Around the World in Eighty Days Page #3

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Unexpected, Mr. Ralph?

Bankers must expect robbery

the same way chickens expect hawks.

lt's an occupational hazard.

My lead, l believe.

By the way, what was the head cashier

doing at the time?

He was writing a receipt

for the three-shilling deposit.

Go ahead and jeer. We'll lay the culprit

by the heels soon enough.

We've notified detectives

all over the world...

from Liverpool to Cairo.

We've issued descriptions throughout

Europe and America. He won't get far.

l wouldn't underestimate him

if l were you.

You're dealing

with a rather exceptional person.

Really? ln what way?

Only a cool and logical man

could have engineered such an exploit.

Obviously a gentleman

with a considerable presence of mind.

You seem to know rather more

about this affair than the police.

Merely what one might deduce

from the facts.

Our trick.

lf you ask me,

l'd say the odds were in favor of the thief.

lf he's a resourceful chap, as Fogg says,

he'll find plenty of places to hide.

Yes. The world's

a pretty large affair, after all.

lt was 100 years ago, not any longer.

A man can girdle the globe now

in three months.

Less than that, to be precise. ln 80 days.

You mean a complete tour

all around the world in 80 days?

l mean just that.

-He's talking nonsense.

-No, Fogg may have a point there.

The Great lndian Peninsula Railway

was opened a fortnight ago.

That shortens the trip.

l read it in The DaiIy TeIegraph.

Hang The DaiIy TeIegraph.

l say it's impossible.

Nothing is impossible.

When science conquers the air it may

be feasible to circle the globe in 80 hours.

lt's a beautiful dream,

but l'm talking about this moment...

and l say nobody

can go around the world in 80 days.

l agree.

Even if one made ideal connections

at every point...

there'd still be typhoons, shipwrecks,

unforeseen delays.

l include the unforeseen.

All very glib, Fogg,

but l'd like to see you do it in 80 days.

You're convinced that l could not?

So much so

that l'll wager 5,000 that you can't.

Let me understand you clearly.

Are you formally challenging me...

to undertake a journey

around the world in 80 days?

l am, and l'm prepared to back

my conviction by posting my check now.

Very well, l accept.

This is absurd. The joke's gone far enough.

An Englishman never jokes about a wager.

l have on deposit at Barings Bank

the sum of 20,000.

l'm willing to wager any or all of it

upon the same contention.

Namely, that l can complete

a tour of the world in 80 days.

That is to say,

in 1,920 hours or 1 15,200 minutes.

Would anyone besides Stuart

care to participate?

l'm no gambler,

but if you want to make foolhardy bets...

that you can't possibly win,

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