"Mr. Fix," said Mr. Fogg, "I beg your pardon, but it concerns me alone. In insisting that I was wrong in playing a spade, the colonel has insulted me anew, and he shall give me satisfaction."
"When you will, and where you will," replied the American, "and with whatever weapon you please!"
Aouda tried in vain to restrain Mr. Fogg. The detective uselessly endeavored to take up the quarrel on his own account. Passepartout wanted to throw the colonel out of the door, but a sign from his master stopped him. Phileas Fogg went out of the car, and the American followed him on the platform.
"Sir," said Mr. Fogg to his adversary, "I am very much in a hurry to return to Europe, and any delay whatever would be very prejudicial to my interests."
"Well! what does that concern me?" replied Colonel Proctor.
"Sir," replied Mr. Fogg, very politely, "after our meeting in San Francisco, I formed the plan to come back to America to find you, as soon as I had completed the business which calls me to the Old World."
"Truly!"
"Will you appoint a meeting with me in six months?"
"Why not in six years?"
"I say six months," replied Mr. Fogg, "and I will be prompt to meet you."
"All evasions!" cried Stamp Proctor. "Immediately, or not at all."
"All right," replied Mr. Fogg. "You are going to New York?"
"No."
"To Chicago?"
"No."
"To Omaha?"
"It concerns you very little! Do you know Plum Creek station?"
"No," replied Mr. Fogg.
"It is the next station. The train will be there in an hour. It will stop ten minutes. In ten minutes we can exchange a few shots with our revolvers."
"Let it be so," replied Mr. Fogg. "I will stop at Plum Creek."
