"Yes, let's see the place where the nugget was found," echoed another.
"All right! I'm agreeable," said Obed.
Followed by a crowd of miners, Obed Stackpole strode to the claim where he had "struck it rich." In spite of his homely2 face and ungainly form there was more than one who would have been willing to stand in his shoes, homeliness3 and all. The day before little notice was taken of him. Now he was a man who had won fame at a bound.
They soon stood around the lucky claim.
"It isn't much to look at, gentlemen," said Obed, "but looks is deceptive4, as my old grandmother used to tell me. 'Handsome is as handsome does,' and this 'ere hole's done the handsome thing for me and my partners, and I venture to say it hasn't got through doin' handsome things. It's made three of us rich, and it's ready to make somebody else rich. Who'll be the lucky man? Do I hear a bid!"
"Fifty pounds," said Tom Lewis.
"That'll do to start on, but it won't do to take. Fifty pounds I am offered. Who says a hundred?"
A German miner offered a hundred, and Tom Lewis raised ten pounds.
From that time the bids rose slowly. Obed showed himself an excellent auctioneer—indeed he had had some experience at home—and by his dry and droll6 remarks stimulated7 the bidding when it became dull, and did not declare the claim sold till it was clear no higher bid could be obtained.
"Three hundred pounds, and sold to Frank Scott," he concluded. "Mr. Scott, I congratulate you. I calculate you've made a pretty good investment, and I shouldn't wonder if you'd find another nugget within a week. 'Birds of a feather flock together,' as my writing-book says, and 'it never rains but it pours.'"
Frank Scott came forward and made arrangements for the payment of the sum he had offered. Within five minutes he was offered an advance of twenty-five pounds for his bargain, which put him in good humor, though he declined it. I may as well say here, since we are soon to bid farewell to Bendigo, that the claim yielded him double the amount of his investment, and though this was not up to his expectations, he had no reason to regret his purchase.
The little crowd of miners were just separating when two new-comers appeared on the scene. They were the well-matched pair who had met earlier in the morning at the deserted8 cabin. For convenience' sake we will call them Colson and Ropes, the former being the man who had stolen the nugget, as he supposed.
"What's all this crowd?" said Colson in a tone of curiosity.
Ropes put the question to Tom Lewis, who chanced to be passing.
"Haven't you heard about the nugget?" asked Lewis.
"What nugget?" asked Colson innocently.
"That slab-sided Yankee, Obed Stackpole, found a nugget last night—a regular monster—and he's been selling his claim. I bid for it, but I didn't bid high enough."
"Where's the nugget?" asked Colson eagerly.
"In charge of the commissioner9, who will send it under escort to Melbourne."
Colson expected this intelligence. Still he looked downcast. The chance of getting hold of it under such circumstances seemed very small.
"What did the claim go for?" questioned Ropes.
"Three hundred pounds. Frank Scott bought it."
"That's a pretty steep price."
"Yes, but there may be another nugget."
"And there may not."
"Then he'll be a loser. Of course there's a risk."
"Is the Yankee going to stay around here?" asked Colson.
"No; he and the two boys are going to Melbourne. I believe they are going back to America."
"It's a shame that such a prize should go to Americans," said Colson, in a discontented tone.
He would have been very glad to head a movement for robbing Obed and the boys of the proceeds of their lucky discovery, on this flimsy ground. But Tom Lewis was a fair-minded man.
"I don't see what that has to do with it," said he. "They found it, and they have a right to it. Of course, I'd rather it had been me; but it wasn't, and there's an end of it."
"The nugget you found wasn't quite so valuable," returned Ropes grimly.
"No; I tugged11 away for nothing. My arms and shoulders are stiff enough this morning. And now the nugget is out of our reach."
"But not the three hundred pounds," said Ropes significantly.
"The price of the claim?"
"Yes."
"That's true, but it won't do us any good."
"The Yankee will carry that with him. It's worth trying for."
The suggestion seemed to strike Colson favorably. The two held a whispered consultation12, which seemed to yield mutual13 satisfaction. They were, indeed, congenial spirits, and agreed upon one point, that it was better to make a living by knavery14 than by doing honest work for honest wages. Yet there is no harder or more unsatisfactory way of living than this. Ill-gotten gains seldom benefit the possessor, and the plans of wicked men often fail altogether.
Gradually the two had drawn15 near to the claim, and at last drew the attention of Obed and the boys.
Obed's thin face lighted up with satisfaction as he recognized the man who had attempted to steal the nugget.
"Good-mornin', squire," he said politely. "You look kind of tired, as if you was up late last night."
Colson eyed him sharply. "Does he suspect?" thought he. "Yes," he answered, in an indifferent tone, "I didn't rest very well."
"Where did you pass the night?"
"You look as if you had been taking a long walk."
"You are very observing," said Colson, not over pleased.
"I always was. It pays a man—sometimes."
"I hear you've struck it rich," said Colson, not caring to take notice of the other's significant tone.
"Found a nugget, they tell me," interpolated Ropes. "How big was it?"
"Weighs about seventy-five pounds!"
"That is luck!" said Colson, with a sickly smile. He could scarcely help groaning17 as he thought of his loss.
"Well, yes, it is tolerable hefty. I reckon me and the boys will be able to take it easy for a few years. But we came near losin' it, after all."
"How's that?" Colson asked, but he did not venture to meet Obed's glance.
"Some skunk18 saw us bringin' back the nugget, and prowled round till he thought we was all asleep. Then he got into the cabin and carried it off. That is, he thought he did, but we was a little too sharp for him. We tied up a big rock in my handkerchief, and I guess he had a sweet time carryin' it off."
"Ha, ha! A good joke!" said Colson, but his laughter was mirthless.
"I thought you'd enjoy the joke, squire," said Obed. "How I pity the poor fellow! His arms must ache with luggin' the old rock. The best of it is we know the fellow that took it."
"Yes, Harry20 woke up just in the nick of time and saw him scootin' out of the cabin. If I should tell the boys 'round here, I reckon they'd lynch him!" added Obed quietly.
"Just so," assented21 Colson, but his face was of a sickly hue22, and taking Ropes by the arm he hurried him away.
"That fellow's well scared," said Obed, turning to his two young companions. "I reckon he'll make himself scarce till we're out of the way."
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1
adjourn
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| v.（使）休会，（使）休庭 | |
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2
homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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homeliness
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| n.简朴，朴实；相貌平平 | |
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4
deceptive
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| adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的 | |
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5
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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6
droll
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| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
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7
stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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8
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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9
commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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10
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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11
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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13
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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14
knavery
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| n.恶行，欺诈的行为 | |
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15
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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16
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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17
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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18
skunk
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| n.臭鼬，黄鼠狼；v.使惨败，使得零分；烂醉如泥 | |
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19
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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20
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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21
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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