nine o'clock Wednesday morning
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 . The minute she was fairly out the Golden Gate , however , she poked her nose into a stiff nor ` west gale ; and as she was bound north and was empty , this gale , catching her on the port counter , caused her to roll and pitch excessively , and cut her customary speed of ten miles an hour down to five .