THE NUGGET IN SAFETY.
Fatigued by their exertions of the previous days and the late hours they
had kept, Obed and the boys rose at a later hour than usual. About eight
o'clock Obed opened his eyes, and noticed that his two young companions
were fast asleep.
"It's time to get up, boys," he said, giving them a gentle shake.
The boys opened their eyes, and realized, by the bright sunshine
entering the cabin, that the day was already well advanced.
"What time is it, Obed?" asked Harry.
"Past eight o'clock. We shall be late at our work."
He smiled, and his smile was reflected on the faces of the boys. Their
success of the day before made it a matter of indifference whether they
accomplished a good day's work or not.
"What are we going to do about the nugget, Obed?" asked Harry.
"After breakfast we will carry it to the office of the commissioner, and
get his receipt for it."
"I shall be glad to get it out of our hands," said Jack.
"If that is the case, Jack, suppose you give your share to me," said
Harry, in joke.
"I didn't mean to get rid of it in that way," said the young sailor.
"You would be as ready to give it as I to accept it," said Harry. "No,
Jack, I want you to have your share. I am sure you will have a use for
it."
After breakfast the three emerged from the cabin, bearing the precious
nugget with them. They did not meet anyone on their way to the office of
the commissioner, for all the miners had gone to their work. This suited
them, for until they had disposed of the nugget, they did not care to
have their good luck made public.
The royal commissioner was a stout Englishman with a red face and
abundant whiskers of the same color. He chanced to be at the door of the
office as the party appeared.
"Well, can I do anything for you?" he asked.
"Yes, sir; you can give us a receipt for this nugget."
"Nugget!" ejaculated the commissioner, fixing his eyes for the first
time on the burden which Mr. Stackpole carried. "Bless my soul! you
don't mean to say that you have found a nugget of that size!"
"That's just what we've done," answered Obed.
"When did you find it?"
"Well, we took it from the mine about midnight. We found it in the
afternoon, but calculated we'd better take possession when there wasn't
so many lookin' on. I say, Mr. Commissioner, I don't think it would
agree with me to be a rich man. I got broken of my rest last night, from
havin' the nugget in the cabin."
"You ran very little risk. No one could have found out that you had it
in your possession," remarked the commissioner.
"That's where you are mistaken, commissioner. We came near being robbed
of it only an hour after we brought it home."
"Bless my soul! How did that happen?"
"A pesky thief sneaked in, and carried it off, as he thought."
"How could he think he carried it off when he did not?"
Upon this Obed explained the trick to which he had resorted, and the
commissioner laughed heartily.
"Do you know the man--the thief, I mean?" he asked.
"Yes, it is, a man that has been prowlin' round the camp for some weeks,
not doin' anything, but watchin' for a chance to appropriate the
property of some lucky miner. I'd like to see the fellow's face when he
opens the handkerchief this morning, and finds the rock."
"It appears you have lost a handkerchief, at any rate," said the
commissioner, with a smile.
"He's welcome to it," answered Obed, "if it will comfort him any. I
brought it away from home two years ago, and now I can afford to buy
another."
By this time the nugget had been carried into the office and exposed to
view.
"It is a splendid specimen," said the commissioner admiringly. "It is
certainly the largest that has ever been found in this camp."
"Has any been found before?" asked Harry.
"Yes; six months ago a Scotch miner, named Lindsay, found one weighing
twenty-two pounds and some ounces."
"Is he here now?"
"Yes, and without a shilling."
"Didn't his nugget benefit him any then?" asked Harry.
"It became a curse to him. He obtained some thousands of dollars for it,
and all went in three months."
"How did he get rid of it?"
"In drinking and gambling. Two months since he drifted back to the camp
in rags. He did not have money enough to buy a claim, but being a good
practical miner he got a chance to work a claim on shares for another
man, who had just come out from Melbourne, and who knew very little of
mining. I hope you will make better use of your money. Are these boys
your partners?"
"Yes, Mr. Commissioner, they are equal partners. What's one's luck, is
the luck of all."
Meanwhile the commissioner was weighing the nugget on a pair of scales.
The three awaited the result with great interest.
"It weighs seventy-four pounds and four ounces," he announced. "My
friend, it will be famous in the annals of Australia. If I am not
mistaken, when it is known it will create a stampede to our mines."
"About how much do you think it will realize?" asked Obed.
"At a rough guess, I should say fifteen thousand dollars. It may be more
and it may be less."
Obed Stackpole's rough face was fairly radiant.
"I say, boys," he remarked, turning to Harry and Jack, "that's a pretty
good day's work, isn't it?"
"I should say so, Obed."
The commissioner made out a receipt, which Obed put away carefully in
his pocket.
"That's better than carrying the nugget round," he said.
"I suppose you will go to Melbourne," said the commissioner.
"Yes, we shall start in a day or two."
Here Obed paused, for it occurred to him that there were practical
difficulties in the way of carrying out his plan.
"That is," he added slowly, "if we can raise the money. I suppose we
can't borrow on the nugget?"
"No, but I can suggest a way out of your difficulties. You can sell your
claim. It will realize a good round sum, as the one from which the
nugget has been taken."
"That's so, Mr. Commissioner. Thank you for the suggestion. Boys, there
is still some business before us. We'll realize something extra, it
seems. I don't care how much, if it's only enough to take us to
Melbourne."
Just then a miner entered the office, and seeing the nugget instantly
made it his purpose to report the lucky find throughout the camp. The
effect was instant and electrical. Every miner stopped work, and there
was a rush to the commissioner's office to see the nugget. All were
cheered up. If there was one nugget, there must be more. Confidence was
restored to many who had been desponding. Obed and the two boys were the
heroes of the hour, and the crowd came near lifting them on their
shoulders, and bearing them off in triumph.
Obed felt that this was a good time to sell the claim.
"Boys," he said, "we struck it rich and no mistake. How rich I don't
know. There may be other nuggets where this came from. But I and my
partners want to go back to America. The claim's for sale. Who wants
it?"