umber
of passengers, that he would remain unperceived by his enemy. But that
very day he came face to face with Passe-partout.

Passe-partout, without a word, caught him by the throat, and greatly
to the delight of the bystanders, who immediately made bets on the
result, he proved the superiority of the French system of boxing over
the English.

Passe-partout was much refreshed by this exercise. Fix rose in a very
dishevelled condition, and asked his adversary "whether he had quite
finished?"

"For the present, yes."

"Then let me speak to you."

"But--"

"It is all in your master's interest."

Passe-partout seemed conquered by the detective's coolness, and
followed Fix to the fore part of the ship.

"You have given me a licking," said the detective. "So far, so good. I
expected it; but just now you must listen to me. Hitherto I have been
playing against Mr. Fogg. I am now in his favour."

"Oh, then you believe him honest at last?"

"By no means. I think he is a thief. Be quiet, hear me out. So long as
Mr. Fogg was on British territory, I did all I could to detain him
till the warrant for his arrest arrived. It was I who put the Bombay
priests on your track. I hocussed you at Hong Kong. I separated you
from your master, and caused him to lose the Yokohama steamer."

Passe-partout clenched his fists as he listened.

"But now," continued Fix, "Mr. Fogg appears likely to return to
England. All right, I will follow him. But in future I will do as much
to keep his way clear, as I have done to prevent his progress. I have
changed my game, and have done so for my own interest; your interest
is the same as mine, for it will be only in England that you will ever
find out whether your master is honest or not."

Passe-partout listened attentively, and felt that Fix meant what he
said.

"Are we friends?" asked Fix.

"Friends, no; allies, yes; but only to a certain point, for at the
least sign of treason, I will twist your neck."

"That's a bargain," said the detective calmly.

Eleven days afterwards, viz. on the 3rd of December, the _General
Grant_ entered the Golden Gate of San Francisco.

Mr. Fogg had neither gained nor lost a day.

CHAPTER XXV.

A Glimpse of San Francisco. A Political Meeting.

At seven o'clock in the morning, Mr. Fogg and his companions landed in
America, or rather upon the floating pier at which the steamers load
and unload. There they mingled with ships and steamers of