Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-03-23
THE LITTLE
GOLD NUGGET
A Tale of the Australian Gold
Diggings.
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- E t
John Archer decided that the mug
get would be safer in his little daugh
ter's keeping than in his own.
"You must take great care Of it, dar.
ling" said John Archer. cit is fol-
your mother" And Effie slowed the
little nugget away in corner Of the
old workbox which had been hermoth-
| er's under the cotton and 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.
Having hidden the little nugget
away, Fife came out Of the hut to look
around 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 monarch, who loved rum
and tobacco and who was chopping
some f1rewood for her.
This little girls reason for trusting
King Billy, the black, was somewhat
strange and is worthy of being re-
corded. She trusted him because she
had been kind to him.,
But Fife was only IL.
AS the child stood in the broad light,
her tumbled hay hued hair kissed and
i1111ro inn6 hx1t ho nor go
and her round, trustful blue eyes shad-
ed from the glare by two little brown
hands, watching King Billy at his
work, a flock Of laughing jackasses
alighted in neighboring gum tree
and set up demoniac exclamation.
What made the i'll omened birds so
madly merry? What was the joke?
Efie's trust? Billy's gratitude? They
failed to explain, but their amusement
was huge and sardoniessa
Drive them away, Billy" cried Eff
fe, and the obedient king dropped his
ak and threw faggot of wood at the
tree, which stopped the laughter and
dispersed the merrymakers.
''Billy tired now" said the black
grinning. ,''Too much work-plenty
wood" and he pointed to the result
of his laber.
eyes, that will be enough, thank
you. You're good boy. I'll give you
some tobacco"
"Billy's thirsty"
'"Then you shall have some tea.''
/: mo tea. Rum"
''No, Billy. Rum isn't good for you"
"Good for miners; good for Billy"
mo, it's not good for miners" said
Fife emphatically. 1T makes them
fight and say. wicked things"
Makes black fellow feel good" de
clared Billy rolling his dusky eyes.
This last argument was effective:
Efie went into her hut-her father had |
to his work-and poured a I
little spirits from John Archer's flask
nto a pannikin. Billy drank the
spirits with rolling eyes. smacked his
Ups and then lay down in the shadow
IF the hut to sleep.
The long afternoon passed very slow
y for Fife. Her few trifing duties
Is housekeeper were soon done The
title hut was tidied and the simple
evening meal prepared and some hours
must pass before her father returned
low could she pass the time? She
lad only two books-a Bible and q
'oIume Of stories for little girls, which
he. had won as prize at school in
Brisbane. But she was too young to
ppreciate the first, especially as the
ype was very small and it was difficr.t
eadifig, and She had grown beyond
ppreciating the stories for little girls,
aving known them by heart three
ears before She would like to have
lept. Everything around her suggest
d and invited the sieSta-the steady I
eat, the brightness of the light with
liners voices which came from be-
ond yonder belt of waffle gums, the
lonotonous hum of the locusts lin the
,rest, the occasional fretful cry of a
range bird and the regular shores of
le fallen king, who slumbered in tie
lade of the hut. Even the buzz ofthe
lnoying flies assisted the general ef-
ct and brought drowsiness.
To remain still for few minutes
ould have meant inevitably falling
'leep. Effie felt this and remembered
e little gold nugget If She s,ppt,. !.
me thief might come and take 1t. And !.
she put on her hat ana. torsa,,il>. ]
e seductive cool and SHADE OF tie l.ts,
ant out into the brightness and heag. !,
Archer's hut stood en- the edge OF the
Hey, over agains; ihp foot OF the
ne, heavily timbered hills ,lhout ~
rds distant from il. hidt|an ;:iuoI II
g trees, was 4 h.&l ness Is, ". tsyt.. Z. !,
the base OF whtt,a t,,f-.e lia;s \. e3.y, # Il
the smallest and swet ,,s.i ST A, =