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Chapter 31

           Itwouldbedifficulttoguessthedetective’sthoughts.WasthisconvictionshakenbyPhileasFogg’sreturn,ordidhestillregardhimasanexceedinglyshrewdrascal,who,hisjourneyroundtheworldcompleted,wouldthinkhimselfabsolutelysafeinEngland?PerhapsFix’sopinionofPhileasFoggwassomewhatmodified;buthewasneverthelessresolvedtodohisduty,andtohastenthereturnofthewholepartytoEnglandasmuchaspossible.

           Ateighto’clockthesledgewasreadytostart.Thepassengerstooktheirplacesonit,andwrappedthemselvesupcloselyintheirtravelling-cloaks.Thetwogreatsailswerehoisted,andunderthepressureofthewindthesledgeslidoverthehardenedsnowwithavelocityoffortymilesanhour.

           ThedistancebetweenFortKearneyandOmaha,asthebirdsfly,isatmosttwohundredmiles.Ifthewindheldgood,thedistancemightbetraversedinfivehours;ifnoaccidenthappenedthesledgemightreachOmahabyoneo’clock.

           Whatajourney!Thetravellers,huddledclosetogether,couldnotspeakforthecold,intensifiedbytherapidityatwhichtheyweregoing.Thesledgespedonaslightlyasaboatoverthewaves.Whenthebreezecameskimmingtheearththesledgeseemedtobeliftedoffthegroundbyitssails.Mudge,whowasattherudder,keptinastraightline,andbyaturnofhishandcheckedthelurcheswhichthevehiclehadatendencytomake.Allthesailswereup,andthejibwassoarrangedasnottoscreenthebrigantine.Atop-mastwashoisted,andanotherjib,heldouttothewind,addeditsforcetotheothersails.Althoughthespeedcouldnotbeexactlyestimated,thesledgecouldnotbegoingatlessthanfortymilesanhour.

           "Ifnothingbreaks,"saidMudge,"weshallgetthere!"

           Mr.FogghadmadeitforMudge’sinteresttoreachOmahawithinthetimeagreedon,bytheofferofahandsomereward.

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