difficulties instead of cutting through them, and pierced only one
tunnel of fourteen thousand feet in length.

At Salt Lake the line reached its greatest altitude--from that point
it took a long curve towards Bitter-creek Valley, and then rose again
to the watershed between the valley and the Pacific Creeks were
numerous hereabout, and Muddy Creek, Green Creek, and others were
successively crossed on culverts. As they approached the end of their
journey Passe-partout became more and more impatient, while Fix was
very anxious to get on, for he feared delays and accidents, and was
more anxious to reach England than even Phileas Fogg.

The train stopped for a short time at Fort Bridger at ten o'clock, and
twenty miles farther on entered Wyoming State, formerly Dakota. The
next day, the 7th of December, they stopped at Green River. Sleet had
fallen during the night, but not sufficient to interfere with the
traffic. However, this bad weather annoyed Passe-partout very much,
for any great fall of snow would have compromised the success of the
journey.

"Any way, it is absurd of my master having undertaken such a journey
in winter; he might just as well have waited for fine weather and had
a better chance."

But while the honest fellow was worrying himself about the weather,
Mrs. Aouda was disquieted for an entirely different reason, as amongst
the passengers who had alighted at Green River she recognised Colonel
Stamp Proctor, who had insulted Mr. Fogg at the San Francisco meeting.
She drew back, as she did not wish to be recognised, but the
circumstance affected her deeply.

In fact she had become attached to the man who, notwithstanding his
coldness of manner, betrayed every day the interest he took in her. No
doubt she herself was not aware of the depth of the sentiment with
which he inspired her, which she believed to be gratitude, but was
doubtless a deeper feeling. Her heart almost ceased to beat at the
moment she recognised Mr. Fogg's enemy. Evidently it was mere chance
which had led Colonel Proctor to this particular train, but he and Mr.
Fogg must be kept apart at all hazards.

She took an opportunity, when Mr. Fogg was asleep, to tell them whom
she had seen.

"That man Proctor on the train!" cried Fix. "Well, you may be quite
easy, madam; before he sees Mr. Fogg he has to settle with me. It
seems to me that in this matter I have been the most insulted of any."

"And I have a little business with him also