CHAPTER 11 ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

How could Phileas Fogg win his bet now? No ship in his book of ship and train timetables could get him to London by 21st December.

In New York, Phileas Fogg looked round the port for a fast ship. He wanted to buy one. He saw the Henrietta, and spoke to the captain.

'Are you leaving New York, Captain?'

'In an hour,' said the captain. He was a hard man, and his answer was unfriendly.

'Where are you going?'

'To Bordeaux.'

'Can you take us with you?'

'No, I don't take people. Look in Bradshaw for a nice ship. I take things from port to port.'

'Fast?' asked Phileas Fogg.' Do you take things fast?'

'Yes. Very fast. The Henrietta does twelve miles an hour.'

'Will you take me, and three other people, to Liverpool, Captain...What's your name?'

'My name's Speedy and the answer's no!'

'Then I'll buy the ship from you.'

'No!'

Phileas Fogg thought for a minute. Then he said, ' Will you take us to Bordeaux? I can give you two thousand dollars.'

'For each person?'

'Yes.'

Captain Speedy thought about it. Eight thousand dollars!

'We're leaving at nine,' he said.

Phileas Fogg, Aouda, Passepartout and Fix were on the ship when she left New York at 9 o'clock.

The next day, 13th December, Phileas Fogg was captain of the ship. Captain Speedy was in his room, and two seamen watched him carefully. He couldn't leave the room. He shouted, but he couldn't get out.

What happened on that day was this: Phileas Fogg wanted to go to Liverpool. The captain didn't want to go there, but the seamen hated their captain. And Phileas Fogg gave them some money, so they were happy about the new plan.

Now the captain had to stay in his room. Aouda was not very happy about it, but Passepartout enjoyed it.

Phileas Fogg was a very good ship's captain. Perhaps he was a seaman when he was younger. With her fast engine, and the wind behind her, the Henrietta moved quickly over the water.

But one of the seamen said, 'Mr Fogg, this engine can take us faster. We have to put more wood on the fire.'

'And where do we get more wood?'

'From the ship. They built everything on it from wood.'

'Thank you,' said Phileas Fogg.' I'll have to think about it.' He walked round the ship looking at the wood. Then he called Passepartout.' Bring Captain Speedy to me.'

Captain Speedy ran to Phileas Fogg. He wanted to kill him.

'Thief!' he shouted. 'You took my ship! Where are we?'

'Seven hundred and seventy miles from Liverpool,' said Fogg. 'But I sent for you, Captain, because I want to buy your ship.'

'No! No! No!'

'I'm going to put some of it on the fire, so the engine can take us to Liverpool faster.'

'My ship! This ship cost fifty thousand dollars!'

'Here's sixty thousand,' said Phileas Fogg, and he gave the captain the money. Twelve thousand pounds.

'Oh!' Captain Speedy was suddenly a different man. The Henrietta cost fifty thousand dollars, but she was twenty years old.

'You er...You only want the wood. I'll have the engine, the...'

'Oh yes. I'm only buying the wood.'

'Thank you,' said the captain.

And so, at 11.40 on 21st December, Phileas Fogg put his for on the ground in Liverpool. And at 11.41, Fix said,' Phileas Fogg. I'm a Scotland Yard detective. Please come with me to the nearest police station.'