“They beat us a quarter of an hour between Centreport and Ucayga, and we beat them an hour between Centreport and Hitaca, making a balance of three-quarters of an hour in our favor.”
“That tells the whole story, Waddie,” I replied.
“But how about the other trip?” asked the president anxiously.
“Until the Hitaca is built, we must submit to be beaten on that. We can’t go up to the head of the lake twice a day with one boat. We leave Ucayga at ten, but we come only to Centreport. In other words, we shall make one trip a day to Hitaca, and two to Centreport, from the foot of the lake.”
“That’s a good deal.”
“So it is; and, by this new arrangement, we shall all have to work from about five o’clock in the morning till eight or nine in the evening.”
“That will be rough on you.”
“But we shall have to do it only till the other steamer is built. The boat will make a good deal of money. The old line charges two dollars a passenger for through tickets. We can afford to carry them for a dollar and a half.”
“But what shall be done about it? This is all talk.”
“If your father were here, I think he would send the boat to Hitaca this very night,” I replied.