cloth, and attached to each of his flanks some curiously
uncomfortable howdahs.

Phileas Fogg paid the Indian with some bank-notes
which he extracted from the famous carpet-bag, a pro-
ceeding 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 him-
self 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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