CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Certain Things Happen That Can Only Happen on American Railroads

They passed the mountains, and the train did not stop that evening. 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. Phineas Fogg was not as yet behind-hand.

They entered Nebraska at eleven that night, and passed Julesburg. It was here that the Union Pacific Railroad was started on the 23rd of October, 1867. At nine the next morning the train stopped at the important town of North Platte.

Mr Fogg and his partners continued their game. No one complained about the length of the trip. Mr Fogg was playing very well. After playing a great hand, he was about to play, when a voice behind him said, "I would play a diamond."

Mr Fogg, Aouda, and Fix looked up and saw Colonel Proctor.

Stamp Proctor and Phineas Fogg recognized each other at once.

"Ah! It's you, Englishman!" cried the colonel.

Aouda turned pale. She grabbed Mr Fogg's arm and pulled him back. Passepartout was ready to jump on the American. But Fix got up, and said, "You forget that it is I with whom you have to deal, sir!"

Mr Fogg said, "Mr Fix, pardon me, but this is my business, and mine only."

"When and where you will," replied the American, "and with whatever weapon you choose."

"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 in ten minutes. In ten minutes several shots could be fired."

"Very well," said Mr Fogg. "I will stop at Plum Creek."

"And I guess you'll stay there, too," added the American.

"Who knows?" replied Mr Fogg. He returned to the car.

At eleven o'clock the train reached Plum Creek. As the two started to get off the train, the conductor shouted, "You can't get off, gentlemen!"

"Why not?" asked the colonel.

"We are twenty minutes late, and we won't stop. I'm sorry. But, as you do not have time to fight here, why not fight on the train?"

"Well, we are really in America," thought Passepartout.

The two fighters and the conductor went to the end of the train. The last car was nearly empty, and the conductor asked the rest to leave for a short time. The car was fifty feet long, which was a good size. Mr Fogg and Colonel Proctor, each had two guns. They would begin at the first whistle of the train.

Fix and Passepartout were waiting for the whistle when they heard loud cries and gunshots that did not come from inside the car.

Colonel Proctor and Mr Fogg, guns in hand, ran out of the car. They saw that the train was being attacked by a band of Sioux. A hundred of the Indians had jumped onto the train.

The Sioux had guns, but so did most of the passengers. The Indians had first gone to the engine. A Sioux chief tried to stop the train, but he didn't know how. Instead of slowing it down, the train went as fast as it could.

They needed to stop the train to end the fight. The army was at the next station, but if they passed that the Sioux would win the battle.

The conductor was near Mr Fogg, and before he was shot he said, "Unless the train is stopped in five minutes, we are lost!"

"It shall be stopped," said Phineas Fogg.

"Stay, monsieur," cried Passepartout. "I will go."

The brave man opened the door and slipped under the car. While the fighting continued above him he used his acrobatic skills. He moved up to the front of the train. There he loosened the safety chains, and the engine raced forward.

The train still moved forward for several minutes, but the brakes were used and at last they stopped. They were less than a hundred feet from the Kearney station. The soldiers of the fort had heard the shots. The Sioux had not expected them, and they ran before the train stopped.

But when the passengers counted each other at the station, several were missing. This included the courageous Frenchman, who had just saved them.

(end of section)