The train left San Francisco at exactly six o'clock. It was a long train with comfortable sleeping cars. Fogg, Aouda, Passepartout, and Fix all had their own cabins. The train climbed into the Sierra Nevada mountains. Snow covered the peaks around them. They passed through tunnels carved into the rock. The scenery was breathtaking. Passepartout stared out the window in amazement. Fogg, as usual, showed little interest. On the second day, they reached the Great Plains. The flat land stretched to the horizon in every direction. Suddenly, the train began to slow down. 'Why are we stopping?' asked Passepartout. He looked out and saw an incredible sight. A huge herd of bison was crossing the tracks. There were thousands of the massive animals. The ground shook as they walked. 'How long will this take?' Fogg asked the conductor. 'Maybe three hours,' replied the conductor. 'Maybe more.' Fogg showed no reaction to this news. He sat down and continued reading his newspaper. The herd took three full hours to cross. Finally, the train could continue its journey. They passed through Nebraska and into Wyoming. The conductor warned them about danger ahead. 'Sometimes bandits attack trains in this area,' he said. Soldiers were traveling on the train for protection. The next morning, disaster struck. A group of armed men attacked the train. They jumped onto the moving cars and began shooting. Passengers screamed and hid under their seats. The soldiers fired back at the attackers. Fogg calmly took out a revolver. 'Stay here,' he told Aouda. He joined the fight against the bandits. Fix also grabbed a weapon and helped. Passepartout had a brave idea. If the train stopped, the bandits would have more time to rob everyone. He crawled under the train while it was moving. He reached the engine at the front. He disconnected the cars from the engine. The brakes activated automatically. The train stopped near a station with soldiers. The bandits saw the soldiers and fled. But they took three hostages with them. Passepartout was one of the hostages. Fogg learned that his servant had been captured. His face showed no emotion, but his eyes grew cold. 'I will rescue him,' Fogg announced. 'But the train must leave without me.' 'You will lose the bet!' said Fix. 'Passepartout saved us all,' replied Fogg. 'I will not abandon him.' Aouda begged him to be careful. 'Please come back safely,' she said. Fogg took thirty soldiers and set off on horseback. They followed the tracks of the bandits into the mountains. It was a dangerous mission. Aouda and Fix waited anxiously at the station. Hours passed with no news. Night came, and still no sign of Fogg. Aouda hardly slept all night. At dawn, she heard horses approaching. Fogg rode in with Passepartout beside him. The other hostages had also been rescued. Aouda ran to them with tears of joy. 'Thank you, master!' cried Passepartout. 'You risked everything to save me!' But now they had missed the train to New York.
B1Chapter 8 / 12501 words70 sentences
Chapter 8: Across America by Train
Chapter 8 · Around the World in 80 Days · B1 English. Tip: Click on any word while reading to see its translation. Take your time with each chapter and review the vocabulary before moving on.
Chapter Summary
The travelers cross the American plains by train, facing danger from a herd of bison and an attack by bandits who kidnap Passepartout.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
Why did the train stop in the Great Plains?
2
How did Passepartout stop the train during the bandit attack?
3
What happened to Passepartout after he stopped the train?
4
Why did Fogg decide to rescue Passepartout even though it meant losing the bet?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story