Steve asked the average cost of operating the ships of the fleet per month; what the ships earned by carrying coal for other concerns on the return trips, together with a number of other shrewd and pointed questions. All of these Mr. Carrhart answered freely, knowing that the boy's reasons for asking them were in the interest of his investigations.
Rush made some rapid calculations on a pad on the president's desk.
"You have some two hundred ships in the line, I believe, sir?"
"Yes; two hundred and ten."
"Would it be any saving if you could save an hour in the unloading of these ships—two hundred and ten hours, in other words, every time the whole fleet made a trip down the lakes?"
"Well, I should say it would."
"That is easy."
"Explain."
"Simply put on an extra unloader for each dock, so that both may work at the same time."
Mr. Carrhart considered. He, too, made some calculations.