CHAPTER XXIII. UP THE LAKE.

“What do you mean, Wolf?” demanded Tommy Toppleton, turning fiercely toward me. “Have you told your runners to lie to passengers?”

“Certainly not,” I replied. “They are telling only the truth as I understand it.”

“The truth! Don’t you hear them?” angrily interposed Major Toppleton.

“I hear them, sir. They are saying just what they have been told to say. You will notice that they do not utter a word against the railroad line.”

“But they say your boat is going through to Hitaca!” exclaimed the major.

“So she is, sir.”

“To Hitaca!”

“Yes, sir; I mean so.”

“Do I understand you that this boat is to run through to Hitaca?” demanded the great man fiercely.

“That is precisely what my words mean,” I replied calmly. “You will remember that you made your last move this morning. The president of the steamboat company makes his last move this afternoon.”

“But this is absurd, and impossible. You don’t mean it. It is intended to cheat passengers,” fumed the magnate.

“All who go with us will be landed at Hitaca at half-past seven this evening, if no accident happens.”

“But this boat was built to run from Centreport to Ucayga.”

“That is very true, sir; but your move this morning compelled the president to change his plans.”

“You can’t carry them out; and it is an imposition upon the public.”

“All that we promise we shall perform.”

“But it is simply impossible.”

“I think not.”

“Do you mean to tell me, Wolf, that this boat can make two trips a day between Hitaca and Ucayga?”

“No, sir, I do not; we only propose to make one through trip a day, with an additional one to Centreport. On our ten-o’clock trip up we shall go only to Centreport.”

“This is villainous!” said Major Toppleton, grinding his teeth with rage.

“One of your mean tricks, Wolf!” added Tommy savagely.

“Really you must excuse me, Tommy, but it was only this morning that I had your kind permission to take any step I thought proper. Didn’t you mean so?” I replied.

“You are going to run an opposition line to Hitaca, then?” growled the father.

“And do all you can to injure those who have been your best friends,” howled Tommy.

“Why, I was told this forenoon to do what I pleased. This is fair competition. If people wish to ride on the railroad, they may do so. We will not prevent them from going whichever way they please. If you are not satisfied with your last move, you can make another. I am sorry you exhibit so much feeling about the matter,” I continued.

“Wolf, this is rascally,” said the major, as he saw the passengers crowding on board of the _Ucayga_. “You have cut under in the price, too.”

“The president of the steamboat company thinks he can carry passengers for a dollar and a half.”

“But I will carry them for a dollar!” exclaimed the major.

“For half a dollar!” added Tommy.

“I do not fix the prices for the steamboat company; but I suppose they can carry passengers as cheaply as any other line.”

“All aboard for Hitaca!” shouted the runners.

“Gentlemen, this is an imposition!” shouted Major Toppleton, beside himself with rage. “This boat goes only to Centreport!”

“Gentlemen, you shall be landed at Hitaca at half-past seven!” I cried, to counteract the effect of his words.

“Passengers by the railroad for Hitaca--fare only one dollar,” added the major.

“We’ll try this boat once,” said a gentleman in the crowd.

By this time the trains were moving off, and the travelers had chosen by which route they would go up the lake. I ran up the ladder to the wheel-house.

“All aboard, and all ashore!” screamed Van Wolter, as I gave him the word.

The planks were hauled in while the major and his runners were vainly striving to influence the passengers to leave the boat. We had them, and we kept them. Most of them were attracted by the pleasant aspect of the _Ucayga_, and desired to see more of her. Many had doubtless heard of her, and were anxious to give her a trial. We backed out from the wharf, and were soon on our way up the lake. The people on board were not a little disturbed by the insinuations of Major Toppleton; for, coming from him, they seemed to mean more than if uttered by the runners. I assured them that we should perform to the letter all we had promised. I explained the new plan to some of the regular travelers, and the advantages of the new line were so obvious that many of them volunteered to patronize the line in future. We were on time, and when the _Ucayga_ arrived at Centreport, the old boat had been gone about ten minutes. We saw her less than two miles distant. Judging from the number of passengers on board of the ferry-boat, she had a very small freight. Our case would argue itself with the traveling public, for no one could be so stupid as to prefer the old line, with a change from boat to cars, and from cars to boat again, and requiring three-quarters of an hour longer time to make the passage.

At Centreport Waddie appeared with a thousand small handbills, for which I had provided the copy. He brought his valise with him, and I saw that he intended to be a passenger. He was of course very anxious to see the working of the new arrangement. Van Wolter hurried the freight ashore, and in five minutes we were ready to continue our voyage. We were now just fifteen minutes behind the old boat, which we were to beat by forty-five minutes during the trip.

Waddie had taken pains to circulate the information that the _Ucayga_ would go up the lake to Hitaca at half-past five, and our crowd of passengers was considerably increased by those who had chosen to wait. The number on board was entirely satisfactory, and her present trip would be a profitable one to her owner. Waddie rubbed his hands with delight when he saw how successful we had been in obtaining through passengers, even before the new arrangement had been advertised; but the steamer was so very attractive in her appearance that travelers could not hesitate long in choosing her.

“You have a big crowd on board, Wolf,” said Waddie, after the boat started.

“We have been remarkably fortunate,” I replied.

“You have done a big thing for us, captain; and the best thing I ever did was to make peace with you.”

“Because you are likely to make money by it!”

“Not that alone. I want to tell you, Wolf, that I have kept my promise so far.”

“I am very glad to hear it, and I hope you will persevere.”

“I am rather sorry this sharp competition between the old and the new line comes in just now,” he added, musing.

“Why so?”

“Because it is only increasing the ill-feeling between the two sides of the lake.”

“It will afford you the better opportunity to be just, if not generous. The competition on our part shall be fair and honorable.”

“But we have cut under in price half a dollar on a trip,” suggested Waddie.

“Two dollars is too much for a journey of forty-five miles. The railroad line had a monopoly of the through passengers, and charged what its officers pleased. One dollar and a half is a fair price. We will stick to that, if you and your father consent.”

“Suppose the major puts the price down to a dollar, or even less?”

“He did that, at Ucayga, this afternoon. He offered to carry all who would go with him for a dollar. I don’t think many people will be willing to start three-quarters of an hour sooner in the morning, change twice in a trip, and go in those old boats for the sake of saving half a dollar. However, that is to be proved. But a hundred passengers, at a dollar and a half, pays as well as a hundred and fifty at a dollar.”

“By the great horn spoon, won’t my father be astonished when he sees the _Ucayga_ putting in at Hitaca!”

“No doubt of it.”

“He will approve what I have done, I know,” added Waddie. “Do you suppose Major Toppleton has gone up in the steamer ahead of us?”

“Probably he has; he will be too anxious to see the working of the new arrangement to stay at home.”

“I have been thinking of some way to make peace between our two families,” added Waddie.

“Have you, indeed? Well, that is hopeful,” I replied.

“I am afraid this rivalry will prevent any coming together, even if my father were willing to make up. Do you feel quite sure that we are doing right in running opposition to the other line?” asked Waddie seriously; and I could not help thinking of the proverbial zeal of new converts.

“Let us look at it a moment,” I answered, willing to take a fair view of the whole subject. “Before the railroad was built, the boats charged a dollar and a half from Hitaca to Ucayga, and went through without any change. Then a Centreport passenger had to cross the lake, go twenty miles by railroad, and then cross back again. Half a dollar was added to the price of passage from one end of the lake to the other. Centreport was not accommodated, and was overcharged. Is there any moral law which compels people to submit to imposition? On the contrary, ought they not to resist? The steamboat company carries passengers quicker, more comfortably, and at a less price. It is, therefore, doing the public a service, though at the expense of the other line. Your course is not only right, but commendable. All the people and all the towns on the lake must not suffer in order to make the Lake Shore Railroad profitable to its owner.”

“I suppose you are right; but I wish the competition did not add to the ill-will between the two sides.”

Waddie appeared to be sincere; but it was visionary in him to think of such a thing as reconciling the two houses of Wimpleton and Toppleton, though, of course, such an event was not impossible.

The _Ucayga_ was approaching Gulfport. The old boat had just made her landing there; indeed, she started just in season to allow us to use the wharf. I was rather afraid the bad blood of the major would induce him to throw some obstacle in our way, but nothing of the kind was attempted here. We landed our passengers; but the other boat had taken all who were going up the lake, which she was not to be allowed to do at the other ports.