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首页 » 儿童英文小说 » In A New World or, Among The Gold Fields Of Australia » CHAPTER XXIII. — RAISING THE NUGGET.
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CHAPTER XXIII. — RAISING THE NUGGET.
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 "It's lucky we covered up the gold," said Obed, in a low voice. "That's the last man I wanted to discover our good luck."
 
"Shan't we keep on working?" asked Harry1, in excitement.
 
"I will just probe a little to form some idea of the size of the nugget," answered Obed.
 
"Then you think it is a nugget?" asked Jack2 eagerly.
 
"Yes, I think our luck has come at last, boys. I think we will be able to pull up stakes and go back to America. But about keeping on now, we shall need to be cautious. Someone might come by, and see what we are about."
 
Then Harry made a suggestion.
 
"Let Jack go up to the top, and if anyone comes he can whistle. That will put us on our guard."
 
"A good idea!" said Obed.
 
So Jack threw himself on the ground in a listless posture3, and the other two continued their explorations. They dug all about the boulder4, which proved to be about a foot in diameter. It was embedded5 in clay, from which it was separated with some difficulty. It was encased in quartz6, but the interior was bright, glittering gold.
 
"It's a regular beauty," said Obed in a low tone, his eyes glittering with excitement. "It isn't once in a dog's age that so big a nugget is discovered."
 
"How much do you call it worth, Obed?" asked Harry in the same low tone.
 
"That's hard tellin', Harry; but it's worth ten thousand dollars easy."
 
"Thank God!" ejaculated Harry fervently7. "That will release us from our imprisonment8, and enable us to go back to America."
 
"You are right, Harry, but the hardest job lies before us."
 
"What's that?"
 
"To get it out without observation, and keep it secure from thieves."
 
"We'll do our best. Only you give the orders, Obed."
 
"Then, first and foremost, we'll cover it up again, and go up till evening, when we will secure it, and carry it to our cabin."
 
So said, so done. They joined Jack at the limit of the excavation9.
 
"Is it all right?" asked the young sailor eagerly.
 
"Yes," answered Harry.
 
"Is it really a big one?"
 
"Yes; we can all go back to America, Jack."
 
"And I can once more be a sailor?"
 
"Yes, if you like it."
 
Jack was told of their plan of removing the nugget by night, and saw at once that it was a wise one.
 
"Shall we go to the cabin now?" he asked.
 
"No, Jack; it won't do to leave our treasure unguarded. We will lounge here and make sure that no one robs us of our discovery."
 
So they sat down, and Obed lighted his pipe once more.
 
A neighbor strolled up and sat down beside them.
 
"You are leaving off work early," he said.
 
"Yes," answered Obed with a yawn, "we might as well take it easy. It's hard work—this mining."
 
"What luck?"
 
"Our luck is to come," said our Yankee friend. "How is it with you?"
 
"I have got out seventy-five dollars this week," answered the other complacently10.
 
"Whew! that's good! What do you say to swapping11 claims?"
 
"Oh, no," answered the neighbor, wagging his head jocosely12. "I'm not so green. The fact is, Mr. Stackpole, I don't want to discourage you, but I don't believe you'll ever see the money you put into this hole. Come now, what did you pay?"
 
"Five and twenty pounds."
 
"If you can get five pounds for it, my advice is, sell."
 
"I don't know but you're right," said Stackpole in a rueful tone. "Will you give me five pounds for it?"
 
"Ho, ho! I might give you five shillings, though it would be a risk."
 
"Then I don't think we'll sell, eh, Harry?"
 
"We had better give it away than take that sum," said Harry, carefully veiling his inward exultation13.
 
They went to their cabin at the usual time and indulged themselves in a better supper than usual, feeling that they could afford to do so. It is wonderful how success stimulates14 the appetite.
 
"I don't know when I have been so hungry, Obed," said Harry.
 
"I feel the same way," chimed in Jack.
 
"A light heart increases the appetite, boys, but sometimes I've felt wolfish when my heart was heavy. Fifteen months ago I was in Californy, and down on my luck. Things had been goin' contrary, and I hadn't money enough to buy a square meal. I didn't like to tell my friends, bein' a bit proud. One day when I was feelin' so hungry that I wouldn't have turned up my nose at a Chinaman's diet—rat pie—an old acquaintance met me and asked me to dine with him. Did I accept? Well, I should smile. I did smile all over my face, as I sat down to the table. You'd better calculate that I made my knife and fork fly. Finally my friend remarked, looking kind of queer, 'You've got a healthy appetite, Stackpole.' I answered, 'It sort of runs in our family to eat whenever we get a chance.' 'Good joke!' said he, laughing. But it was no joke when he came to pay the bill, I tell you."
 
"I'll remember that, Obed," said Harry, smiling, "and when I invite you to dinner, I'll first inquire whether you've had anything to eat for a week back."
 
"I generally eat for a weak stomach," returned Obed, venturing on a little joke at which the boys felt bound to laugh.
 
As they sat at the door of their cabin, they kept a good lookout15 in the direction of their claim. They could not afford, now that success was in their grasp, to have it snatched away. But they discovered no suspicious movements on the part of anyone. In fact, no one suspected that they had "struck it rich." So poor was the general opinion of their claim, that they would have found it hard to obtain a purchaser at any price. Had there been the least suspicion, the camp would have been greatly excited.
 
As a rule, the miners retired16 early. They became fatigued17 during the day, and sleep was welcome. There was, indeed, a gambling18 saloon at some distance, frequented by the more reckless, but generally good hours were observed in the camp.
 
About half past eleven, Obed nudged Harry and Jack, who had fallen asleep.
 
"What is it?" asked Harry, in a drowsy19 tone.
 
"Hush20!" whispered Obed. "Don't make any more noise than you can help. I think it will be safe to go and secure the nugget now."
 
This was enough. Harry was wide awake in an instant, and he in turn roused Jack.
 
There was no elaborate toilet to make, for they had thrown themselves down in their day attire21. They left the cabin, and by the faint light of the moon, which was just ready to retire for the night, they found their way to the claim without being observed.
 
Fifteen minutes' work, and the task was accomplished22. The nugget was raised, and wrapped in a red bandanna23 handkerchief, which Obed had brought all the way from his New England home.
 
"It must weigh seventy-five pounds," whispered Obed exultantly24. "Boys, we're in tall luck. It was worth coming out to Australy for. We'll keep it in the cabin over night, and to-morrow we'll put it where it will be safe."
 
They gained the cabin without having been seen so far as they knew. Of the hundreds of men sleeping within a furlong's distance, not one dreamed of a discovery which was to draw the attention of the whole colony to Bendigo. But they had not wholly escaped observation. One pair of eyes had detected them in their midnight walk.
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
2 jack 53Hxp     
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克
参考例句:
  • I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
  • He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
3 posture q1gzk     
n.姿势,姿态,心态,态度;v.作出某种姿势
参考例句:
  • The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
  • He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣,摆出一副打架的架势。
4 boulder BNbzS     
n.巨砾;卵石,圆石
参考例句:
  • We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲,把大石头搬开了。
  • He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。
5 embedded lt9ztS     
a.扎牢的
参考例句:
  • an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
  • He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。
6 quartz gCoye     
n.石英
参考例句:
  • There is a great deal quartz in those mountains.那些山里蕴藏着大量石英。
  • The quartz watch keeps good time.石英表走时准。
7 fervently 8tmzPw     
adv.热烈地,热情地,强烈地
参考例句:
  • "Oh, I am glad!'she said fervently. “哦,我真高兴!”她热烈地说道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • O my dear, my dear, will you bless me as fervently to-morrow?' 啊,我亲爱的,亲爱的,你明天也愿这样热烈地为我祝福么?” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
8 imprisonment I9Uxk     
n.关押,监禁,坐牢
参考例句:
  • His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
  • He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。
9 excavation RiKzY     
n.挖掘,发掘;被挖掘之地
参考例句:
  • The bad weather has hung up the work of excavation.天气不好耽误了挖掘工作。
  • The excavation exposed some ancient ruins.这次挖掘暴露出一些古遗迹。
10 complacently complacently     
adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地
参考例句:
  • He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
  • "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装,"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
11 swapping 8a991dafbba2463e25ba0bc65307eb5e     
交换,交换技术
参考例句:
  • The slow swapping and buying of horses went on. 马匹的买卖和交换就是这样慢慢地进行着。
  • He was quite keen on swapping books with friends. 他非常热衷于和朋友们交换书籍。
12 jocosely f12305aecabe03a8de7b63fb58d6d8b3     
adv.说玩笑地,诙谐地
参考例句:
13 exultation wzeyn     
n.狂喜,得意
参考例句:
  • It made him catch his breath, it lit his face with exultation. 听了这个名字,他屏住呼吸,乐得脸上放光。
  • He could get up no exultation that was really worthy the name. 他一点都激动不起来。
14 stimulates 7384b1562fa5973e17b0984305c09f3e     
v.刺激( stimulate的第三人称单数 );激励;使兴奋;起兴奋作用,起刺激作用,起促进作用
参考例句:
  • Exercise stimulates the body. 运动促进身体健康。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Alcohol stimulates the action of the heart. 酒刺激心脏的活动。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
15 lookout w0sxT     
n.注意,前途,瞭望台
参考例句:
  • You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
  • It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来,公司的前景可就不妙了。
16 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
参考例句:
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
17 fatigued fatigued     
adj. 疲乏的
参考例句:
  • The exercises fatigued her. 操练使她感到很疲乏。
  • The President smiled, with fatigued tolerance for a minor person's naivety. 总统笑了笑,疲惫地表现出对一个下级人员的天真想法的宽容。
18 gambling ch4xH     
n.赌博;投机
参考例句:
  • They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
  • The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。
19 drowsy DkYz3     
adj.昏昏欲睡的,令人发困的
参考例句:
  • Exhaust fumes made him drowsy and brought on a headache.废气把他熏得昏昏沉沉,还引起了头疼。
  • I feel drowsy after lunch every day.每天午饭后我就想睡觉。
20 hush ecMzv     
int.嘘,别出声;n.沉默,静寂;v.使安静
参考例句:
  • A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
  • Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去!
21 attire AN0zA     
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装
参考例句:
  • He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
  • Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。
22 accomplished UzwztZ     
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
参考例句:
  • Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
  • Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
23 bandanna BPQyF     
n.大手帕
参考例句:
  • He knotted the bandanna around his neck.他在脖子上系了一条印花大围巾。
  • He wiped his forehead with a blue bandanna and smiled again.他用一条蓝色的大手帕擦擦前额,又笑了笑。
24 exultantly 9cbf83813434799a9ce89021def7ac29     
adv.狂欢地,欢欣鼓舞地
参考例句:
  • They listened exultantly to the sounds from outside. 她们欢欣鼓舞地倾听着外面的声音。 来自辞典例句
  • He rose exultantly from their profane surprise. 他得意非凡地站起身来,也不管众人怎样惊奇诅咒。 来自辞典例句


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