The steamer bound for America was called the General Grant and would take 12 days to cross the Pacific. Phileas Fogg was hoping they would reach San Francisco by December 2, New York by December 11, and London, England, by December 20. According to the wager, his trip was to conclude by December 21.
Mr. Fogg's young female companion, Aouda, felt herself growing attached to her protector. Mr. Fogg's silent but generous nature impressed her. The more time she spent with him, the more she began to feel emotions stronger than simple gratitude. Her new feelings, however, did not seem to have any effect on Mr. Fogg.
Passepartout did not fail to notice the state of the lady's heart. She was now as impatient as Fogg was over any delay in their journey. He assured her that the most difficult part of the journey had already passed. A railway train from San Francisco to New York and a steamer from New York to Liverpool would bring them to the end of their incredible travels. Now that Fix was out of their way, no obstacles could slow their progress. At least, that's what Passepartout thought.
Detective Fix, however, was also on the General Grant. And he had the warrant for Mr. Fogg's arrest in his hand. It had been waiting for him at the English consulate in Yokohama. Unfortunately, now that Fogg had left English territory, it was useless. Fogg could not be arrested outside English territories.
Six days out of Yokohama, Passepartout came face-to-face with Fix on the forward deck. Without a word Passepartout grabbed Fix by the throat and began to punch him, to the amusement of a group of Americans close by.
When Passepartout had finished, Fix stood up and looked at his adversary coldly. "Are you done?" he asked.
"For now . . . yes," said Passepartout with satisfaction.
"Then let me have a word with you," said Fix. "You have given me a thrashing, and I expected it. Up to this time, I have been Mr. Fogg's adversary, but now I am on his side."
"Aha!" cried Passepartout. "You are convinced he is an honest man!"
"No," replied Fix. "I think he is a rascal! As long as Mr. Fogg was on English ground, it was my duty to detain him until the warrant for his arrest arrived. But now I want him back on English soil as quickly as possible, and I'll do what I can to help him reach it. Are we friends?"
"Friends? No," replied Passepartout. "But allies perhaps."
On December 2, the General Grant reached San Francisco. Mr. Fogg had neither gained nor lost a single day.
It was seven o'clock in the morning when Mr. Fogg, Aouda, and Passepartout set foot on American soil. At the first news vendor he saw, Mr. Fogg inquired when the next train left for New York. The train was scheduled to leave at 6:00 p.m. so they had the entire day to spend in the California city. They hired a carriage and went to the International Hotel to dine.
After breakfast Mr. Fogg and Aouda were about to leave for the passport office when Passepartout stopped them. "Perhaps I should purchase some rifles and revolvers while I am shopping, master?" asked Passepartout. He had heard stories of Indians attacking the trains.
"I think it is a useless precaution, but do as you think best," replied Mr. Fogg.
Mr. Fogg and Aouda had not walked two hundred steps, however, when they ran into Mr. Fix. The detective pretended to be wholly taken by surprise. Fix asked to accompany them on their walk around San Francisco, a request that Mr. Fogg readily granted.
They soon found themselves on Montgomery Street, where a large crowd had collected. The crowd was marching down the street, cheering "Hooray for Camerfield!" and carrying large posters and banners.
"It is a political meeting," said Mr. Fogg. "We had better not mingle in the crowd. There may be danger."
"Yes," returned Fix. "A political rally can easily turn violent."
They headed toward a flight of stairs at the side of the street that would take them out of the crowd. Just then another group, chanting "Hooray for Mandiboy!" came up the street from the opposite direction. The cheers quickly turned to shouts, and the posters turned to weapons as the opposing sides assaulted each other. It was too late to escape—Mr. Fogg, Aouda, and Fix were caught in the middle.
Phileas Fogg and Fix bravely protected their fair companion, jostling roughly with the fighters. A tough, muscular fellow with a red beard rushed at Mr. Fogg with clenched fists. Before Mr. Fogg could clench his own fists, however, Fix stepped in and received the punch instead. Fix fell to the ground. Mr. Fogg stepped over him to face his opponent, but other combatants had moved between them and he couldn't reach the bearded man.
"Yankee!" called Mr. Fogg. "We will meet again!"
"Englishman!" retorted the other. "Do you challenge me?"
"I do!" said Mr. Fogg confidently. "What is your name?"
"Colonel Stamp Proctor," said the man.
"Mine is Phileas Fogg, and I promise you we will face each other again!" Then the crowd swept them apart.
Passepartout's Guidebook
It seems that Mr. Fogg makes friends wherever he goes . . . and enemies! I hope we don't meet Colonel Proctor again—or any Indians.
Are you wondering why there are people called Indians in America? Well, let me explain. When the explorer Christopher Columbus first arrived in America, he thought he was in India. So when he encountered the Native Americans, he called them "Indians." Like Europeans and Asians, the group of people known as Native American consists of hundreds of different cultures. Two Native American tribes can differ as much as Asian people do.
Native Americans have lived in North America long before Europeans invaded the continent. Since the arrival of Europeans, there has been a lot of fighting over land. So far we haven't seen any of these wars, but our journey isn't over yet!