Just then we passed a station and there was a clock in a steeple. Harry said, “You don’t claim that clock in the church steeple is in the conspiracy, do you? Look at it. Now what have you got to say?”
Then the conductor put his arm over Pee-wee’s shoulder and he said, “Didn’t you ever hear of western time, son? The next time you’re traveling west you just drop an hour at Cleveland station and you’ll find it waiting there for you when you come back.”
“Sure,” I told him; “did you notice that big box on the platform? That’s where they keep them. It’s all full of hours.”
The kid just stood there, staring. I guess he didn’t know what to believe.
“Set your watch back an hour and don’t let them fool you,” the conductor said, and then he began laughing.
“And remember that western time is different from eastern time,” Rossie said.
“Oh, sure, everything is different out west,” Harry put in. “I like the western time better.”
“Eastern time is good enough for me,” Brent said; “I always preferred it.”
“And if you should ever happen to be crossing the Pacific Ocean on any of your wild adventures, Kid,” Harry said, “don’t forget to set your watch back one day when you cross the equator.”
“If it’s one day I wouldn’t have to set it back at all,” Pee-wee said. “Three o’clock to-day is the same as three o’clock yesterday.”