about
eight o'clock
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 . Consequently , Mr. Skinner , realizing that the passengers their agent had booked for the Quickstep , by reason of the cut-rates prevailing on lumber steamers , would not wait on the dock until the Quickstep should arrive , instructed the captain to lay over in San Francisco all night and put to sea at nine o'clock Wednesday morning . In the meantime he said he would send a clerk down to the dock to notify the waiting passengers of the unavoidable change in schedule . Promptly at eight o'clock Wednesday morning the Quickstep got away from the dock .