call upon the way

[shootingstar]

(Planning a trip out into the country, being seated in a restaurant)
. . . At once the English speakers rallied to the name of any exercise; even to me, who have been often twitted with my sedentary habits, the thought of country air and stillness proved invincibly attractive. It appeared, upon investigation, we had just time to hail a cab and catch one of the fast trains for Fontainebleau. Beyond the clothes we stood in all were destitute of what is called, with dainty vagueness, personal effects; and it was earnestly mooted, on the other side, whether we had not time to call upon the way and pack a satchel? But the Stennis boys exclaimed upon our effeminacy. . .
(R.L. Stevenson ans Lloyd Osbourne, The Wrecker, Chapter IV, In Which I Experience Extremes of Fortune)

Please, what is the meaning of call upon the way there? Is upon the particle of the verb call or is it the preposition of way?

 

[Barque]

To call at (visit) home, or a shop, and buy things that they needed.

Call = visit.
Upon the way = On the way to wherever they were going.

 

[Barque]

This is fairly old-fashioned language by the way (though "call upon" is still used to mean "visit").

 

[shootingstar]

Thank you very much indeed.
Do you mean it has to be ". . . whether we had no time to call on upon the way and pack a satchel" in modern English? Or asked differently, what is the modern equivalent using the words call and on/upon there?

 

[Barque]

; and it was earnestly mooted, on the other side, whether we had not time to call upon the way and pack a satchel?

The question was asked: "Did we have time to go and get [a bagful of] some personal necessities, on the way?"