The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-05-01
THE LITTLE GOLD NUGGET.
A IALE OF AUSTRALIA.

thieves and lawless men at this new gold
rush. as at all new gold rushes. aud they
| would know Of his prize. They would
| probably try TO annex it. They would
search all sorts of cunning hiding places
in the neighborhood of his tent; they
might even creep into the hut at night,
to feel under his pillow and among his
rough bedding for the yellow earth that
folk hate ench other for. If he caught
the thief he would shoot him, but better
not TO run the risk Of losing mis- treasure.
And so he gave it to Etfie to put in her
old work box. The thieves of the T
diggiDgs would be too cunning to think
ol examining such an improbable hiding
place.
You must fake great care of it, dar-
lng,' said John Archer cit is for
Your MOTHER And Effic slowed the lit,
tie nugget away in corner of the old
work hox-which had been he: moth.
ers--under the cotton aud the socks she
was darning for her father. She felt
duly weighted with the responsibility.
She knew that this yellow earth was of
great value, for her father, leaving her
mother, who was very delicate, with
some friends in Brisbane, had come
long, weary way to find it, and she had
seen his sorrow, his despair, as day after
day he had eagerly worked with pick
and spade, without finding what he
sought.
Having hidden the little nugget away.
Efhc came out of the hut to look round
ana see II any one was near who might
have seen her. No. No one was pea,
"ho might have seen her--only Billy the
hiack-k'ng Billy, the Aboriginal mon.
ach, who loved rum and tobacco. and
who was chopping same fircwood for her.
King Billy evidently had not seen, for he
was welding the axe with quite cxcep-
tional vigor; and if Billy had seen il
wouldn't have mattered very much. for
Effie trusted.
This little girls reason for trusting
sh sf'"fs S,iN ap4 hSa is VS. t7
,-si- One W2Ga!ns !4sG L9a4l him .b
Kind to HIM.
But Etie was only twelve.
AS tho child stood in the broad light,
her tumbled hay -huCd hair kissed and
illumincd hy the bold rays of the sun,
and her round. trustful blue eyes shaded
from the glare by two little brown hands,
watching King Billy at his work, flock
of laughing iackasscs alighted in neigh
boring g,un-trcc and set up demoniac
exclamation. What made the ill lomened
birds 50 madly merry9 What WAS the
iokc2 Effic's trust9 Billy's gratitudei
They failed to explain; but their amusc.
mcnt was huge and sardonic.
"Drivc ihem away, Billy" cried Effic,
and the ohcdient king dropped his axe
and threw faggot of wood at the tree
which stopped the laughter and dispersed
the merry makers.
BILLY tired now," said the black,
:srinning-"too much work-plenty
wood, and he pointed to the result OF
his labor.
"Yes, that will he enough, thank you.
! You're good boy. I'll give you some
tobacco"
"Billy's thirsty"
"Then you shall have some tea"
Ono tea. Rum"
M" BILLY Rr:n :2.': sod ior you.
Coed for miners, good for Billy"
No, it's not good for Miners" sale
Fife, cmphatically; sit makes then
fight and say wicked things
Makes black feller feel good" dc
clarcd Billy, rolling his dusky eyes.
This last argument was effective
Etiie went into her hut-her father had
returned to his wurk-and poured
little spirits from John Archer's flask in.
to "pannikin Billy drank the spir
It's with rolling eyes. smacked his lips
and then lay down in the shadow of the
hut to sleep.
The long afternoon passed very slowly
icr EHie. Her few trifling duties as
housckecper were soon done. The little
hut was tidied, and the simple evening
meal prepared; and some hours must pas
before her father returned. How coult
she pass the time' She had only tive
h""ks-a Bible and i volume OF storie.
for little girls, which she had won as ,
r,Zc n. school in Brisbane. But she wa
too young so appreciate the first espec
lally ms the type, being very small, it wa
! difficult reading, and she had grown be
yond approaching the stories for httl
girls, having known them by heart thre
years before. She would like to hav
slept Everything around her suggested
and invited the sicSta-the steady heat
the brightness of the light without th
nut; tie distant murmur of miners
voices which came from beyond yonde
hclt oi waffle gums; the monotonou:
hum of the locusts i'm the forest the oc
casional iretful cry of a strange bird, anc
tie regular snorcs of the fallen king wbt
slumbercd in the hut. Even the buzz O.
the annoying flies assisted the genera
ehsc.and broIt;;ggnt drows,r"" h."
10 'emain still for few Minute n"e
s., would have meant inevitably faI,;n,
asl'cp. Effic felt this. and rcnonoba.ns s
inc l'ttle gold nugget. If she sIon.
90 s"ne ne 'hiei might come and take il Az
s.,jn",,rr" m put oon, on her hat and fo,saking the
cut into the brightness and heat went
hrShe' hut stood On the edoe of Tho
'alley' over against the foot of tbe b,no
ncaVIiy-timbcred hills. Abo,t fftv rarS,
Instant from it, hidden omopo ~ u'