Page 86 - AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
P. 86
Around the World in 80 Days
his zeal. The elephant was led out and equipped. The
Parsee, who was an accomplished elephant driver, covered
his back with a sort of saddle-cloth, and attached to each
of his flanks some curiously uncomfortable howdahs.
Phileas Fogg paid the Indian with some banknotes which
he extracted from the famous carpet-bag, a proceeding
that seemed to deprive poor Passepartout of his vitals.
Then he offered to carry Sir Francis to Allahabad, which
the brigadier gratefully accepted, as one traveller the more
would not be likely to fatigue the gigantic beast.
Provisions were purchased at Kholby, and, while Sir
Francis and Mr. Fogg took the howdahs on either side,
Passepartout got astride the saddle-cloth between them.
The Parsee perched himself on the elephant’s neck, and at
nine o’clock they set out from the village, the animal
marching off through the dense forest of palms by the
shortest cut.
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