“That’s so; and I am willing to make an oath of that,” laughed the president of the steamboat company.
“Good! We will begin here, then,” I added, pointing to the name of the place on my time-table. “We leave here at two-thirty, and arrive at Ucayga so as to start from there at four.”
“Just so; that is the program now.”
“We follow the present arrangement in all respects, but with a little addition. We reach Centreport at five-twenty-five this afternoon.”
“I understand all that,” said Waddie, rather impatiently.
“From that point we strike out a new track. Instead of remaining at Centreport over night, we continue right on to Hitaca, stopping on the way at Gulfport, Priam, Port Gunga, and Southport. We shall be in Hitaca at seven-thirty, about an hour ahead of the railroad line.”
“That will give us a share of the through passengers,” added Waddie, as he began to comprehend the nature of my plan. “But I don’t see how——”
“Hold on a minute, Mr. President,” I interposed. “You agree that my method is all right so far?”
“Certainly.”
“We beat the other line on the through run by about an hour.”