This schedule would bring them to the
dock at San Francisco about six o'clock, where they would take on
stores and passengers and sail at seven for Eureka, on Humboldt Bay,
where they would arrive Wednesday night. On Thursday they would
commence taking on cargo, but since they had to take shingles from
several mills round the bay, they were bound to be delayed waiting for
tides to get in and out, and in all probability they would not be
loaded and at sea until Saturday night, which would give them Sunday
at sea--and in the lumber trade on the Pacific Coast the only
profitable way to spend Sunday is to spend it at sea. To spend it in
port is a day lost, with the crew loafing and drawing full pay for it.
The mate explained to Matt that Captain Kjellin would drive them hard
to maintain this schedule, for he prized his job as master of the
Quickstep, and had a reputation for speed and efficiency with his
owners which he was anxious to maintain.
Despite their best efforts, however, the vessel was doomed to fall
behind her schedule. At Oleum they found the oil dock lined with
vessels taking on fuel, and in consequence were forced to wait two
hours for a berth; seeing which the captain went ashore and telephoned
his owners that he would be unable to get to the dock in San Francisco
until about eight o'clock.
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