CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Phineas Fogg Shows Himself to Be Good in Any Situation

An hour after, the Henrietta was off. During the day she passed Long Island and moved eastward.

At noon the next day, a man came on deck to look at the ocean. It might be thought that this was Captain Speedy. Not at all. It was Phineas Fogg. Captain Speedy was locked in his cabin, and was very angry.

What had happened was very simple. Phineas Fogg wanted to go to Liverpool, but the captain would not take him there. Then Phineas Fogg said he would go to Bordeaux. Thirty hours later he had used his money to make friends with the sailors, who didn't like the captain. So the Henrietta was off for Liverpool.

Aouda was anxious, but she said nothing. As for Passepartout, he thought Mr Fogg's decision was wonderful.

If the sea was calm, and if the wind did not change, and if no accident happened, the Henrietta might cross the ocean in nine days. It is true, though, that this business on the Henrietta might cause Mr Fogg many problems in England.

During the first days, everything was smooth. Passepartout was very happy. He made the crew very happy, as well. He made friends with all of them and showed his acrobatic skills.

Fix did not understand anything. Taking the Henrietta, buying the crew, and Fogg piloting the boat all amazed and confused him. Fix wondered if Fogg was really going to England at all.

On the 13th they passed Newfoundland, a dangerous area. During the night it became very cold, and the wind changed to the southeast. This was unfortunate. Mr Fogg did not want to change his direction, so he closed the sails and used more steam. The sea was rough, and the boat slowed down. Passepartout became anxious when the skies became dark. But Phineas Fogg was a great sailor, and he kept the boat safe.

The wind did not become as bad as they worried, but the wind stayed in the southeast. The sails were useless.

The 16th of December was the seventy-fifth day since Phineas Fogg left London. The Henrietta had not been delayed. Half of the journey was finished. In summer success would have been certain, but in winter the weather could be bad.

On this day the engineer came to see Mr Fogg.

"You must remember that we've used all of our speed so far," the engineer said. "We had enough coal to go to Bordeaux at a normal speed, but we don't have enough to go quickly from New York to Liverpool."

Now what would Phineas Fogg do? It was difficult to guess. That evening he called the engineer and said, "Feed the fires until the coal is gone."

On the 18th the engineer said the coal would soon be gone.

"Do not let the fires go down," replied Mr Fogg.

At noon Phineas Fogg brought Captain Speedy up. In a few moments a bomb appeared on the deck. The bomb was Captain Speedy. "Where are we?" were his first angry words.

"Seven hundred and seven miles from Liverpool," replied Mr Fogg.

"Pirate!" cried Captain Speedy.

"Sell me your boat."

"No!"

"I must burn her."

"Burn the Henrietta!"

"Yes, at least the upper part. There is no more coal."

"Burn my boat!" cried Captain Speedy. "A boat worth fifty thousand dollars!"

"Here are sixty thousand," replied Phineas Fogg. Andrew Speedy's face changed. An American will always be moved at the sight of sixty thousand dollars. The captain forgot his anger. The Henrietta was twenty years old; it was a great bargain.

"And I shall still have the engine?" said the captain.

"Yes. Is it agreed?"

"Agreed."

When Andrew Speedy had taken the money, Mr Fogg said to him, "Don't let this astonish you, sir. You must know that I shall lose twenty thousand pounds, unless I arrive in London by a quarter before nine on the evening of the 21st of December. I missed the steamer at New York, and since you refused to take me to Liverpool—"

"And I did well!" cried Andrew Speedy. "I gained forty thousand dollars by it! Do you know one thing, Captain—"

"Fogg."

"Captain Fogg, you're almost American. All the wood on the boat is yours."

"Very well. Have the seats, beds, and frames pulled down, and burn them."

On the next day, the 19th of December, they burned even more of the boat, and by the 20th the Henrietta was mostly empty. At this day they saw Ireland. Phineas Fogg had only twenty-four hours more in which to reach Liverpool.

"Sir," said Captain Speedy, "everything is against you. We are only at Queenstown."

"Ah," said Mr Fogg. "Can we enter the harbor there?"

"Not for another three hours."

Queenstown is the Irish port where the steamers stop. There the mail is taken to Dublin on fast trains, and the fastest boats then take the mail to Liverpool. The mail is then twelve hours faster than the steamers.

Phineas Fogg was going to gain twelve hours the same way. Instead of arriving at Liverpool the next evening by the Henrietta, he would be there by noon. He would have enough time to reach London before a quarter before nine in the evening.

The Henrietta entered Queenstown at one o'clock in the morning. Phineas Fogg left Captain Speedy and his boat, which was still worth thirty thousand dollars.

The party went on shore at once. Fix wanted to arrest Mr Fogg right then, but he did not. Why? Had he changed his mind? Did he understand that he was making a mistake? He did not leave Mr Fogg. They all took the train. At dawn they were in Dublin, and they immediately boarded a steamer.

Phineas Fogg at last landed in Liverpool, at twenty minutes before twelve, 21st December. He was only six hours away from London.

But at this moment Fix came up and put his hand on Mr Fogg's shoulder. He showed his warrant and said, "You are really Phineas Fogg?"

"I am."

"I arrest you in the Queen's name!"

(end of section)