The Yale expositor., 1897-01-15

ed his lips audibly-'great big yellow
boys-is it them that you have just
been and tumbled across"
mo / said boldly, 1T isn't-the
cruel CLEAN in his black eyes altogether
overcoming my aversion to the lie, for
l knew that if once he found out what
it was that l was sitting on-and by
the way have heard of rolling in gold
being spoken of as a pleasant process,
but certainly do not recommend any
body who values comfort to try sitting
on it, should run very good chance
of being handspiked before the night
was over.
eff you want to know what it was,
Mr.. Tom l went on with my politest
air, although in agony from the mug
| get underneath, for l hold 1t always
best to be polite to a man who is so
handy with a handspike, my boy and l
have had a slight difference of opinion,
and l was enforcing my view OF the
matter upon him; that's all, Mr.. Tom.
Yes, Mr.. Tom put in Harry, begin
ming to SWIVEL
"'Well, all / can say is that a play
ed-out old claim is a wonderful queer
sort of a place to come for to argify at
ten o'clock of night, and what's more,
my sweet youth, if ever l should ave
the argifying of yer'-and he leered
unpleasantly at Harry-'yer won't oil
Ter in quite such a jolly sort o way
And now I'll be saying goodnight, for
| don't like disturbing OF a family
| party. No, amt that sort OF man.
amt. Goodnight to yer, 'unter Qua
termain-good-nigh to yer, my argi-
fed young one;' and Mr.. Tom turned
away disappointed and prowled off
elsewhere, like a human jackal, to see
what he could thieve or kill.
THANK heavenv said, as l slipped
off the lump of gold which had left
dent upon my person that did not wear
out for a week or more. Now then,
just you slip up, Harry, and see If that
consummate villain has gone Harry
| did so, and reported that he had van
ished toward Pilgrims Rest, and then
we set to work, and very carefully, but
| trembling with excitement, with our
hands followed out all the space of
ground into which l had struck The
pick. Yes, as l thought, there was
regular nest of nuggets, twelve In all,
running from the size of hazel nut
| to that of a hens egg, though OF course
the first one was much larger than that.
How they all came there nobody can
say; it was one of those extraordinary
| freaks, with stories of which at any
rate, all people acquainted with al
luvial goid-mining will be familiar. 1t
turned out afterward that the Yankee
who sold me the claim had in the same
way made his plea much larger one
than ours, by the way-out of single
pocket and then worked for six months
without seeing color, after which he
gave it up.
AT any rate, there the nuggets were,
to the value as it turned out afterwards,
of about twelve hundred and fifty
pounds, so that after all l took out of
| that hole four hundred and fifty pounds
more than l put into it. We got them
all out and wrapped them up in hand
kerchief, and then fearing to carry
home so much treasure, especially as
we knew that Mr.. Handspike Tom was
on the prowl, made up our minds to
pass the night where we were-a neces-
sity which, disagreeable as it was, was
wonderfully sweetened by the presence
of that handkerchief full of virgin gold,
which represented the interest of my
lost half sovereign.
Slowly the night wore away, for
with the fear of Handspike Tom before
my eyes l did not care to go to sleep,
and at last the dawn came, blushing
like a bride, down the somber ways of
night. / got up and watched its perfect
growth, till it opened like a vast celes-
| tial flower upon the eastern sky, and
| the sunbeams began to spring in splen-
dor from mountain-top to mountain
top. / watched it, and as l did so it
flashed upon me with a complete con-
viction that l had not felt before, that
| had had enough gold-mining to last
me the rest of my natural life, and then
a, and there made up my mind to clear
out of Pilgrims Rest and go and shoot
buffalo toward Delago Bay. Then l
turned. took the pick and shovel, and
although it was a Sunday morning,
woke up Harry and set to work to see
if there were any more nuggets handy.
AS | expected there were none. What
we had got had lain together in little
pocket filed with soil that felt quite
different from the stiff stuff round and
outside the pocket. There was not a
trace of gold. OF course, it is possible
that there were other pockets full
somewhere about, but all have to say
| is | made up my mind that, whoever
found them l should not; and, as a
matter of fact, have since heard that
| that claim has been the ruin of two
or three people, as it was very nearly
| the ruin of me.
Harry l said presently, 4 am go
ing away this week towards Delago to
I shoot buffalo. Shall / take you with
me, or send you down to Durham
oh, take me with you, dad beg
ged Harry. L want to kill buffalor