text: Two weeks later, they had logs piled up all along the river bank and a riverboat came up the river and stopped. The name on the side read Warsaw. Grit and Paulie stopped work and stood on the shore as one of the mates came ashore with a crew.
  
  "How much you want for the wood?" the mate yelled.
  
  "It's top quality, all hardwood, and we want top price," Grit yelled.
  
  "Name your price, man," the mate yelled.
  
  "Seven dollars and fifty cents a cord," Grit yelled.
  
  "Done," the mate yelled. "We'll be needin' 40 cords. You got that much?"
  
  "We got 42 cords," Grit said to the mate as he walked up the bank.
  
  "Then that means, we'll be owin' you $300 for the 40 we need." The mate pulled out a roll of bills and handed Grit the money. With that, the mate waved his arms and other rowboats headed ashore to carry the wood back to the riverboat.
  
  After a few moments, Grit looked over at Paulie and gave him a rare smile. He handed Paulie the money and said, "You ever seen $300?"
  
  "No, I never have," Paulie said with a laugh. "Till now."
  
  "Me neither," Grit said.
  
  Grit walked over to where the mate was directing the work and asked, "Do you think you could maybe sell us some flour, baking soda and a Dutch oven?"
  
  The mate took off his cap and scratched his head, "I think so. I'll get one of the men on the next trip to bring it back to you. I'm not sure we have a Dutch oven, but if we do, I'll get it for ya."
  
  "How much will I owe you?" Grit asked.
  
  "Ah nothin'. We'll give it to ya."
  
  "Well, I'll be thankin' you for whatever you can do."
  
  "I'll let the other boats know about your place here," the mate said. "I'm not sure if any more boats will be coming up this year, but there'll be lots comin' down. You'll need to get busy and cut some more wood. You can sell all you cut, I'll guarantee that."
  
  Later one of the men came back with a 25-pound bag of flour, two boxes of baking soda and a large Dutch oven of cast iron. And that became Grit's practice with every riverboat. He'd try to cadge what food he could from them, and what he couldn't get for free, he bought. And that's how they survived without having to leave their work and get supplies at one of the forts or in Yankton.
  
  That night, Paulie used the Dutch oven to cook rolled soda biscuits, which they ate loaded with maple syrup while drinking Arbuckles coffee. Each was so tired that no amount of coffee could keep either from falling into an exhausted sleep.