I looked at my watch. It still wanted ten minutes of half-past two. Waddie had been so fortunate as to find my father on the wharf, and had not been delayed a moment in procuring his services. While at work on the engine I had been making a close calculation. It was necessary to land our passengers on the wharf at Ucayga by four o’clock, which gave me an hour and a half to make the distance—twenty miles—including the stay in Ruoara, generally of fifteen minutes.
My predecessor, when he left the wharf in Centreport at half-past eight in the forenoon, or half-past two in the afternoon, was pretty sure to miss his connection; but he had gone over twenty-one miles, while I intended to save more than a mile, equivalent to five minutes of time, in the passage. I had thought over this matter before, and though my appointment had been sudden, I was not unprepared for my difficult and delicate task.
“Father, great things are expected of us,” said I, as Waddie went out of the engine-room, to witness the arrival of the old Ruoara, which was just then coming in at the other side of the wharf.
“I trust we shall not disappoint them; but I hope you know what you are about,” replied he, casting an anxious glance at me.
“I do, father; I am just as confident as though I had been running this boat for a year. I want you to run her at the highest speed you can with safety.”
“I will do it. I served my time on a steamer, and I am at home here.”
“Keep her moving lively; that’s all I want,” I replied, as I left the engine-room and made my way to the hurricane-deck.
Colonel Wimpleton had employed a couple of “runners” properly to set forth to the passengers who were going through the merits of his new and splendid steamer. They were duly posted up in the change which had just been made.
“Take the Ucayga, Captain Wolf Penniman!” shouted these worthies. “Sure connection! No failure this time! You have to change three times by the railroad. The Ucayga, Captain Wolf Penniman, gentlemen!”
I was rather startled to hear my name thus freely used; but I was surprised and gratified to see that not a few of the passengers came on board of the steamer, though they were told by the railroad runners that they would be sure to miss the train at Ucayga. I recognized not a few of those whom I had known on the railroad, persons who had come to the engine to talk with me, while waiting for the train or the boat.