FURTHER EXPERIENCES OP ME, FRESH 
raised his eyes and hands, uttered a loud howl, and 
rushed away. But he returned in a short time and 
counted out on the table the full amount of his debt. 
The advance book was brought out, and be was told 
his account was balanced, he was free of debt. Mourn- 
fully and slowly he departed on being told this sad 
and heavy news. For no doubt his reasoning was, 
what is the use of having an employment, and a master, 
unless you can get advances of money ? The next 
afternoon he returned, and said master knew he was an 
honest man, and paid his debts, and was to be 
trusted, and therefore having this good character and 
the spirit of Marai ” being completely quelled, in 
having paid up his old debt, there could not possibly 
any way arise evil results in contracting a new one. 
** Master must open a new account and advance some 
money.*’ As master had a good idea that a refusal 
would result in a notice to leave, he gave it and gave 
in, beaten by the dilatory debtor, the experience of many 
others besides F. Millie, 
CHAPTER XLL 
Estate Accounts; Paying Coolies ; Estate Eoads “ 
Stick Beidges, 
It was getting on to three o’clock in the afternoon, 
and Mr. Fresh was still in his office, had been there 
the whole of the day. This room, specially set apart 
for his general writing and business transactions, was 
just the end corner of the side verandah, boxed in with 
planks ; it was about seven or eight feet in length and 
six in breadth ; at one end was a window, looking 
out into the back compound, and a door at the other, 
which entered from the verandah ; directly opposite 
the window a table stood, which occupied the 
whole breadth of the room, and on this table 
were piled in great variety and confusion rolls 
of papers, accounts (of course unpaid), specifications 
of sawn timber attached to sawyers’ accounts, printed 
forms of monthly reports, cart notes, rice orders, and 
all round the w^alls were suspended from rough nails 
driven into the planks, long pieces of brass wire with 
a plug of wood at the bottom. On these wires 
w^ere slung a great number of papers, brown and 
mouldy with damp, and covered with dust. On the 
writing table lay the open check-roll, which Mr. 
Fresh was busy doing up. ” On his left lay a ready 
reckoner ; the pages wffiere the rates of wages at 
5d, fid, 7d, were shewn appeared very dirty, while th@ 
