The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-05-13
THE LITTLE GOLD NUGGET,
A TALE OF AUSTRALIA.

1t was given to EfIie to take care of.
1t was not great prize, for it weighed
only seven ounces; but it represented the
only result of strong mans toll for
many weeks, and, as nuggets 90, it was
considered by no means bad "fnd."
John Archer decided that the nugget
would be safer in his little daughters
keeping than in his own. There were
thieves and lawless men at this new gold
rush, as at all new gold rushes, and 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 tho hut at night.
to feel under his pillow and among his
rough bedding for the yellow earth that
folk hate each other for. If he caught
the thief he would shoot him, but better
not to run the risk of losing his treasure.
And so he gave tito Eflie to put in her
old work box. The,thicves of the r
diggings would be too cunning to think
OF examining suchan improbable hiding
place.
"You must take'groat care of it, dar-
ling" said John Archer. at is for
your mother" And Eflie slowed the lit
lie nugget away in a corner of the old
work box-which had been her moth
er's-under this cotton and 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 fother,. leaving her
mother, who was very delicate, with
some friends in Brisbane, had come a
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,
Effie came out of the hut to look round
and see if any one was near who might
have seen her. No. No one was near
who might have seen her-only Billy the
black-King Billy, the Aboriginal mon
arch, who loved rum and tobacco, and
who was chopping same firewood for her.
King Billy evidently had not seen, for he
was welding the axe with quite excep-
tional vigor; and if Billy had seen it
wouldn't have mattered very much, for
Effie trusted.
This little girls reason for trusting
King Billy, the black, was somewhat
strange, and is worthy of being recorded.
She trusted him because she had been
kind to him.
But Effie was only twelve.
As the child stood in the broad light,
her tumbled hay-hued hair kissed aud
illumined by 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, a flock
of laughing jackasses alightedin neigh
boring gum-tree and set.up IA demoniac
exclamation. What madesthe ill-omened
birds so madly merry9 What was the
joke2 Effie's trust2 Billy'ssgratitude2
They failed to explain; but their amuse-
ment was huge and sardonic.
"Drive them away, Billy, "'cried Effie,
and the obedient king dropped his axe
and threw a faggot of wood at the tree,
which stopped the laughterand dispersed
the merry makers.
"Billy tired now," said the black,
grinning-'' much work-plenty
wood" and he pointed to the result Of
his labor.
''Yes, that will be enough, thank you.
You're a good boy. I'll give you some
tobacco"
"Billy's thirsty"
"Then you shall have some tea"
"No tea. Rum"
''No, Billy. Rum isn't good for you. +"
"Good for miners; good for Billy"
''No, its not good for miners, " said
Fife, emphaticalIy; cit makes them
Gght aud say wicked things"
"Makes black feller feel good" de-
elared Billy, rolling his dusky eyes.
This last argument was effective.
Eiiie went into her hut-her father had
| returned to his work-and poured a
little spirits from John Archer's flask in-
to a "pannikin. Billy drank the spir-
its with rolling eyes, smacked his lips,
and then lay down in the shadow Of the
hut to sleep.
The long afternoon passed very slowly
for Efie. Her few trifing duties as
lousekeeper were soon done. The little
nut was uuleu, ana tne SIMPLE evening
meal prepared; and some hours must pass
before her father returned. How could
she pass the time2 She had only two
books-a Bible and a volume of stories
for little girls, which she had won as a
puze a. school in Brisbane. But she was
too young so appreciate the first, espec-
tally as the type, being very small, it was
difficult reading, and she had grown be-
yond approaching the stories for little
girls, having known them by heart three
years before. She would like to have
slept. Everything around her suggested
and invited the siesta-the steady heat
the brightness of the light without the
hut; the distant murmur of miners
voices which came from beyond yonder
belt of waffle gums; the monotonous
hum of the loeusts in the forest; the oe-
casional fretful cry of strange bird, aud
the regular snores of the fallen king who
slumbered in the hut. Even the buzz of
the annoying flies assisted the general
effect and brought droWsiness,