isfaction."

"When and where you please," said the American; "name your weapons."

Aouda tried to keep Mr. Fogg back; the detective also tried to make
the quarrel his own; Passe-partout wanted to throw the Colonel out of
the window, but a sign from his master checked him. Mr. Fogg left the
car, and the American followed him to the platform.

"Sir," said Fogg, "I am in a great hurry to return to Europe; any
delay will be very prejudicial to my interest."

"What is all that to me?" said the Colonel.

"Sir," continued Fogg, very politely, "after our dispute at San
Francisco, I had promised myself to return to America and find you
out, when I had finished my business in England."

"Really!"

"Will you meet me six months hence?"

"Why don't you say six years?"

"I said six months," said Fogg, "and I shall not fail to be at the
rendezvous."

"This is all humbug," cried Proctor; "it must be now or never."

"Very well," said Mr. Fogg; "are you going to New York?"

"No."

"To Chicago?"

"No."

"To Omaha?"

"It can't matter to you. Do you know Plum Creek?"

"No," replied Mr. Fogg.

"It is the next station. We shall stop there ten minutes; we shall
have lots of time to exchange shots."

"All right," replied Mr. Fogg; "I will stop at Plum Creek."

"I guess you will stay there altogether," replied the American, with
unparalleled insolence.

"Who knows?" replied Mr. Fogg, entering the car as coolly as ever, and
commenced to reassure Mrs. Aouda, by telling her that braggarts need
never be feared. He then asked Fix to be his second in the approaching
duel, which Fix could not well refuse to be; and then Phileas Fogg sat
down quietly and resumed his whist, without betraying the least
emotion.

At eleven o'clock the whistle of the engine announced their approach
to Plum Creek. Mr. Fogg got up, and followed by Fix and Passe-partout,
carrying a brace of revolvers, went out upon the platform. Mrs. Aouda
remained in the car, as pale as death.

At that moment the door of the next car opened, and Colonel Proctor
appeared, followed by his second, a Yankee of the same stamp as
himself. They were about to descend when the guard ran up and said,
"You cannot get out, gentlemen."

"Why not?" demanded the Colonel.

"We are twenty minutes late, and cannot stop."

"But I am going to fight a duel with this gentleman."

"I am very sorry," said the guard, "but we must be off at once; there
is the bell ringing."

As