"They had a post-office before," said Cleary.
"But ours is surely better," rejoined Sam.
"It's better than it was," said Foster, "now that they've put the new postmaster in jail. They say he's bagged $75,000."
"It's a good example of the way we treat embezzlers," cried Sam. "It ought to be a lesson to these Cubapinos. He'll be sent home to be tried. They ought to do that with every one caught robbing the mails in any way."
"I'm afraid if they did the force would be pretty well crippled," said Foster.
"Then there's the custom house," said Sam. "They must be delighted to get rid of those Castalian swindlers."
"A merchant here told me," said Foster, "that they have to pay just as often now, but that they have to pay bigger sums."
"Of course," cried Cleary, "you wouldn't expect our people to bother with the little bribes the Castalians were after. We live on a larger scale. It will do these natives good to open their eyes to a real nation. I'm sorry any of them steal, but if they do, let 'em take a lot and be done with it."
"We must remember that these people are only civilians," said Sam. "What can we expect of them?"
"Our commissary and quartermaster departments aren't much better, tho," said Foster. "Somebody's getting rich, to judge from the prices we pay and the stuff we get. The meat stinks, and the boots are made with glue instead of stitches and nails."