by Verne, Jules, 1828-1905
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This was a misfortune. Mr. Fogg, in order not to deviate from his course, furled his sails and increased the force of the steam ; but the vessel's speed slackened, owing to the state of the sea, the long waves of which broke against the stern. She pitched violently, and this retarded her progress. The breeze little by little swelled into a tempest, and it was to be feared that the "Henrietta" might not be able to maintain herself upright on the waves.
Passepartout's visage darkened with the skies, and for two days the poor fellow experienced constant fright. But
Phileas Focrcf was a bold mariner, and knew how to maintain headway against the sea ; and he kept on his course, without even decreasing his steam. The " Henrietta," wdien she could not rise upon the waves, crossed them, swamping her deck, but passing safely. Sometimes the screw rose out of the water, beating its protruding end, when a mountain of water raised the stern above the waves ; but the craft always kept straight ahead.
The wind, however, did not grow as boisterous as might have been feared ; it was not one of those tempests which burst, and rush on with a speed of ninety miles an hour. It continued fresh, but, unhappily, it remained obstinately in the south-east, rendering the sails useless.
The 16th of December was the seventy-fifth day since Phileas Fogg's departure from London, and the "Henrietta" had not yet been seriously delayed. Half of the voyage was almost accomplished, and the worst localities had been passed. In summer, success would have been w^ell-nigh certain. In winter, they were at the mercy of the bad season. Passepartout said nothing ; but he cherished hope in secret, and comforted himself with the reflection that, if the w^Ind failed them, they might still count on the steam.
On this day the engineer came on deck, went up to Mr. Fogg, and began to speak earnestly with him. Without knowing why?it was a presentiment, perhaps?Passepartout became vaguely uneasy. He would have given
one of his ears to hear with the other what the engineer was saying. He finally managed to catch a few words, and was sure he heard his master say, *' You are certain of what you tell me .'*"
" Certain, sir," replied the engineer. " You must remember that, since we started, we have kept up hot fires in all our furnaces, and though we had coal enough to go on short steam from New York to Bordeaux, we haven't enough to go with all steam from New York to Liverpool."
" I will consider," replied Mr. Fogg.
Passepartout understood it all ; he was seized with mortal anxiety. The coal was giving out ! '' Ah, if my master can get over that," muttered he, " he'll be a famous man !" He could not help Imparting to Fix what he had overheard.
" Then you believe that we really are going to Liverpool } "
*' Of course."
*'Ass!" replied the detective, shrugging his shoulders and turning on his heel.
Passepartout was on the point of vigorously resenting the epithet, the reason of which he could not for the life of him comprehend ; but he reflected that the unfortunate Fix was probably very much disappointed and humiliated in his self-esteem, after having so awkwardly followed a false scent around the world, and refrained.
And now what course would Philcas Fogg adopt ? It was difficult to imagine. Nevertheless he seemed to have decided upon one, for that evening he sent for the engineer, and said to him, '' Feed all the fires until the coal is exhausted."
A few moments after, the funnel of the "Henrietta "vomited forth torrents of smoke. The vessel continued to proceed with all steam on ; but on the 18th, the engineer, as he had predicted, announced that the coal would give out in the course of the day.
'*Do not let the fires go down," replied I\Ir. Fogg. " Keep them up to the last. Let the valves be filled."
Towards noon Phileas Fogg, having ascertained their position, called Passepartout, and ordered him to go for Captain Speedy. It was as if the honest fellow had been commanded to unchain a tiger. He went to the poop, saying to himself, " He will be like a madman ! "
In a few moments, with cries and oaths, a bomb appeared on the poop-deck. The bomb was Captain Speedy. It was clear that he was on the point of bursting. '' Where are we.''" were the first words his anger permitted him to utter. Had the poor man been apoplectic, he could never have recovered from his paroxysm of wrath.
" Where are we ^ " he repeated, with purple face.
" Seven hundred and seventy miles from Liverpool," replied Mr. Fogg, with imperturbable calmness.
