Chapter 6 Chapter Six No wonder Detective Fix is ​​in a hurry

The story is divided into two parts. Now let's talk about how the telegram reporting that Fogg was a thief came. On Wednesday, October 9th, people were waiting for the merchant ship Mongol which would arrive in Suez at eleven o'clock in the morning.This is an iron-hulled steamer belonging to the Eastern Peninsula Steamship Company, with screw propellers and fore and aft decks, with a load of 2,800 tons and a usual power of 500 horsepower.The Mongol was a liner running between Brindisi and Mumbai across the Suez Canal, a fast ship of the Eastern Peninsula Steamship Company.The normal speed on the voyage from Brindisi to Suez was ten knots; from Suez to Mumbai nine and fifty-three knots; but it always arrived early.

While waiting for the Mongol, there were two men on the pier at Suez walking up and down the crowd.There are locals and foreigners in the crowd.Not so long ago, the city was a small town whose great future was brought to it by the great works of Lesseb. One of the two men was the United Kingdom Consul in Suez.Notwithstanding the desperation with which the British Government had declared the canal's end, and notwithstanding the dire predictions of the canal which had been uttered by the engineer Stephenson, the British Consul still saw British ships passing through it every day.The canal cut in half the old British route to India via the Cape of Good Hope.

The other was a slightly neurotic person.The man was thin and short, and looked quite capable.His brows were tightly furrowed, and sometimes his eyes flashed sharply through the long eyelashes, and sometimes they looked dazed, as if he didn't see anything.At this time, he kept walking up and down, and seemed very impatient.The man's name was Fix.He was one of those British detectives who were sent to various ports after the National Bank robbery.The detective has been monitoring all travelers passing through Suez.If he found anyone acting suspiciously, he would stare at him while waiting for a warrant.

Just two days ago, Fix received from the Metropolitan Police Chief a document about the thief's appearance. The man who was judged to be the thief at the payment counter of the National Bank of England was said to be a well-dressed man. noble gentleman. The detective was apparently fascinated by the prize money for solving the crime.As he waited for the Mongol, he showed a palpable impatience. "Mr. Consul, do you think this ship will not go off duty?" He has asked this sentence several times. "No, Mr. Fix," replied the Consul. "According to yesterday's news, it has reached the sea off Port Said. A 160-kilometer canal is nothing to such a fast ship. A twenty-five-pound bonus will be given every twenty-four hours to ships that arrive early, and the Mongol always wins the prize."

"Is this ship coming directly from Brindisi?" asked Fix again. "Yes, it's from Brindisi. It's there with the mail for India and leaves at five o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Be patient, it won't be late. But I don't understand , even if the person you want to arrest is on the Mongol, how can you recognize him based on the little material you have received?" "Monsieur Consul," replied Fix, "these people cannot be recognized, but mainly by feeling, that is, by the keen discernment we should have. Discernment is a special combination of hearing, sight and smell. I have caught more than one gentleman like this in my life. As long as the thief I want to catch is on this boat, I dare to tell you, he will never escape my grasp."

"I hope so, Mr. Fix, for this is a great theft." "Isn't it?" replied Fix, very excitedly. "Fifty-five thousand! We don't see such a fortune very often! There aren't any great thieves these days! There's no such thing as Sibald." Gone are the great thieves! Thieves are caught for stealing a few shillings now!" "Mr. Fix," replied the Consul, "you are so eloquent that I should congratulate you immediately, but I must remind you that, in your present situation, I am afraid that you will have difficulties. Did it ever occur to you that the document you received about the burglar's features said he looked like a man of integrity?"

"Monsieur Consul," said Fix, confidently, "every great thief looks like a gentleman. You know, those who are born with bad heads can only behave in their own way, or they will be caught at once." Yes. Our main task is to unmask those who pretend to be gentlemen. I admit, it is difficult to do it! For doing what we do is no longer a profession, but an art." Evidently, this Fix was somewhat pretentious. At this time, the pier gradually became lively.Some sailors, merchants, brokers, porters, and local coolies of different nationalities flocked to the pier.Apparently the boat was about to arrive.

The weather was fairly clear and cold because of the east wind.Pale sunlight illuminated the minarets of the mosques jutting above the city.Looking south, there is a two-kilometer-long embankment stretching out like a giant arm in the harbor of the Suez Canal.On the Red Sea, there are dotted fishing boats and small boats, some of which still maintain the beautiful style of ancient ships. Due to his professional habits, Fix walked among the crowd and looked at the passers-by.It was already half past ten. "This boat won't come!" he cried when he heard the harbor clock strike ten-thirty.

"The boat is not too far from here," replied the Consul. "How long will the ship be in Suez?" "Stop for four hours to add coal. It is 1,310 nautical miles from Suez to the port of Aden, the outlet of the Red Sea. We must refuel here." "Does this ship go direct from Suy to Bombay?" "Yes, there will be no passengers on the way, and no cargo will be loaded." "Then," said Fix, "if the thief came by this way, and indeed took this ship, he must have intended to disembark at Suez, and proceed to the Dutch or French colonies in Asia. .He will of course understand that India is a British possession and that staying in India is not safe."

"Unless he's a very good thief. You know, it's much better for an English criminal to hide in London than to go abroad." After the consul finished speaking, he went back to the consulate not far from here.These two sentences made Fix think for a long time.He was left here alone, feeling very restless and restless.However, at the same time, he also had a rather strange premonition, he felt that the thief must be on the Mongolian ship.Indeed, if the scoundrel left England with the intention of going to America, India would be an ideal route, for the police surveillance would be much looser on this route than on the Atlantic route, and if surveillance , is also more difficult.

The facts did not keep Fix long in a brooding plight.A shriek of a siren announced the approach of the steamer.Crowds of porters and coolies rushed up to the pier.This chaos almost made people feel a little worried about the hands, feet and clothes of the passengers.In a blink of an eye, the huge Mongolian ship was seen heading straight for the pier in the canal.Just at eleven o'clock, the Mongol dropped anchor in the smoky harbour, puffing out steam from its exhaust pipe. There are quite a lot of passengers on board.Some passengers stood on the deck and looked at the picturesque scenery of the whole city.But most of the passengers boarded the small barges that docked beside the Mongolian to pick them up. Fix looked at every passenger who came ashore.At this time, a passenger pushed away the coolies who wanted to carry things for him, and then walked up to Fix, politely asked Fix if he could tell him the address of the British Consulate, and took out a bag at the same time. A passport, obviously, he is looking for the British consul to apply for a visa.Fix took the passport unconsciously, and saw everything clearly in the passport at once. He was almost not happy enough to show his feet.The passport trembled in his hand.It turned out that all the records about the licensee in the passport were exactly the same as the material he had received from the chief of the Metropolitan Police. "This passport is not yours?" Fix said to the traveler. "Not mine, but my master's." "Where's your master?" "He's still on board." "However," continued the detective, "you must go to the consulate in person to apply for a visa." "Why, does it have to be that way?" "It has to be done." "So, where is the consulate?" "There, just off the square," said the detective, pointing to the house two hundred paces away. "Well, then, I'll go to my master. He's a man who doesn't want anything to be bothering you, you know." After saying this, the passenger nodded to Fix and went back to the ship.