“Now, lively, my men!” shouted he, as he grasped the handles of one of the trunks.
I saw him say something in a low tone to the hands. I knew what it was, and the effect was electrical. They worked well, and tumbled in the freight with an alacrity which must have astonished the staid citizens of that place who had gathered on the wharf. It was Saturday, and there was a large quantity of freight, and a great many passengers; but within the seven minutes I had named the steamer was ready to be off. I had saved half the time usually taken up in this landing, and there was room to reduce it still more.
“You are late again,” said a gentleman to Colonel Wimpleton, as he came on board. “We shall lose the train.”
“I hope not.”
“Oh, I know we shall. I think our people will have to go over to Grass Springs and take the train.”
“We shall be on time, sir,” I ventured to say.
“I think we shall,” added the colonel.
“All aboard and all ashore!” shouted the mate, with a zeal born of the half-dollar per day his pay had been increased.
I sprang up the ladder, and took my place in the wheel-house. It was just ten minutes past three. I was five minutes inside of my own calculations, but more than ten behind the steamer’s usual time. “The tug of war” had come for me, for I intended to steer the boat myself, and save from five to ten minutes of the boat’s ordinary time. I must now explain, more particularly than I have before done, how this feat was to be accomplished.
As I have before stated, the South Shoe lay off the town of Ruoara. It was exactly due west from the wharf where the Ucayga made her landing. To the southward and westward of this island the water was shallow, and more than a mile was added to the distance from Ruoara to Ucayga by going round these shoals, or about five minutes to the time. But this was not all. The boat was obliged to back, and actually turn, before she could go ahead at full speed; and this operation would consume all of five minutes more.