After the store was in full working order Horace Ames left Ernest as sole manager, coming in only in the evening to look at the books, for Ernest, as far as possible, kept a record of every sale.

 

Storekeeping in those days and in that country was unusually profitable. Ernest made a little comparison between the cost of goods and the selling price, and arrived at the conclusion that the average profits were a hundred per cent. And still the miners were able to buy goods cheaper than when they sent to Sacramento for them.

 

At the end of the first week Ernest figured up the sales and found they aggregated² two hundred dollars. His share of the profits amounted to a little over thirty dollars.

 

This was encouraging, being three times as much as he had ever realized in the same length of time from mining.

 

There was one embarrassment³. There was no bank in the place where money could be deposited, and of course the chance of loss by robbery was much increased. However, his partner purchased a small safe, and this afforded some security.

 

One day a man entered the store, and purchased a pipe and tobacco. He was a stranger to Ernest, but there was something familiar in his look, yet he could not place him.

 

The newcomer looked about with considerable curiosity.

 

"You have quite a snug⁴ store here," he remarked.

 

"Yes."

 

"Does it belong to you?"

 

"I have an interest in it, but it belongs to Mr. Ames."

 

"Is he here much?"

 

"He usually comes in evenings, but he is interested in mining."

 

"You seem to have a good trade."

 

"What makes you think so?"

 

"You have a good stock. You would not keep so many goods unless you had a call for them."

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