Part 11 (1/2)

”We have nothing to do but to go away,” whispered Sir Francis

”Nothing but to go away,” echoed the guide

”Stop,” said Fogg ”I am only due at Allahabad tomorrow before noon”

”But what can you hope to do?” asked Sir Francis ”In a few hours it will be daylight, and--”

”The chance which now seems lost may present itself at the last mo's eyes What was this cool English woman at the very moment of the sacrifice, and boldly snatch her from her executioners?

This would be utter folly, and it was hard to ad was such a fool Sir Francis consented, however, to reuide led thelade, where they were able to observe the sleeping groups

Meanwhile Passepartout, who had perched hi an idea which had at first struck hied in his brain

He had co to himself, ”What folly!” and then he repeated, ”Why not, after all? It's a chance,--perhaps the only one; and with such sots!” Thinking thus, he slipped, with the suppleness of a serpent, to the lowest branches, the ends of which bent alhter shades now announced the approach of day, though it was not yet light This was thes and cries arose; the hour of the sacrifice had coht escaped fro and Sir Francis espied the victi shaken off the stupor of intoxication, to be striving to escape from her executioner Sir Francis's heart throbbed; and, convulsively seizing Mr Fogg's hand, found in it an open knife Just at this ain fallen into a stupor caused by the fu the fakirs, who escorted her with their wild, religious cries

Phileas Fogg and his co in the rear ranks of the crowd, followed; and in two minutes they reached the banks of the stream, and stopped fifty paces from the pyre, upon which still lay the rajah's corpse In the semi-obscurity they saw the victim, quite senseless, stretched out beside her husband's body Then a torch was brought, and the wood, heavily soaked with oil, instantly took fire

At this , who, in an instant of enerosity, was about to rush upon the pyre But he had quickly pushed theed

A cry of terror arose The whole round

The old rajah was not dead, then, since he rose of a sudden, like a spectre, took up his wife in his arms, and descended from the pyre in the hostly appearance

Fakirs and soldiers and priests, seized with instant terror, lay there, with their faces on the ground, not daring to lift their eyes and behold such a prodigy

The inaniorous arms which supported her, and which she did not see and Sir Francis stood erect, the Parsee bowed his head, and Passepartout was, no doubt, scarcely less stupefied

The resuscitated rajah approached Sir Francis and Mr Fogg, and, in an abrupt tone, said, ”Let us be off!”

It was Passepartout himself, who had slipped upon the pyre in thedarkness, had delivered the young wo his part with a happy audacity, had passed through the crowd aeneral terror

A moment after all four of the party had disappeared in the woods, and the elephant was bearing them away at a rapid pace But the cries and noise, and a ball which whizzed through Phileas Fogg's hat, apprised them that the trick had been discovered

The old rajah's body, indeed, now appeared upon the burning pyre; and the priests, recovered from their terror, perceived that an abduction had taken place They hastened into the forest, followed by the soldiers, who fired a volley after the fugitives; but the latter rapidly increased the distance between the found themselves beyond the reach of the bullets and arrows

Chapter XIV

IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG DESCENDS THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE BEAUTIFUL VALLEY OF THE GANGES WITHOUT EVER THINKING OF SEEING IT

The rash exploit had been accoaily at his success Sir Francis pressed the worthy fellow's hand, and his h commendation; to which Passepartout replied that all the credit of the affair belonged to Mr Fogg As for hihed to think that for a few eant fire wo Indian wo, and norapped up in a travelling-blanket, was reposing in one of the howdahs