Adventure stories; Voyages around the world -- Fiction
It was necessary to have dry wood to keep the steam up to the adequate
pressure, and on that day the poop, cabins, bunks, and the spare deck
were sacrificed. On the next day, the 19th of December, the masts,
rafts, and spars were burned; the crew worked lustily, keeping up the
fires. Passepartout hewed, cut, and sawed away with all his might.
There was a perfect rage for demolition.
The railings, fittings, the greater part of the deck, and top sides
disappeared on the 20th, and the “Henrietta” was now only a flat hulk.
But on this day they sighted the Irish coast and Fastnet Light. By ten
in the evening they were passing Queenstown. Phileas Fogg had only
twenty-four hours more in which to get to London; that length of time
was necessary to reach Liverpool, with all steam on. And the steam was
about to give out altogether!
“Sir,” said Captain Speedy, who was now deeply interested in Mr. Fogg’s
project, “I really commiserate you. Everything is against you. We are
only opposite Queenstown.”
“Ah,” said Mr. Fogg, “is that place where we see the lights
Queenstown?”
“Yes.”
“Can we enter the harbour?”
“Not under three hours. Only at high tide.”
“Stay,” replied Mr. Fogg calmly, without betraying in his features that
by a supreme inspiration he was about to attempt once more to conquer
ill-fortune.
Queenstown is the Irish port at which the transatlantic steamers stop
to put off the mails. These mails are carried to Dublin by express
trains always held in readiness to start; from Dublin they are sent on
to Liverpool by the most rapid boats, and thus gain twelve hours on the
Atlantic steamers.
Phileas Fogg counted on gaining twelve hours in the same way. Instead
of arriving at Liverpool the next evening by the “Henrietta,” he would
be there by noon, and would therefore have time to reach London before
a quarter before nine in the evening.
The “Henrietta” entered Queenstown Harbour at one o’clock in the
morning, it then being high tide; and Phileas Fogg, after being grasped
heartily by the hand by Captain Speedy, left that gentleman on the
levelled hulk of his craft, which was still worth half what he had sold
it for.
The party went on shore at once. Fix was greatly tempted to arrest Mr.
Fogg on the spot; but he did not. Why? What struggle was going on
within him? Had he changed his mind about “his man”? Did he understand
that he had made a grave mistake? He did not, however, abandon Mr.
Fogg. They all got upon the train, which was just ready to start, at
half-past one; at dawn of day they were in Dublin; and they lost no
time in embarking on a steamer which, disdaining to rise upon the
waves, invariably cut through them.
Phileas Fogg at last disembarked on the Liverpool quay, at twenty
minutes before twelve, 21st December. He was only six hours distant
from London.
But at this moment Fix came up, put his hand upon Mr. Fogg’s shoulder,
and, showing his warrant, said, “You are really Phileas Fogg?”
“I am.”
“I arrest you in the Queen’s name!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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