly
favoured that gentleman. Trumps
and honours were showered upon
his hands.
Once, having
resolved on a bold stroke,
he was on the point
of playing a spade, when a voice
behind him said, "I should play
a diamond."
Mr. Fogg, Aouda, and Fix raised
their heads, and beheld Colonel
Proctor.
Stamp Proctor and Phileas Fogg
recognised each other at once.
"Ah! it's you, is it, Englishman?" cried
the colonel; "it's you who are
going to play a spade!"
"And who plays it," replied
Phileas Fogg coolly, throwing
down the ten of spades.
"Well, it pleases me to have
it diamonds," replied Colonel
Proctor, in an insolent tone.
He made a movement
as if to seize the card which
had just
been played, adding, "You don't
understand anything about whist."
"Perhaps I do, as well as another," said
Phileas Fogg, rising.
"You have only to try, son
of John Bull," replied the colonel.
Aouda turned
pale, and her blood ran cold.
She seized Mr.
Fogg's arm and gently pulled
him back. Passepartout was ready
to pounce upon the American,
who was staring insolently at
his opponent. But Fix got up,
and, going to Colonel Proctor
said, "You forget that it is
I with whom you have to deal,
sir; for it was I whom you not
only insulted, but struck!"
"Mr. Fix," said Mr. Fogg, "pardon
me, but this affair is mine,
and mine only. The colonel has
again insulted me, by insisting
that I should not play a spade,
and he shall give me satisfaction
for it."
"When and where you will," replied
the American, "and with whatever
weapon you choose."
Aouda in vain
attempted to retain Mr. Fogg;
as vainly did
the detective endeavour to make
the quarrel his. Passepartout
wished to throw the colonel out
of the window, but a sign from
his master checked him. Phileas
Fogg left the car, and the American
followed him upon the platform. "Sir," said
Mr. Fogg to his adversary, "I
am in a great hurry to get back
to Europe, and any delay whatever
will be greatly to my disadvantage."
"Well, what's that to me?" replied
Colonel Proctor.
"Sir," said Mr. Fogg, very
politely, "after our meeting
at San Francisco, I determined
to return to America and find
you as soon as I had completed
the business which called me
to England."
"Really!"
"Will you appoint
a meeting for six months hence?"
"Why not ten
years hence?"
"I say six months," returned
Phileas Fogg; "and I shall be
at the place of meeting promptly."
"All this is an evasion," cried
Stamp Proctor. "Now or never!"
"Very good.
You are going to New York?"
"No."
"To Chicago?"
"No."
"To Omaha?"
"What difference
is it to you? Do you know Plum
Creek?"
"No," replied
Mr. Fogg.
"It's the next
station. The train will be
there in an hour,
and will stop there ten minutes.
In ten minutes several revolver-shots
could be exchanged."
"Very well," said Mr. Fogg. "I
will stop at Plum Creek."
"And I guess you'll stay there
too," added the American insolently.
"Who knows?" replied
Mr. Fogg, returning to the
car as coolly
as usual. He began to reassure
Aouda, telling her that blusterers
were never to be feared, and
begged Fix to be his second at
the approaching duel, a request
which the detective could not
refuse. Mr. Fogg resumed the
interrupted game with perfect
calmness.
At eleven o'clock the locomotive's
whistle announced that they were
approaching Plum Creek station.
Mr. Fogg rose, and, followed
by Fix, went out upon the platform.
Passepartout accompanied him,
carrying a pair of revolvers.
Aouda remained in the car, as
pale as death.
The door of
the next car opened, and Colonel
Proctor appeared
on the platform, attended by
a Yankee of his own stamp as
his second. But just as the combatants
were about to step from the train,
the conductor hurried up, and
shouted, "You can't get off,
gentlemen!"
"Why not?" asked
the colonel.
"We are twenty
minutes late, and we shall
not stop."
"But I am going
to fight a duel with this gentleman."
"I am sorry," said the conductor; "but
we shall be off at once. There's
the bell ringing now."
The train started.
"I'm really very sorry, gentlemen," said
the conductor. "Under any other
circumstances I should have been
happy to oblige you. But, after
all, as you have not had time
to fight here, why not fight
as we go along?
"That wouldn't be convenient,
perhaps, for this gentleman," said
the colonel, in a jeering tone.
"It would be perfectly so," replied
Phileas Fogg.
"Well, we are really in America," thought
Passepartout, "and the conductor
is a gentleman of the first order!"
So muttering, he followed his
master.
The two combatants, their seconds,
and the conductor passed through
the cars to the rear of the train.
The last car was only occupied
by a dozen passengers, whom the
conductor politely asked if they
would not be so kind as to leave
it vacant for a few moments,
as two gentlemen had an affair
of honour to settle. The passengers
granted the request with alacrity,
and straightway disappeared on
the platform.
The car, which was some fifty
feet long, was very convenient
for their purpose. The adversaries
might march on each other in
the aisle, and fire at their
ease. Never was duel more easily
arranged. Mr. Fogg and Colonel
Proctor, each provided with two
six-barrelled revolvers, entered
the car. The seconds, remaining
outside, shut them in. They were
to begin firing at the first
whistle of the locomotive. After
an interval of two minutes, what
remained of the two gentlemen
would be taken from the car.
Nothing could be more simple.
Indeed, it was all so simple
that Fix and Passepartout felt
their hearts beating as if they
would crack. They were listening
for the whistle agreed upon,
when suddenly savage cries resounded
in the air, accompanied by reports
which certainly did not issue
from the car where the duellists
were. The reports continued in
front and the whole length of
the train. Cries of terror proceeded
from the interior of the cars.
Colonel Proctor and Mr. Fogg,
revolvers in hand, hastily quitted
their prison, and rushed forward
where the noise was most clamorous.
They then perceived that the
train was attacked by a band
of Sioux.
This was not the first attempt
of these daring Indians, for
more than once they had waylaid
trains on the road. A hundred
of them had, according to their
habit, jumped upon the steps
without stopping the train, with
the ease of a clown mounting
a horse at full gallop.
The Sioux were armed with guns,
from which came the reports,
to which the passengers, who
were almost all armed, responded
by revolver-shots.
The Indians had first mounted
the engine, and half stunned
the engineer and stoker with
blows from their muskets. A Sioux
chief, wishing to stop the train,
but not knowing how to work the
regulator, had opened wide instead
of closing the steam-valve, and
the locomotive was plunging forward
with terrific velocity.
The Sioux had at the same time
invaded the cars, skipping like
enraged monkeys over the roofs,
thrusting open the doors, and
fighting hand to hand with the
passengers. Penetrating the baggage-car,
they pillaged it, throwing the
trunks out of the train. The
cries and shots were constant.
The travellers defended themselves
bravely; some of the cars were
barricaded, and sustained a siege,
like moving forts, carried along
at a speed of a hundred miles
an hour.
Aouda behaved courageously
from the first. She defended
herself like a true heroine with
a revolver, which she shot through
the broken windows whenever a
savage made his appearance. Twenty
Sioux had fallen mortally wounded
to the ground, and the wheels
crushed those who fell upon the
rails as if they had been worms.
Several passengers, shot or stunned,
lay on the seats.
It was necessary to put an
end to the struggle, which had
lasted for ten minutes, and which
would result in the triumph of
the Sioux if the train was not
stopped. Fort Kearney station,
where there was a garrison, was
only two miles distant; but,
that once passed, the Sioux would
be masters of the train between
Fort Kearney and the station
beyond.
The conductor
was fighting beside Mr. Fogg,
when he was
shot and fell. At the same moment
he cried, "Unless the train is
stopped in five minutes, we are
lost!"
"It shall be stopped," said
Phileas Fogg, preparing to rush
from the car.
"Stay, monsieur," cried Passepartout; "I
will go."
Mr. Fogg had not time to stop
the brave fellow, who, opening
a door unperceived by the Indians,
succeeded in slipping under the
car; and while the struggle continued
and the balls whizzed across
each other over his head, he
made use of his old acrobatic
experience, and with amazing
agility worked his way under
the cars, holding on to the chains,
aiding himself by the brakes
and edges of the sashes, creeping
from one car to another with
marvellous skill, and thus gaining
the forward end of the train.
There, suspended by one hand
between the baggage-car and the
tender, with the other he loosened
the safety chains; but, owing
to the traction, he would never
have succeeded in unscrewing
the yoking-bar, had not a violent
concussion jolted this bar out.
The train, now detached from
the engine, remained a little
behind, whilst the locomotive
rushed forward with increased
speed.
Carried on by the force already
acquired, the train still moved
for several minutes; but the
brakes were worked and at last
they stopped, less than a hundred
feet from Kearney station.
The soldiers of the fort, attracted
by the shots, hurried up; the
Sioux had not expected them,
and decamped in a body before
the train entirely stopped.
But when the passengers counted
each other on the station platform
several were found missing; among
others the courageous Frenchman,
whose devotion had just saved
them.
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