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Chapter 31

           Theprairie,acrosswhichthesledgewasmovinginastraightline,wasasflatasasea.Itseemedlikeavastfrozenlake.Therailroadwhichranthroughthissectionascendedfromthesouth-westtothenorth-westbyGreatIsland,Columbus,animportantNebraskatown,Schuyler,andFremont,toOmaha.ItfollowedthroughouttherightbankofthePlatteRiver.Thesledge,shorteningthisroute,tookachordofthearcdescribedbytherailway.MudgewasnotafraidofbeingstoppedbythePlatteRiver,becauseitwasfrozen.Theroad,then,wasquiteclearofobstacles,andPhileasFogghadbuttwothingstofearanaccidenttothesledge,andachangeorcalminthewind.

           Butthebreeze,farfromlesseningitsforce,blewasiftobendthemast,which,however,themetalliclashingsheldfirmly.Theselashings,likethechordsofastringedinstrument,resoundedasifvibratedbyaviolinbow.Thesledgeslidalonginthemidstofaplaintivelyintensemelody.

           "Thosechordsgivethefifthandtheoctave,"saidMr.Fogg.

           Theseweretheonlywordsheutteredduringthejourney.Aouda,cosilypackedinfursandcloaks,wasshelteredasmuchaspossiblefromtheattacksofthefreezingwind.AsforPassepartout,hisfacewasasredasthesun’sdiscwhenitsetsinthemist,andhelaboriouslyinhaledthebitingair.Withhisnaturalbuoyancyofspirits,hebegantohopeagain.TheywouldreachNewYorkontheevening,ifnotonthemorning,ofthe11th,andtherewasstillsomechancesthatitwouldbebeforethesteamersailedforLiverpool.

           Passepartoutevenfeltastrongdesiretograsphisally,Fix,bythehand.Herememberedthatitwasthedetectivewhoprocuredthesledge,theonlymeansofreachingOmahaintime;but,checkedbysomepresentiment,hekepthisusualreserve.

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