This is episode five of our serialisation of the abridged version of Around the World in Eighty Days for the 2006 Great Reading Adventure. It has been specially adapted for children. The adventure is part of the Brunel 200 programme which is funded by the National Lottery through Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and the Millennium Commission. If you missed the earlier chapters,
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> before reading on. Chapter 5: Across the Snowy Plains Phileas, Passepartout, Aouda and Fix reached San Francisco at seven in the morning. There was a train leaving for New York at six that evening. It would take a week to cross the country, travelling along the magnificent Union Pacific Railroad. They would then board a ship to Liverpool that left on 11 December. They had breakfast in a hotel and were walking to the passport office when they were caught up in a riot. A huge man with a red beard drew back his fist to hit Phileas. Fix stepped in to protect Phileas and he was hit instead. A large bump soon appeared on this head. 'Damn Yankee!' said Phileas to the man, scornfully. 'Damn Englishman!' snarled the man. 'I challenge you to a duel.'
'I accept your challenge,' said Phileas. 'But I have a train to catch today. We must arrange it for a more convenient time. What is your name?' 'Colonel Stamp Proctor,' said the man grandly. 'Everyone knows me. You won't have trouble finding me again – if you're brave enough.' Phileas and the others fought their way out of the crowd and returned to the hotel to change their clothes. They then had dinner before taking a carriage to the station to get the train. The train crossed the flat lands between San Francisco and Sacramento and began to climb into the mountainous region called the Sierra Nevada. At three o'clock in the afternoon of the second day, they had to wait for three hours as thousands of buffalo crossed the track. Another time they stopped while the guard and the engine driver checked if it was safe to go over a rickety bridge ahead. They decided to race across at full speed. They only just made it as the bridge collapsed behind them, falling into the river below. In the early hours of 7 December there was a snowstorm and Passepartout was worried that they might get stuck again. But Aouda had even more reason to be worried. She had just spotted Colonel Proctor on board the train! She told Fix and Passepartout and for the rest of the day they tried to keep Phileas out of Proctor's way, but it was impossible. Proctor was too loud and the train was too small. The very next day the two proud men met and arranged their duel. The guard suggested that the passengers in the last carriage of the train move out temporarily so the men could fight in there. This would save them having to stop the train. They entered the carriage and stood either end of the aisle, facing each other. It had been agreed they would start firing when the engine driver blew the whistle. But before the whistle blew, there was the sound of blood curdling yells, cries of terror and gun fire. They were under attack from Sioux Indians. The Indians rode their horses alongside the train, firing into the windows. Some were able to jump on board and fight their way into the carriages. Up front, the engine driver was shot and slumped to the floor, unable to reach the controls. The train was now going at 100 miles an hour. All the passengers had guns and Aouda turned out to be an excellent shot. But more and more Indians had joined the attack and the situation seemed hopeless. 'Two miles up the line is Fort Kearney,' said the guard. 'If we can stop there, the soldiers will come and save us. But there's no one at the controls. We're going to rush right by.' Phileas was ready to dash to the front of the train himself but Passepartout stopped him. 'That's my job,' he said bravely. Passepartout crept out the back of the carriage and lowered himself underneath the train. He then pulled himself along towards the engine, clinging to the chains and bolts beneath the carriages. It was lucky he was so strong and agile. If he had lost his grip he would have fallen on the track and been killed. When he reached the front of the first carriage he pulled out the bolt that connected it to the engine. The engine sped away and did not stop for another 20 miles, when it ran out of steam. With nothing to pull them, the carriages slowed down and they came to a stop just outside Fort Kearney station. The soldiers rode out and chased the Indians away. Everyone on board cheered. But suddenly they realised that Passepartout and two of the other passengers were missing. They had been carried off by the Indians. Phileas asked Fix to look after Aouda while he and some of the soldiers went to the rescue. They were gone a day and a night but eventually returned, unharmed, bringing with them the freed prisoners.
The train had not waited for them. The engine had been brought back to the station and it had continued its journey to New York. Phileas asked the stationmaster when there would be another train. 'Not til this evening,' the man said. Phileas was already 20 hours behind schedule and if he had to wait until the evening he would miss the ship to Liverpool. However, as usual, he did not give up hope. He found a man in the fort who owned a land-yacht, a large sled fitted with a sail. Phileas paid the man to take them to Omaha station, 200 miles away. The wind was behind them and they sped across the snow-covered plains, wrapped up in thick rugs to keep out the cold. They were chased by packs of wolves, but were going too fast to be caught. At Omaha they were in time to catch an express train to Chicago where they caught another train to New York. They arrived at the pier of the Cunard Line at 11.15 on the evening of 11 December. The steamship for Liverpool had left just 45 minutes before. Use the link below to read the next part of the adventure. Visit the South West Reads website above to find out more about Phileas Fogg and Jules Verne, and to get involved in events and competitions.
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