Part 23 (1/2)
”Aha!” cried Passepartout; ”you are convinced he is an honest man?”
”No,” replied Fix coldly, ”I think hi as Mr Fogg was on English ground, it was for my interest to detain hi I could to keep hiot you intoxicated at Hong Kong, I separated you from him, and I made him miss the Yokohama steamer”
Passepartout listened, with closed fists
”Now,” resuland Well, I will follow him there But hereafter I will do as much to keep obstacles out of his way as I have done up to this tiame, you see, and sie it Your interest is the saland that you will ascertain whether you are in the service of a criminal or an honest man”
Passepartout listened very attentively to Fix, and was convinced that he spoke with entire good faith
”Are we friends?” asked the detective
”Friends?--no,” replied Passepartout; ”but allies, perhaps At the least sign of treason, however, I'll twist your neck for you”
”Agreed,” said the detective quietly
Eleven days later, on the 3rd of December, the General Grant entered the bay of the Golden Gate, and reached San Francisco
Mr Fogg had neither gained nor lost a single day
Chapter XXV
IN WHICH A SLIGHT GLIMPSE IS HAD OF SAN FRANCISCO
It was seven in the , Aouda, and Passepartout set foot upon the A quay upon which they dise with the tide, thus facilitate the loading and unloading of vessels Alongside them were clippers of all sizes, steamers of all nationalities, and the stea one above the other, which ply on the Sacramento and its tributaries There were also heaped up the products of a commerce which extends to Mexico, Chili, Peru, Brazil, Europe, Asia, and all the Pacific islands
Passepartout, in his joy on reaching at last the A a perilous vault in fine style; but, tuh them
Put out of countenance by the manner in which he thus ”set foot” upon the New World, he uttered a loud cry, which so frightened the innumerable cormorants and pelicans that are always perched upon these , on reaching shore, proceeded to find out at what hour the first train left for New York, and learned that this was at six o'clock pm; he had, therefore, an entire day to spend in the Californian capital Taking a carriage at a charge of three dollars, he and Aouda entered it, while Passepartout mounted the box beside the driver, and they set out for the International Hotel
From his exalted position Passepartout observed with ed houses, the Anglo-Saxon Gothic churches, the great docks, the palatial wooden and brick warehouses, the numerous conveyances, omnibuses, horse-cars, and upon the side-walks, not only Americans and Europeans, but Chinese and Indians
Passepartout was surprised at all he saw San Francisco was no longer the legendary city of 1849--a city of banditti, assassins, and incendiaries, who had flocked hither in crowds in pursuit of plunder; a paradise of outlahere they gaold-dust, a revolver in one hand and a bowie-knife in the other: it was now a great commercial emporium
The lofty tower of its City Hall overlooked the whole panoraht-angles, and in the midst of which appeared pleasant, verdant squares, while beyond appeared the Chinese quarter, seely imported from the Celestial Empire in a toy-box Sombreros and red shi+rts and plumed Indians were rarely to be seen; but there were silk hats and black coats everywhere worn by aoent Street is to London, the Boulevard des Italiens to Paris, and Broadway to New York--were lined with splendid and spacious stores, which exposed in their s the products of the entire world
When Passepartout reached the International Hotel, it did not seeround floor of the hotel was occupied by a large bar, a sort of restaurant freely open to all passers-by, who ht partake of dried beef, oyster soup, biscuits, and cheese, without taking out their purses Payment was made only for the ale, porter, or sherry which was drunk This seemed ”very American” to Passepartout The hotel refresh and Aouda, installing themselves at a table, were abundantly served on diroes of darkest hue
After breakfast, Mr Fogg, accolish consulate to have his passport visaed As he was going out, he met Passepartout, who asked hi the train, to purchase some dozens of Enfield rifles and Colt's revolvers He had been listening to stories of attacks upon the trains by the Sioux and pawnees Mr Fogg thought it a useless precaution, but told hiht best, and went on to the consulate
He had not proceeded two hundred steps, however, when, ”by the greatest chance in the world,” he met Fix The detective see and hiether, and not met on the steaentleman to whom he owed so much, and, as his business recalled hihted to continue the journey in such pleasant co replied that the honour would be his; and the detective--as detered permission to accompany the readily granted
They soon found thereat croas collected; the side-walks, street, horsecar rails, the shop-doors, the s of the houses, and even the roofs, were full of people