St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-25
JoE's NUGGET.

Iuo VIGIL toOdU liiCS al
Tear-Shirt Camp when the thing hap
pened which am going to tell you of.
We had all of US only middling luck.
None of the party had made big strike
in the way of finding nuggets. Still,
we had nothing to complain of. We
were making fair wages, and that, IN
the long run, is better than making a
big haul at one time. and then i1ling
and running through the whole of it in
less than a months time. as have
known plenty of fellows to do.
One day the camp was all astir like a
hive of bees into which somebody had
thrown rock. One of our chaps. a
fellow by the name of Joe Garland, had
made ten-strike. He had hit upon
the biggest nugget of gold that had
ever been found in the region of Tear
Shirt. 1t was a good one, worth a
couple of thousand at least and the
boys all gathered about it with greedy
eyes. They envied Joe his good luck
still they were all glad that he had got
it. A prouder fellow than he was you
never saw. He Rugged the chunk and
petted it. and 1t did seem that he would
never tire of feasting his eyes upon it.
After the first excitement was over
Joe was left to his treasure, and the
boys turned to digging, each one hop
ing that he might soon be as fortunate
as Joe had been.
Joe had half mind to set off for
Frisco with his treasure at once. The
EXPRESS ran once week, and it lacked
three days of the time Of going again.
He was afraid that III some way he
might lose the nugget before 1t was got
to place of safety. Still, don't think
there was person in the camp that he
was suspicious of. 1t would have been
hard to have picked out a fellow who
was not called all right.
Joe carried his nugget to the camp,
but he would not stow it away with the
rest of the treasure. He would hide 1T
for himself. If the rest was stolen
while he was away at work, he was
gong 10 save this.
Two or three times day Joe would
leave his work and 60 and see that the
nugget was safe. Weused to tease him
about it. and tell him he was losing
flesh at the rate of two pounds day,
and that if the treasure was not sent
away soon there would be nothing left
of him but skin and bones.
The fourth day after the finding OF
the treasure, about the middle of the
forenoon, Joe made one of these visits
to the camp. He was gone but little
time, and when he came back more
frightened and woe-begone countenance
than his you never saw in your life.
ssWhat is it?'' VEAL cried. in chorus,
as he came dashing in among us.
tits gone!" was all the poor fellow
could manage to say.
ttWhot ic Unnpob Wp rpnpatn6 thnnUh
on the mind of each flashed the thought
of the treasure. arg
1.-The nugget" he gasped."
We dropped spade and pick and start
ed for the camp. All of us were inter.
ested. Ii the nugget was stolen, most
likely the dust we had gathered had
gone with it.
We piled into camp, and went for the
Spot where the general treasure was
kept. Each drew breath OF relief
when we found that il had not Len
tempered with. The robber, whoever
he was, had contented himself with
Joe's nugget.
After we had satisfied ourselves with
a look in the place where Joe had kept
it, and thus convinced ourselves that it
was really gone, we all turned to to try
and find clew to the rObber.
But, try as we would, not the slight
est clew could we find. Not a track
could we discover about the camp eX-
cept those we felt sure our own feet
hod made.
The fellow who did the cooking was
the only one who had been about the
camp since we had left in the morning.
and nobody, much less Joe. suspected
him, for he was Joe'S brother.
had h-Pn his cIIStOm TO 0O m the
work i'll the morning and spend the rest
of the forenoon with US until it was
time for dinner.
He had not been at the diggings more
than an hour before Joe had made the
discovery of his loss, SO that the rob-
berry could have but Just taken place.
All that day we spent in searching
around. but discovered no clew. Who
ever the robber was, he had covered his
trail too well for us.
Night obliged us to give over the
search, and the lost nugget was the last
thing in our thoughts as one after an
other we dropped off TO sleep.
l had been asleep some time when
some one gave me nudge in mylside,
which completely woke me. | started
up, and dimly in the darkness saw
Joe's brother beside me.
''What do you Want?'' | said, trif1e
annoyed, for L didn't relish the punch
had got.
flush. Joe has just got up and gone
out; and if he wasn't asleep when he
went. then | miss my guess. He used
to do such things when he was boy.
Let us follow him.
] sprang to my feet and we went
softly out. A sudden thought flashed to
my mind, but said nothing. 1t might
be that the nugget would be found.
1t was bright starlight outside and we
saw Joe moving away toward cluster
of oaks which stood about forty rods off.
We followed him as fast as we could
and got to the trees almost as soon as he
did. At the foot Of one he stopped and
bent down. and soon we saw him draw
something forth. For while he seemed
to be tondling it, then he put it care
fully back. and turning round he went
by US toward the camp. He moved like
one in a dream and both of us would
have taken our cath that he was fast
asleep.
1.-The nugget is found" said I, in
whisper, and then we hurried to the
tree. Its trunk was hollow, and thrust
ing in my hand l drew out the lost
treasure.
We carried it back to the camp. When
we got there no one was stirring. Joe
was lying on his back fast asleep, and
all the rest were snoring in concert. We
carefully put the nugget in the place
where Joe had kept it and then turned
in ourselves.
In the morning we got Joe to show us
the last place where he had seen. the
treasure. When his eyes fell upon the
nugget more astonished man you never
saw in your life. Then to the wonder
ing crowd we told the story of how ne
had found it.