It was seven in the morning when Mr. Fogg, Aouda, and Passepartout finally stepped off the ship in San Francisco. Mr. Fogg immediately checked the schedule and learned that the first train to New York left at six o'clock that evening. They had the entire day to explore the city.
They took a carriage to the International Hotel. From his seat, Passepartout looked at the wide streets and tall buildings. He was surprised. He thought San Francisco was still a wild town full of dangerous gold miners and thieves, but it was now a busy, modern city.
After a good breakfast, Passepartout went out to buy some weapons. He had heard stories about native tribes attacking trains, so he wanted to be prepared. Meanwhile, Mr. Fogg and Aouda walked to the British consulate to stamp their passports.
They had barely walked a few blocks when they bumped into Detective Fix. Fix acted completely surprised. He said he was also traveling back to Europe and politely asked if he could join them for a walk. Mr. Fogg agreed.
Soon, they found themselves on a wide street blocked by a massive crowd. Men were carrying large flags and screaming at the top of their lungs. It was a loud political campaign. The crowd was divided into two angry groups, shouting the names of two different politicians.
"We should step back," Fix warned. "There might be danger here."
Before they could move, the crowd became violent. People started throwing punches, swinging wooden sticks, and tossing shoes into the air. Fogg, Aouda, and Fix were suddenly trapped in the middle of a massive street fight. A human wave of angry voters pushed them hard against a wall.
A huge, aggressive man with a red beard and broad shoulders pushed through the crowd. He raised his heavy fist to hit Mr. Fogg. But Fix jumped in front to defend him. The detective took the painful punch straight to his head, and his silk hat was completely crushed.
Mr. Fogg stared coldly at the giant man. "Yankee!" he said.
"Englishman!" the large man shouted back. "We will meet again!"
"Whenever you please," Fogg replied. "What is your name?"
"Colonel Stamp Proctor."
The angry crowd finally swept past them. Aouda was safe, but Fix’s clothes were torn to pieces, and his face was badly bruised. Mr. Fogg thanked the detective for saving him, and they immediately went to a tailor to buy fresh clothes.
When they returned to the hotel, Passepartout was waiting with six heavy guns. When he saw Fix, he glared at him. But Aouda quickly explained how the detective had saved Mr. Fogg's life in the street fight. Hearing this, Passepartout finally relaxed and accepted Fix as a true ally.
It was time to leave for the station. As they got into the carriage, Mr. Fogg calmly mentioned that he would return to America one day just to fight Colonel Proctor. An English gentleman could not let such bad manners go unpunished.
At the station, the train was ready. Before stepping inside, Mr. Fogg called out to a railway worker.
"Excuse me, was there a major election today? They must be choosing a top military general with all that fighting in the streets."
"No, sir," the worker replied. "It was just a vote for a local judge."
Mr. Fogg simply nodded, stepped onto the train, and it sped off toward New York.