When the laugh had subsided, Brewster said: "Miller estimated that our provisions would not cost to exceed $15.00 per month apiece. I tried to be reasonable and bought about enough for two months, but here we have a ship load. Why did you buy out a store, Miller?"
"I had to make a bill and I did not want the grocery man to think we were paupers," retorted Miller.
"How much were the repairs on the house, Miller?" asked Carlin.
"There's the beggar's bill. It's a dead swindle, and I told him so. He ought to have been a plumber. He had by the Eternal. He has no more conscience than a police judge. Here's the scoundrel's bill," said Miller, excitedly, as he proceeded to read the following:
"'To repairing roof, $17.50; twenty battens, $4.00; to putting on battens, $3.00; hanging one door, $3.50; six lights glass, $3.00; setting same, $3.00; lumber, $4.80; putting up bunks, $27.50; total, $66.30.'
"The man is no better than a thief; if he is, I'm a sinner."
"You bought some dishes, did you not, Miller?" inquired Ashley. "How much did they amount to?"
"There's another scalper," answered Miller, warmly. "I told him we wanted a few dishes, knives, forks, etc.—just enough for seven men to cabin with—and here is the bill. It foots up $63.37. A bill for wood also amounts to $15.00; two extra chairs, $6.00."
Brewster, who had been making a memorandum, spoke up and said: "If I have made no error the account stands as follows:
| Provisions | $357 56 |
| Crockery, knives, forks, etc. | 53 37 |
| Wood | 19 00 |
| Repairs | 66 50 |
| One month's rent | 50 00 |
| One month's water | 7 00 |
| Chairs | 6 00 |
| -------- | |
| Making a total of | $559 43 |