Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 7.djvu/256

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236
ROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS

up with the weather. The top sails and lower sails could be unfurled, and the Rangoon resumed her route with marvelous swiftness.

But all the time lost could not be regained. They could only submit, and land was not signaled until the 6th at five o'clock A. M. The diary of Phileas Fogg put down the arrival of the steamer on the 5th, and she did not arrive until the 6th, which was a loss of twenty-four hours, and of course they would miss the Yokohama steamer.

At six o'clock the pilot came aboard the Rangoon and took his place on the bridge to guide the vessel through the channels into the port of Hong Kong.

Passepartout was dying to ask this man whether the Yokohama steamer had left Hong Kong. But he did not dare, preferring to preserve a little hope until the last moment. He had confided his anxiety to Fix, who—the cunning fox—tried to console him by saying that Mr. Fogg would be in time to take the next boat. This put Passepartout in a towering rage.

But if Passepartout did not venture to ask the pilot, Mr. Fogg, after consulting his Bradshaw, asked in his quiet manner of the said pilot if he knew when a vessel would leave Hong Kong for Yokohama. "To-morrow morning, at high tide," replied the pilot.

"Ah," said Mr. Fogg, without showing any astonishment.

Passepartout, who was present, would have liked to hug the pilot, whose neck Fix would have wrung with pleasure.

"What is the name of the steamer," asked Mr. Fogg.

"The Carnatic," replied the pilot.

"Was she not to leave yesterday?"

"Yes, sir, but they had to repair one of her boilers, and her departure has been put off until to-morrow."

"Thank you," replied Mr. Fogg, who, with his automatic step, went down again into the saloon of the Rangoon.

Passepartout caught the pilot's hand, and, pressing it warmly, said, "Pilot, you are a good fellow!"

The pilot doubtless never knew why his answers had procured him this friendly expression. A whistle blew, and he went again upon the bridge of the steamer and guided her through the flotilla of junks, tankas, fishing-boats, and vessels of all kinds which crowded the channels of Hong