The nugget finders

THE tramp, who has already been introduced to the reader, had spent the evening at the gambling house, having come into possession during the day of a small sum of money, given him by a compassionate miner. He had risked it, and for a time been successful, so that at the end of an hour he might have left off with twenty pounds. But the fatal fascination of the game drew him on till all his winnings melted away, and he left the cabin at midnight without a penny in his pocket, so far as he knew. There was, however, a shilling which he had overlooked, and did not discover till he was already some distance away. He was tempted to return, and probably would have done so, had not his roving eyes discovered Obed and the two boys returning from their claim with the nugget.

“What are they up to,” he asked himself in amazement, “that keeps them out of bed till after midnight? There’s something up. I wonder what it is.”

He had reason to be surprised. With the exception of those who, like himself, spent the night in gambling (when he was in funds), no one in the camp was awake or stirring. And of all, none kept more regular hours than Obed and the two boys.

Casting about for some explanation, the tramp’s attention was drawn to the burden that Obed carried.

“What can it be?” he asked himself wonderingly. Then, with a flash of conviction, he said to himself: “A nugget. They’ve found a nugget as sure as I’m a sinner.”

The tramp was intensely excited. His covetous soul was stirred to its depths. The opportunity he had been waiting for so long had come at length. It meant fortune for him. Qualms of conscience about appropriating the property of another troubled him not at all. He meant to have the nugget, by fair means or foul.

The would-be thief understood well, however, that there would be difficulties in the way of accomplishing his design. Obed and the two boys were broad awake, and half-an-hour—perhaps an hour, must elapse before he could feel sure that they would be asleep. In the meantime it would be best to keep away from the cabin, lest some one inside might see him lurking near, and suspect his purpose.

While he is keeping watch from a distance, let us enter the cabin.

Obed and the boys are sitting on their rude pallets, congratulating themselves on having secured the nugget, and removed it from the mine unobserved. Harry had made a remark to that effect, when Obed Stackpole responded, “Do you know, boys, I feel sort of uneasy to-night.”

“Why?” asked Jack.

“I’m afraid some one might have seen us on our way from the mine.”

“I couldn’t see anybody,” Harry remarked.

“Nor I, but there may have been some one, nevertheless. The fact is, I never expected to be uneasy on account of my wealth, but that’s the way the case stands just at present. When we were poor I slept like a top.”

“I suppose you wouldn’t care to get rid of your care by throwing the nugget away,” Harry said, with a smile.

“I’m not so uneasy as that yet, but I should feel a little safer if we and the nugget could be transported to Melbourne in five minutes.”

“Suppose some one did see us?” queried Jack.

“Then we may expect a visit some time to-night.”

“One of us might remain awake, Obed.”

“That would be rather hard on us, for we are all tired. I don’t believe I could stay awake all night if I tried.”

“Is there any way of concealing the nugget?”

“I don’t know. If we had a cellar that would be a good place, but——”

“Stop, I have an idea!” cried Harry eagerly.

“Well, Harry, out with it.”

“We can put the nugget in the trunk.”

There was an old trunk, covered with hair, which had been left by the last occupant of the cabin. The lock was broken, and it was not of much use or value, but the boys occasionally used it as a seat.

“What security would that be?” said Obed. “It is easy enough to open the trunk.”

“I know it, but I have another idea. Wrap up that stone in the handkerchief in place of the nugget. The thief—if one should come—would see it, and make off with it without stopping to examine its contents.”

Obed smiled grimly.

“That’s a good idea,” he said. “I believe you’re right, boy. It’s dark, and the thief couldn’t tell the difference till he came to examine it.”

Stones and fragments of rock are rare in that part of Australia, and I am not prepared to explain how this particular rock found its way into the mining village. The boys had found it, however, and thinking it might be of some use had carried it to the cabin. Never, however, in their wildest imaginings had it entered into their minds to conceive the use to which they were now putting it.

No sooner said than done. The nugget was taken from the enfolding bandanna and dropped into the trunk, which Obed placed at the head of his pallet.

“I wish there was a lock and key,” he said. “I should somehow feel safer.”

“It’s no use wishing,” said Harry. “We’ve got to take things as we find them.”

“That’s true philosophy, boy. Now get the rock and tie it up.”

Harry did so.

“Where shall I put it?” he asked.

“Anywhere where it can be seen easily. We won’t trouble the thief to look round much. We’ll make everything easy for him.”

When the transfer was effected, the boys laughed with glee.

“Do you know, Obed,” said Harry, “I shall be rather disappointed now if the thief doesn’t come.”

“I can get along without him,” said Obed dryly.

“But it’ll be such a good joke, Obed.”

“I don’t care so much about jokes as I did when I was your age, Harry. I used to be a great feller for jokes when I was along in my teens. Did I ever tell you the joke I played on the schoolmaster?

“Well, I was attendin’ the district school the winter I was sixteen, and I expect I was rather troublesome, though there wasn’t anything downright bad about me. But I remember one day when I stuck a bent pin in the chair the master usually sat in, and I shan’t forget till my dyin’ day how quick he riz up when he sat down in it.”

Obed chuckled at the recollection, and so did the boys. Their sympathies ought to have been with the schoolmaster, but I am sorry to say that did not prevent their enjoying the joke.

“Were you found out?” asked Jack.

“Not exactly, but I think the master always suspected me. At any rate he was always cuffin’ me and pullin’ my hair. I didn’t mind the fust so much as the last. So one day I got my mother to cut my hair close to my head. When I went to school the master gave me a queer look. He knew what made me have my hair cut. The next time I got into mischief he called me up, and instead of pullin’ my hair he pulled my ears till I hollered. ‘Now go home and get your ears cut off,’ he said, but I didn’t.”

“It seems to me the joke was on you that time, Obed.”

“I’ve surmised as much myself,” said Obed, laughing quietly. “But I’m tired, boys, and I believe I shall have to go off to sleep, nugget or no nugget.”

“All right! Good-night, Obed.”

“Good-night, boys.”

The thief had little difficulty in entering the cabin. No one in the mining settlement thought of locking the outer door or closing the windows. In many cases the door was left ajar; in some cases there were none. It was not necessary, therefore, to become a housebreaker. Entrance then was the least difficulty.

The tramp, however, was not quite easy in his mind. He didn’t care for the two boys, but he glanced with apprehension at the reclining figure of the tall gaunt Yankee, who was thin but wiry, and possessed of more than ordinary physical strength.

“If he should tackle me,” thought the midnight visitor with a shudder, “it would be all up with me. He could shake the life out of me.”

But the stake was a valuable one—it would in all probability make him comfortable for life, if judiciously husbanded—and Obed’s slumber seemed so profound that there appeared to be no risk. Nevertheless the tramp trembled, and his heart was in his mouth as he stealthily got in through the open window, and moved towards the nugget, or what he supposed to be such. He had one eye on Obed as he reached for the bundle. It was with difficulty that he could lift it, so heavy was it, but this only encouraged him, and made his eyes sparkle covetously. The heavier it was, the more valuable it must be. Were it twice as heavy he would be willing to carry it ten miles, enduring cheerfully all the fatigue it might entail. No thought of the rightful owners or of their disappointment disturbed him. That greed of gain which hardens the heart and banishes all scruples held firm dominion over him.

He lifted the bundle, and as noiselessly as he entered he made his egress through the window.

He thought he was unobserved, but he was mistaken.

Harry Vane was usually a heavy sleeper, but the thought of the nugget, even in his sleeping hours, weighed upon him and entered into his dreams. Singularly, he was dreaming at this very moment that it was being stolen, and in the intensity of his excitement all at once he became broad awake, just as the thief was disappearing through the window. With a startled look he glanced toward the place where the false nugget had been placed.

It was gone!

Evidently the thief had been taken in, and the thought amused him so much that he almost unconsciously laughed aloud. The sound fell on the ears of the receding thief, and filled his heart with apprehension, though he fancied it was a sound emitted in sleep. Still, it might precede awakening.

Once out of the window he did not stand upon the order of his going, but fled with a speed remarkable considering the weight of the bundle he carried.

Harry rose from his bed, and though he felt sure the thief had been deceived, he still, in order to make sure, opened the trunk and felt for the lump of gold. With a thrill of joy he found it still there. Then he could give way to his sense of amusement, and laughed long and loud. He did not, however, arouse Jack and Obed, who, like himself, were sound sleepers. He didn’t like, however, to have all the amusement to himself, so he shook the Yankee till he awoke.

“What’s the matter?” asked Obed, in a drowsy tone.

“We’ve been robbed,” answered Harry.

“What!” exclaimed Mr. Stackpole in dismay, bounding from his pallet, now thoroughly awake. “What is that you say?”

“The nugget is gone!” said Harry.

“Confusion!” ejaculated Obed. “When? Who took it?”

“Don’t be alarmed, Obed,” said Harry quietly. “It’s only the bogus nugget. The real one is safe where we hid it.”

“Tell me all about it, Harry. What skunk has been in here?”

“You know—the man that was spying about our claim—the tramp.”

“Did you see him?”

“Not till he was just getting out of the window!”

Harry recounted briefly his sudden awakening, and the sight that greeted him as he opened his eyes.

“I wish I’d been awake. I’d have boosted him out of that window,” said Obed grimly.

“I have no doubt you would, Obed,” said Harry laughing, “but I think we needn’t feel much of a grudge against the poor fellow. When he comes to examine his booty by daylight, it’s my impression he’ll feel sick enough.”

Obed laughed to. “I’d like to be looking on when he makes the discovery,” he said. “He’ll look green enough, I guess.”

“How could the fellow have found out that we had found it?” said Harry, with a puzzled expression.

“He must have been out late and seen us coming from the mine.”

“It is lucky we thought of hiding it, and leaving the rock in its place, Obed.”

“That’s so. The rock came in handy for once.”

“Do you think there is any danger of another visit to-night?”

“No; he probably won’t discover how he has been tricked till morning.”

“And even if he does he may suppose that this rock is what we brought with us.”

“Possibly. Still, Harry, I think we’d better keep awake and watch to-night. It will only be for one night, as to-morrow we can make arrangements to send the nugget by express to Melbourne.”

“I thought we should be carrying it there ourselves.”

“No, it would not be safe. To-morrow everybody will know that we have found a nugget, and if we attempted to carry it ourselves we should not get ten miles away without being attacked, and perhaps killed.”

“Then we can send it by express?” queried Harry.

“Yes, I have inquired into this—not that I thought we would be lucky enough to need the information. The government escorts charge one per cent., and besides the Crown exacts a royalty of ten per cent.”

“That’s pretty steep, isn’t it, Obed?”

“I will cheerfully bear my part of it,” said Obed. “I remember there was an old fellow in our place who owned considerable property—at any rate he was taxed for fifteen thousand dollars. Whenever taxes became due he was always groanin’ and predictin’ that he’d end his days in the poorhouse. My father, who was only taxed for fifteen hundred, said to him one day, ‘Mr. Higgins, if you’ll give me half of your property, I’ll agree to pay taxes on the whole, so that you’ll have nothing to pay.’”

“Did he accept?” asked Harry, with a smile.

“Not much, but he stopped growlin’. It may have given him a new idea of the matter.”

“How soon do you think of getting away, Obed?”

“As soon as we have sold the claim,” answered the Yankee. “When it gets reported round the camp what we’ve found there’ll be plenty that’ll want to buy it on speculation, you may be sure of that.”

“I didn’t think of that,” said Harry, his eyes brightening. “We’re luckier than I thought.”

“Yes,” answered Obed jocularly, “we’re men of property now. I’m afraid we’ll have to pay taxes ourselves when we get home.”