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28 - Around The World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne · Classic Science Fiction Books

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty eight, in which passpar IIU does not succeed
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  Speaker 1: in making anybody listen to reason. The train, on leaving
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  Speaker 1: Great Salt Lake at Ogden, passed northward for an hour
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  Speaker 1: as far as Weber River, having completed nearly nine hundred
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  Speaker 1: miles from San Francisco. From this point it took an
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  Speaker 1: easterly direction towards the jagged Wassatch Mountains. It was in
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  Speaker 1: this section included between this range and the Rocky Mountains,
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  Speaker 1: that the American engineers found the most formidable difficulties in
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  Speaker 1: laying the road, and that the government granted a subsidy
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  Speaker 1: of forty eight thousand dollars per mile instead of sixteen
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  Speaker 1: thousand allowed for the work done on the plains. But
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  Speaker 1: the engineers, instead of violating nature, avoided its difficulties by
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  Speaker 1: winding around instead of penetrating the rocks. One tunnel, only
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  Speaker 1: fourteen thousand feet in length, was pierced in order to
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  Speaker 1: arrive at the Great Basin. The track up to this
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  Speaker 1: time time had reached its highest elevation at the Great
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  Speaker 1: Salt Lake. From this point it described a long curve
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  Speaker 1: descending towards Bitter Creek Valley to rise again to the
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  Speaker 1: dividing ridge of the waters between the Atlantic and the Pacific.
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  Speaker 1: There were many creeks in this mountainous region, and it
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  Speaker 1: was necessary to cross Muddy Creek, Green Creek, and others
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  Speaker 1: upon culverts. Paspartout grew more and more impatient as they
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  Speaker 1: went on, while Fix longed to get out of this
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  Speaker 1: difficult region and was more anxious than Phileas Fogg himself
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  Speaker 1: to be beyond the danger of delays and accidents and
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  Speaker 1: set foot on English soil. At ten o'clock at night,
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  Speaker 1: the train stopped at Fort Bridger's station and twenty minutes
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  Speaker 1: later entered Wyoming Territory, following the valley of Bitter Creek.
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  Speaker 1: Throughout the next day, seventh December, they stopped for a
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  Speaker 1: quarter of an hour at Green River station. Snow had
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  Speaker 1: fallen abundantly during the night, but being mixed with the rain,
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  Speaker 1: it had half melted and did not interrupt their progress.
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  Speaker 1: The bad weather, however, annoyed Passpartout, for the accumulation of
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  Speaker 1: snow by blocking the wheels of the cars would certainly
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  Speaker 1: have been fatal to mister Fogg's tour. What an idea,
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  Speaker 1: he said to himself, Why did my master take this journey?
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  Speaker 1: In winter. Couldn't he have waited for the good season
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  Speaker 1: to increase his chances. While the worthy Frenchman was absorbed
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  Speaker 1: in the state of the sky and the depression of
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  Speaker 1: the temperature, Aouda was experiencing fears from a totally different cause.
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  Speaker 1: Several passengers had got off at Green River and were
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  Speaker 1: walking up and down the platforms, and among these Aouda
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  Speaker 1: recognized Colonel Stamp Proctor, the same who had grossly insulted
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  Speaker 1: Phileas Fogg at the San Francisco meeting. Not wishing to
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  Speaker 1: be recognized, the young woman drew back from the window,
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  Speaker 1: feeling much alarm at her discovery. She was attached to
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  Speaker 1: the man, who, however coldly, gave her daily evidences of
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  Speaker 1: the most absolute devotion. She did not comprehend, perhaps the
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  Speaker 1: depth of the sentiment with which her protector inspired her,
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  Speaker 1: which she called gratitude, but which, though she was unconscious
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  Speaker 1: of it, was really more than that. Her heart sank
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  Speaker 1: within her when she recognized the man whom mister Fogg
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  Speaker 1: desired sooner or later to call to account for his conduct.
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  Speaker 1: Chance alone, it was clear, had brought Colonel Proctor on
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  Speaker 1: this train. But there he was, and it was necessary
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  Speaker 1: at all hazards that Phileas Fogg should not perceive his adversary.
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  Speaker 1: AoudaS seized a moment when mister Fogg was asleep to
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  Speaker 1: tell Fix and Passepartout, whom she had seen that broc
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  Speaker 1: Dure on this train. Cried Fix, well, reassure yourself, madam,
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  Speaker 1: before he settles with mister Fogg. He has got to
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  Speaker 1: deal with me. It seems to me that I was
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  Speaker 1: the more insulted of the two. And besides, added Passepartout.
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  Speaker 1: I'll take charge of him, Colonel as he is, mister Fix,
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  Speaker 1: resumed Aouda. Mister Fogg will allow no one to avenge him.
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  Speaker 1: He said that he would come back to America to
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  Speaker 1: find this man. Should he perceive Colonel Proctor, we could
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  Speaker 1: not prevent a collision which might have terrible results. He
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  Speaker 1: must not see him. You are right, madam, replied Fix.
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  Speaker 1: A meeting between them might ruin all. Whether he was
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  Speaker 1: victorious or beaten, mister Fogg would be delayed, and and
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  Speaker 1: added Passepartout, that would play the game of the gentleman
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  Speaker 1: of the Reform Club. In four days we shall be
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  Speaker 1: in New York. Well, if my master does not leave
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  Speaker 1: this car during those four days. We may hope the
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  Speaker 1: chance will not bring him face to face with this
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  Speaker 1: confounded American. We must, if possible, prevent his stirring out
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  Speaker 1: of it. The conversation dropped. Mister Fogg had just woke
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  Speaker 1: up and was looking out at the window. Soon after, passepartout,
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  Speaker 1: without being heard by his master or aouda whispered to
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  Speaker 1: the detective, would you really fight for him? I would
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  Speaker 1: do anything, replied Fix, in a tone which betrayed determined
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  Speaker 1: will to get him back living to Europe. Passe partout
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  Speaker 1: felt something like a shudder shoot through his frame, but
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  Speaker 1: his confidence in his master remained unbroken. Was there any
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  Speaker 1: means of detending mister Fogg in the car to avoid
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  Speaker 1: a meeting between him and the colonel. It ought not
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  Speaker 1: to be a difficult task, since that gentleman was naturally
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  Speaker 1: sedentary and little curious. The detective at least seemed to
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  Speaker 1: have found a way, for after a few moments, he
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  Speaker 1: said to mister Fogg, these are long and slow hours, sir,
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  Speaker 1: that we are passing on the railway. Yes, replied mister Fogg,
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  Speaker 1: but they pass you were in the habit of playing
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  Speaker 1: whist resumed Fix on the steamers. Yes, but it would
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  Speaker 1: be difficult to do so. Here I have neither cards
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  Speaker 1: nor partners. Oh, but we can easily buy some cards,
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  Speaker 1: for they are sold on all the American trains. And
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  Speaker 1: as for partners, if Madame plays, certainly, Sir Aouda quickly replied,
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  Speaker 1: I understand whist. It is part of an English education.
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  Speaker 1: I myself have some pretensions to playing a good game. Well,
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  Speaker 1: here are three of us and a dummy. As you please,
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  Speaker 1: Sir replied Phileas Fogg, heartily glad to resume his favorite
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  Speaker 1: pastime even on the railway. Passepartout was dispatched in search
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  Speaker 1: of the steward, and soon returned with two packs of cards,
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  Speaker 1: some pins, counters, and a shelf covered with cloth. The
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  Speaker 1: game commenced. Aouda understood Whist sufficiently well, and even received
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  Speaker 1: some compliments on her playing from mister Fogg. As for
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  Speaker 1: the detective, he was simply an adept and worthy of
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  Speaker 1: being matched against his present opponent, now thought Pasepartout, We've
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  Speaker 1: got him. He won't budge. At eleven in the morning,
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  Speaker 1: the train had reached the dividing ridge of the waters
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  Speaker 1: at Bridger Pass seven thousand, five hundred and twenty four
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  Speaker 1: feet above the level of the sea, one of the
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  Speaker 1: highest points attained by the track in crossing the Rocky Mountains.
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  Speaker 1: After going about two hundred miles, the travelers at last
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  Speaker 1: found themselves on one of those vast plains which extend
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  Speaker 1: to the Atlantic, and which nature has made so propitious
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  Speaker 1: for laying the iron road. On the declivity of the
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  Speaker 1: Atlantic basin, the first streams branches of the North Platte
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  Speaker 1: River already appeared. The whole northern and eastern horizon was
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  Speaker 1: bounded by the immense semi circular curtain which is formed
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  Speaker 1: by the southern portion of the Rocky Mountains, the highest
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  Speaker 1: being Laramie Peak. Between this and the railway extended vast plains,
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  Speaker 1: plentifully irrigated. On the right rose the lower spurs of
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  Speaker 1: the mountainous mass which extends southward to the sources of
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  Speaker 1: the Arkansas River, one of the great tributaries of the Missouri.
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  Speaker 1: At half past twelve, the travelers caught sight for an
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  Speaker 1: instant of Fort Halleck, which commands that section, and in
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  Speaker 1: a few more hours the Rocky Mountains were crossed. There
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  Speaker 1: was reason to hope, then that no accident would mark
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  Speaker 1: the journey through this difficult country. The snow had ceased falling,
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  Speaker 1: and the air became crisp and cold. Large birds, frightened
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  Speaker 1: by the locomotive, rose and flew off in the distance.
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  Speaker 1: No wild beast appeared on the plain. It was a
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  Speaker 1: desert in its vast nakedness. After a comfortable breakfast served
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  Speaker 1: in the car, mister Fogg and his partners had just
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  Speaker 1: resumed whist when a violent whistling was heard and the
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  Speaker 1: train stopped past. Partou put his head out of the door,
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  Speaker 1: but saw nothing to cause the delay. No station was
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  Speaker 1: in view. Aouda and fix feared that mister Fogg might
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  Speaker 1: take it into his head to get out, but that
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  Speaker 1: gentleman contented himself with saying to his servant, see what
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  Speaker 1: is the matter? Pass Partou rushed out of the car.
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  Speaker 1: Thirty or forty passengers had already descended, amongst them Colonel
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  Speaker 1: stamp Proctor. The train had stopped before a red signal
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  Speaker 1: which blocked the way. The engineer and conductor were talking
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  Speaker 1: excitedly with the signalman, whom the station master at Medicine Bow,
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  Speaker 1: the next stopping place, had sent on before the passengers
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  Speaker 1: drew round and took part in the discussion in which
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  Speaker 1: Colonel Proctor, with his insolent manner, was conspicuous pass Partwu
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  Speaker 1: joining the group, heard the signal man say, no, you
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  Speaker 1: can't pass. The bridge at a simbo is shaky and
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  Speaker 1: would not bear the weight of the train. This was
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  Speaker 1: a suspension bridge thrown over some rapids about a mile
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  Speaker 1: from the place where they now were. According to the
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  Speaker 1: signal man, it was in a ruinous condition, several of
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  Speaker 1: the iron wires being broken, and it was impossible to
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  Speaker 1: risk the passage. He did not at any way exaggerate
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  Speaker 1: the condition of the bridge. It may be taken for
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  Speaker 1: granted that rash, as the Americans usually are when they
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  Speaker 1: are prudent, there is good reason for it. Passepartout, not
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  Speaker 1: daring to apprise his master of what he heard, listened
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  Speaker 1: with set teeth immovable as a statue. Humph, cried Colonel Proctor.
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  Speaker 1: But we are not going to stay here, I imagine,
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  Speaker 1: and take root in the snow, Colonel replied the conductor.
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  Speaker 1: We have telegraphed to Omaha for a train, but it
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  Speaker 1: is not likely that it will reach Metis Bow in
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  Speaker 1: less than six six hours, cried Passepartout. Certainly returned the conductor. Besides,
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  Speaker 1: it will take us as long as that to reach
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  Speaker 1: medicine Bow on foot. But it is only a mile
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  Speaker 1: from here, said one of the passengers. Yes, but it's
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  Speaker 1: on the other side of the river, and can't we
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  Speaker 1: cross that in a boat, asked the colonel. That's impossible.
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  Speaker 1: The creek is swelled by the rains. It is a
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  Speaker 1: rapid and we shall have to make a circuit of
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  Speaker 1: ten miles to the north to find a ford. The
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  Speaker 1: colonel launched a volley of oaths, denouncing the railway company
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  Speaker 1: and the conductor, and Passepartout, who was furious, was not
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  Speaker 1: disinclined to make common cause with him. Here was an obstacle, indeed,
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  Speaker 1: which all his master's bank notes could not remove. There
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  Speaker 1: was a general disappointment among the passengers, who, without reckoning
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  Speaker 1: the delay, saw themselves compelled to trudge fifteen miles over
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  Speaker 1: a plane covered with snow. They grumbled and protested, and
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  Speaker 1: would certainly have thus attracted Phileas Fogg's attention if he
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  Speaker 1: had not been completely absorbed in his game. Passepartou found
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  Speaker 1: that he could not avoid telling his master what had occurred,
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  Speaker 1: and with hanging ahead, he was turning towards the car,
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  Speaker 1: when the engineer, a true Yankee named Forster, called out, gentlemen,
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  Speaker 1: perhaps there is a way after all to get over
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  Speaker 1: on the bridge, asked the passenger on the bridge with
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  Speaker 1: our train, with our train, pass Partou stopped short and
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  Speaker 1: eagerly listened to the engineer. But the bridge is unsafe,
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  Speaker 1: urged the conductor. No matter, replied Forster. I think that
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  Speaker 1: by putting on the very highest speed we might have
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  Speaker 1: a chance of getting over the devil, muttered Passepartout. But
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  Speaker 1: a number of the passengers were at once attracted by
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  Speaker 1: the engineer's proposal, and Colonel Proctor was especially delighted and
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  Speaker 1: found the plan a very feasible one. He told stories
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  Speaker 1: about engineers leaping their trains over rivers without bridges by
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  Speaker 1: putting on full steam, and many of those present avowed
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  Speaker 1: themselves of the engineer's mind, we have fifty chances out
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  Speaker 1: of a hundred of getting over, said one eighty ninety.
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  Speaker 1: Passepartout was astounded, and, though ready to attempt anything to
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  Speaker 1: get over Medicine Creek thought the experiment proposed a little
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  Speaker 1: too American. Besides, thought he there's a still more simple way,
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  Speaker 1: and it does not even occur to any of these people, Sir,
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  Speaker 1: said he aloud to one of the passengers. This the
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  Speaker 1: engineer's plan seems to me a little dangerous, but eighty chances,
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  Speaker 1: replied the passenger, turning his back on him. I know it,
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  Speaker 1: said Passepartout, turning to another passenger. But a simple idea
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  Speaker 1: ideas are of no use, returned the American, shrugging his shoulders.
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  Speaker 1: As the engineer assures us that we can pass, doubtless,
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  Speaker 1: urged Passepartout. We can pass, but perhaps it would be
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  Speaker 1: more prudent. What prudent? Cried Colonel Proctor, whom this word
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: seemed to excite prodigiously at full speed, don't you see?
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  Speaker 1: At full speed? I know I see, repeated Passepartout, But
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  Speaker 1: it would be, if not more prudent, since that word
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  Speaker 1: displeases you, at least more natural. Who what what's the
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: matter with this fellow? Cried several The poor fellow did
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  Speaker 1: not know to whom to address himself. Are you afraid,
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  Speaker 1: asked Colonel Proctor. I afraid very well. I will show
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: these people that a Frenchman can be as American as
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: they all aboard, cried the conductor. Yes, all aboard, repeated Passepartout,
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  Speaker 1: and immediately, but they can't prevent me from thinking that
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: it would be more natural for us to cross the
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  Speaker 1: bridge on foot and let the train come after. But
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  Speaker 1: no one heard the sage reflection, nor would anyone have
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  Speaker 1: acknowledged its justice. The passengers resumed their places in the cars.
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  Speaker 1: Passepartout took his seat without telling what it passed. The
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  Speaker 1: whist players were quite absorbed in their game. The locomotive
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  Speaker 1: whistled vigorously. The engineer, reversing the steam, backed the train
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  Speaker 1: for nearly a mile, retiring like a jumper in order
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: to take a longer leap. Then with another whistle, he
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  Speaker 1: began to move forward. The train increased its speed, and
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: soon its rapidity became frightful. A prolonged screech issued from
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  Speaker 1: their locomotive. The piston work up and down twenty strokes
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  Speaker 1: to the second. They perceived that the whole train, rushing
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  Speaker 1: on at the rate of a hundred miles an hour,
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  Speaker 1: hardly bore upon the rails at all, and they passed over.
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  Speaker 1: It was like a flash. No one saw the bridge.
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: The train leaped, so to speak, from one bank to
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: the other, and the engineer could not stop it until
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: it had gone five miles beyond the station, But scarcely
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: had the train passed the river when the bridge completely ruined,
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  Speaker 1: fell with a crash into the rapids of Medicine Bow.
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  Speaker 1: End of chapter