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A Wager and How Decided

           ThelastintelligenceofCaptainGrantwasfromCallaoonthe30thofMay,1862,asappearedintheMercantileandShippingGazette."Howthenwasitpossiblethatonthe7thofJune,onlyeightdaysafterleavingtheshoresofPeru,thattheBritanniacouldhavefoundherselfintheIndianOcean?Buttothis,Paganel,whowasconsultedonthesubject,foundaveryplausiblesolution.

           Itwasoneevening,aboutsixdaysaftertheirleavingAmsterdamIsland,whentheywereallchattingtogetheronthepoop,thattheabove-nameddifficultywasstatedbyGlenarvan.Paganelmadenoreply,butwentandfetchedthedocument.Afterperusingit,hestillremainedsilent,simplyshrugginghisshoulders,asifashamedoftroublinghimselfaboutsuchatrifle.

           "Come,mygoodfriend,"saidGlenarvan,"atleastgiveusananswer."

           "No,"repliedPaganel,"I’llmerelyaskaquestionforCaptainJohntoanswer."

           "Andwhatisit,MonsieurPaganel?"saidJohnMangles.

           "CouldaquickshipmakethedistanceinamonthoverthatpartofthePacificOceanwhichliesbetweenAmericaandAustralia?"

           "Yes,bymakingtwohundredmilesintwenty-fourhours."

           "Wouldthatbeanextraordinaryrateofspeed?"

           "Notatall;sailingclippersoftengofaster."

           "Well,then,insteadof‘7June’onthisdocument,supposethatonefigurehasbeendestroyedbythesea-water,andread‘17June’or‘27June,’andallisexplained."

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