Fogg had lost twenty hours rescuing Passepartout. The next train would not come for many hours. They were stuck in a small station in Nebraska. The situation seemed hopeless. But Fogg refused to give up. He walked around the station looking for any solution. Near the tracks, he saw a strange vehicle. It was a sledge with sails, like a boat on runners. The ground was covered with snow and ice. A strong wind was blowing from the west. 'Who owns this sledge?' Fogg asked. A man named Mudge came forward. 'I do,' he said. 'Can you take us to Omaha?' asked Fogg. 'From there we can catch another train.' Mudge agreed for two hundred dollars. The travelers climbed into the sledge. They wrapped themselves in thick blankets. Mudge raised the sails, and the wind caught them. The sledge shot forward across the frozen plain. It moved faster than any horse could run. The cold wind stung their faces. Aouda held tightly to the side of the sledge. Passepartout found the experience terrifying but exciting. They raced across the white landscape. Hour after hour, the sledge flew on. They stopped only to adjust the sails. At last, they reached Omaha. A train was just about to leave for Chicago. They jumped aboard at the last second. From Chicago, another train took them to New York. They arrived on December 11th. But the ship to Liverpool had left that very morning. 'The China has already sailed,' said the ticket agent. 'The next ship leaves tomorrow.' Fogg needed to be in London in nine days. The regular ships took too long. Once again, Fogg searched for another solution. He walked along the harbor, looking at every ship. He found a small trading ship called the Henrietta. It was preparing to sail to Bordeaux, France. 'Will you take me to Liverpool instead?' Fogg asked the captain. 'No,' said Captain Speedy firmly. 'I am going to Bordeaux and nowhere else.' 'I will pay you two thousand dollars per passenger,' offered Fogg. 'No,' repeated the captain. Fogg made a new plan. 'Then take me to Bordeaux,' he said. Captain Speedy agreed. They boarded the Henrietta that night. The ship sailed out of New York harbor. But Fogg had a secret plan. He bribed the crew with money. They agreed to take orders from him instead of the captain. Captain Speedy was locked in his cabin. Fogg took command of the ship. He changed course directly for Liverpool. The captain was furious. 'This is piracy!' he shouted through the locked door. 'I will have you arrested!' Fogg ignored his threats. The Henrietta sailed at full speed toward England. After several days, a problem arose. The ship was running out of coal. Without coal, the engines would stop. Fogg made a dramatic decision. 'Burn the ship,' he ordered. The crew tore apart the wooden parts of the ship for fuel. They burned everything except the iron hull. The coast of England finally appeared on the horizon.
B1Chapter 9 / 12499 words70 sentences
Chapter 9: Racing Against Time
Chapter 9 · 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
With no train available, Fogg finds an unusual way to cross the frozen plains and reach New York in time for the ship to England.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
How did Fogg and his companions travel from Nebraska to Omaha?
2
What problem did they face when they arrived in New York?
3
How did Fogg take control of the Henrietta?
4
What did Fogg do when the Henrietta ran out of coal?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story