The Pacific Railroad was a magnificent engineering achievement. It connected San Francisco to New York with an unbroken metal ribbon. A journey across the wild North American continent that used to take six months now took only seven days. Phileas Fogg desperately needed this speed to catch his ship to Liverpool on December 11th.
The train carriage was like a long, moving hotel. There were no separate compartments. Instead, an open aisle ran straight down the middle. Sellers walked up and down the train, offering books, fresh food, and cigars to the passengers. At eight o'clock in the evening, a worker simply folded the seats back and transformed them into comfortable beds hidden behind thick curtains.
As the train moved through a cold, snowy night, most passengers slept deeply. Passepartout sat near Detective Fix but refused to speak to him. They were technically allies now, but Passepartout remained strictly reserved. He still did not trust the policeman and was ready to fight if Fix tried to cause any more trouble.
By morning, the train was climbing the steep mountains of the Sierra Nevada. The heavy locomotive blew thick black smoke into the giant pine trees and sounded its sharp whistle. The tracks curved around the edges of high cliffs, avoiding deep drops and dark valleys.
Around noon, the train suddenly slowed down and came to a complete stop. A massive herd of wild buffaloes was crossing the tracks. There were at least ten thousand of these huge, heavy animals moving slowly together. They formed a solid, moving wall of flesh that completely blocked the railway.
The passengers stepped out onto the open platforms to watch the amazing sight. Phileas Fogg, the man who had the most to lose from this delay, stayed inside. He sat in his seat and waited patiently for the animals to pass.
Passepartout, however, was absolutely furious. He reached for the heavy guns in his pockets, wanting to shoot the beasts.
"What a ridiculous country!" he shouted to the other passengers. "Wild cattle can just stop a train! I wonder if Mr. Fogg included this delay in his perfect schedule! Why doesn't the driver just speed up and push through them?"
But the train engineer was smart. He knew that the massive weight of the buffaloes was like a thick stone wall. If he tried to crash through them, the train would instantly derail and leave them trapped in the wild forever. The only safe option was to wait and try to drive faster later to make up for the lost time.
The massive procession of heavy animals lasted for three full hours. It was completely dark before the final buffalo safely crossed the rails. Finally, the tracks were clear again, and the train sped forward into the night toward the state of Utah.