Chapter 28 Chapter 29: Many Accidents on the Union Railroad

In the evening of that day, the train went smoothly all the way, passed Sodersburg, passed Cheyenne Pass, and arrived at Evans Pass.This area is the culmination of the elevation of the entire railroad line, reaching an elevation of 8,091 feet.The train passed through the endless natural Pacific Plains, heading down to the Atlantic coast.On this main plain line, there is a branch line of the South Road leading to Denver, the main city of Colorado.There are rich gold and silver mines, and more than 50,000 residents have settled there. From San Francisco to now, I have traveled 1,382 miles in three days and three nights (there are four more days and four nights to reach New York anyway, Phileas Fogg is obviously completing his work step by step. This night, the train passed the right of Camp Valbar. The Rocky Bull River ran parallel to the railroad track and ran along the straight line between Wyoming and Colorado. At eleven o'clock, the train entered Nebraska, Passing Sedgwick came Cullsford, on the southern tributary of the Platte.

On October 23, 1867, the Union Pacific Railroad Company held an opening ceremony here.The chief engineer was General J. M. Dodge. It was here that two large locomotives towed nine passenger cars and sent many spectators headed by Vice President M. Thomas C. Durang.It was here that the crowd cheered; at the same time the Sioux and the Bownesses performed an Indian combat maneuver, and here fireworks were lit to celebrate the opening of the traffic; The first issue of the Railroad Herald.Such was the case with the celebration of the opening of this great railway.This railway is a road of progress and civilization.It crossed the wilderness and connected many cities that did not exist at the time.The locomotive's whistle, stronger than the mythical Amphillon's lyre, caused cities to spring up on the American continent in no time.

At eight o'clock in the morning the train crossed Fort Macpherson, only three hundred and fifty-seven miles from Cape Omaha.The train follows the left bank of the Platte River, following the ever-changing curved banks of the Platte River's southern tributary.At nine o'clock the train reached North Platte, a large city between the South and North Platte River tributaries.Two large rivers formed a massive stream near the city, and then joined the Missouri River not far north of Omaha. One hundred and one degrees of longitude had now been crossed. Mr. Fogg and his poker buddies resumed playing "whistler".Including the empty seat, neither of the two couples complained about the long journey.Fix, who had won a little money at first, was losing it, but he was no less gambler than Fogg.Mr. Fogg was very lucky this morning, and the aces and big points kept running to him.Now he counted his cards and was about to make a daring trick. He decided to play spades, and at this moment he heard someone behind his chair say: "If it were me, I would play red diamonds..."

Mr. Fogg, Mrs. Aouda and Fix looked up, and it was none other than Colonel Proctor standing next to them. Stone Proctor and Phileas Fogg recognized each other at once. "Oh! it's you, Mr. English," cried the Colonel, "and it's you who want to play spades!" "I play, or you play," replied Phileas Fogg icily, having played a ten of spades. "Very well, I would like to play the red square," Colonel Proctor said angrily. At the same time, he reached out to take the ten of spades, saying: "You don't even know how to fight." "Perhaps I can play better than the other," said Phileas Fogg, rising to his feet.

"Then come and fight, you little John Bull!" said the tyrannical colonel. Madam Aouda's face turned pale with fright, and the blood in her whole body seemed to be boiling.She took Phileas Fogg's arm, and Fogg pushed her away gently. Passepartout was about to rush at the American, who looked at Fogg with great contempt.At this moment Fix arose, approached Colonel Proctor, and said to him, "You forgot, sir, you should look for me, you not only scolded me, but even beat me!" "Mr. Fix!" said Mr. Fogg, "I beg your pardon, but I am alone in the matter. The colonel is provoking again on the pretext that I have played spades wrongly, and I must confront him." Do the math."

"Forget it, you can choose the time and place," said the American, "you can use whatever you want!" Mrs. Aouda tried all she could to hold Fogg back, but to no avail.It was in vain for Fix to try to take it upon himself.Passepartout was about to throw the colonel out of the window, but his master stopped him with a gesture of his hand.At this moment Phileas Fogg stepped out of the carriage, and the American joined him on the bridge. "Sir," said Mr. Fogg, "I am very anxious to get back to Europe, and any delay would do me great harm." "What do you say these have to do with me?"

"Sir," continued Mr. Fogg, very politely, "since we met at San Francisco, I have planned to return to Europe on business, and as soon as my business is over I shall come to America to see you." "Really?" "Would you agree to meet me in six months' time?" "Why don't you say six years from now?" "I say six months," said Mr. Fogg, "and I shall come." "You're all pretending to get out!" cried Stom Proctor. "Either you say you don't dare, or you do it!" "Very well! At once!" replied Mr. Fogg. "Are you going to New York?"

"I will not go." "To Chicago?" "Not going either." "To Omaha?" "Where do you care about me! Do you know the Plum River?" "I don't know," replied Mr. Fogg. "Just the next stop. We'll be there in an hour, and the train stops there for ten minutes. We've got ten minutes to spare and we can exchange a few bullets." "That counts," said Mr. Fogg. "I get off at the Plum River." "I even believe you will stay there forever," said the American ferociously. "That depends, sir," replied Mr. Fogg, and with this he entered the carriage, as calm as ever.

He returned to the carriage, comforted Mrs. Aouda first, saying that there was nothing to fear from this kind of paper tiger.Then he offered to be his notary when he asked Fix to stop for a while. Of course Fix couldn't refuse, so Phileas Fogg took up the card just now as if nothing had happened, and continued to play his card quietly. Spades. At eleven o'clock, the whistle of the locomotive announced the arrival of Plum River Station.Mr. Fogg got up and went to the bridge, followed by Fix.Passepartout, with two pistols on his back, accompanied Mr. Fogg out.At this time, Mrs. Aouda turned pale with fright and stayed alone in the carriage.

At the same time, the door of the other carriage opened.Colonel Proctor also stepped onto the bridge, followed by a "foreign beggar" who looked like him, who was his notary.However, as soon as the two opponents got off the train, the conductor came running up shouting: "Don't get out of the car, gentlemen." "Why?" asked the Colonel. "Our car was twenty minutes late and the car stopped here." "But here I shall fight this gentleman." "Well, I'm sorry," said the conductor, "but the train is about to leave. Here, it's time."

The real clock rang and the train started again. "I'm really sorry, gentlemen," said the conductor, "and I'd help if it was another time. But then again, although you didn't have time to duel at the station, you could do it on the train, who It doesn't matter." "Perhaps this gentleman will find it inappropriate in the car!" said the colonel with a smile on his face. "I think it is perfectly fitting," replied Phileas Fogg. "Look at this delight, and you'll believe we're in America!" said Passepartout to himself. "This conductor is a wonderful fellow!" While thinking this way in his heart, he followed his master away. The conductor led the two dueling opponents and their notary from one carriage to the next until the last car.There were only a dozen passengers in this carriage.The conductor asked the passengers if they could give up the carriage for a while to the two gentlemen, where they were going to duel.The passengers were startled at this, but they were happy to help the gentlemen, and they all got out of the carriage and stood on the bridge. The carriage was about fifty feet long, and would have served as a dueling arena.It's really convenient to fight a duel here. Two opponents are in the middle aisle, and they can approach each other and fight as they please.Mr. Fogg and Colonel Proctor entered the carriage, armed with two six-wheelers each.Two of their witnesses closed the door for them and stood outside.Just wait for the whistle on the locomotive, and they start shooting... and then only two short minutes later, they can go in and pick up a gentleman alive. Ordinarily, there is nothing simpler than this.It was so simple that Fix and Passepartout felt their hearts beating like bursts. The people were waiting for the first whistle, when suddenly a ferocious cry was heard, mingled with the crackling of gunfire, but it did not come from the carriage where the duel was taking place.On the contrary, the gunshots that continued to ring were heard from the whole train, even from the front carriage.There were panicked shouts all over the train.Colonel Proctor and Mr. Fokker, pistols in hand, stepped out of the arena at once, and rushed to the carriage ahead, where the shots and shouts were still louder.They already knew: it was a group of Sioux attacking the train. It was not the first time for these desperate Indians to rob a train, and they had done it several times before.They always used this method: Before the train stopped, hundreds of people jumped on the door steps of the car, and then climbed into the car like a circus clown who jumped on his horse while running. These Xiwu people were all carrying rifles, and the gunshot just now was the sound of them shooting each other with the passengers. Almost all the passengers in the car carried weapons with them. As soon as these Indians got on the train, they ran to the locomotive first.The train driver and the fireman had already been knocked out with bludgeons.A Siuan chief went up to stop the train, but he did not know how to close the steam doors.He wanted to close the gas door, but he opened it completely, and the locomotive galloped like a wild horse. At the same time, other Sioux entered the carriage.They flew on the roof of the carriage, all of them were like wild monkeys, and they jumped in from the window to fight hand-to-hand with the passengers.They robbed the luggage cart, and many boxes and luggage were thrown out of it. The gunfire and shouting continued. At this time, the passengers were desperately resisting, and some of the besieged carriages had become fortifications, like living fortresses; but these fortresses were being towed by locomotives at a speed of one hundred miles an hour. gallop forward. Lady Aouda was very brave from the very beginning, and when the Siuians rushed towards her, she took a pistol and shot at the enemy through the broken glass door without fear.More than twenty Siuians were beaten half to death and rolled off the train, some fell from the bridge onto the rails, and were crushed to pieces like worms by the wheels of the train.Many of the passengers were shot or bludgeoned and lay in chairs in bad condition. Now this fight must be brought to an end, it has been going on for ten minutes.If the train does not stop, the result will definitely be cheaper for the Xiwu people.Because less than two miles from here is Fort Kearney, where there is an American barracks, and if you go further, from Fort Kearney to the next stop, these Siu can do whatever they want in the car. The conductor, who was fighting alongside Fokker, was knocked down by a flying bullet, and the man cried out as he fell: "If the train doesn't stop in five minutes, we're all screwed!" "It will definitely stop!" Phileas Fogg said, and was about to rush out of the carriage. "You stay here, sir," cried Passepartout, "and leave it to me." Before Phileas Fogg could stop him, the daring young man opened a window and slipped under the carriage, unseen by the Sioux.While the battle was still raging, bullets whizzed past his head, and he moved stealthily under the wagons with the lightness and nimbleness of his circus performers.He climbed the iron chain connecting the trains, stepped on the brake steering wheel, and along the edge of the outer frame, skillfully climbed from one car to another, until he climbed to the front car.It was inconceivable that he had not been noticed. Now, he is holding on to the car with one hand, and his whole body is suspended between the luggage cart and the coal car. With the other hand, he is going to loosen the hook chain. At this moment, the locomotive shook for a while, and the iron bolt jumped out due to the vibration.The train left the front and slowly fell behind, while the locomotive increased its speed even more.The train continued to move forward for a few minutes due to the impetus of inertia, but the passengers in the carriage tightened the brake steering wheel, and the train finally stopped less than a hundred paces from Kearneyburg Station. The soldiers in the barracks heard the gunshots and rushed over immediately.Before the Xiwu people waited for them to come, they had already scattered and fled before the train stopped completely. However, when the passengers checked the number of people on the platform, they found that some people were missing, including the brave Frenchman who had saved the lives of these passengers.