Page 157 - In A New World

After breakfast the three emerged from the cabin, bearing the precious
nugget with them. They did not meet anyone on their way to the office of

the commissioner, for all the miners had gone to their work. This suited
them, for until they had disposed of the nugget, they did not care to have

their good luck made public.

The royal commissioner was a stout Englishman with a red face and

abundant whiskers of the same color. He chanced to be at the door of the
office as the party appeared.

"Well, can I do anything for you?" he asked.

"Yes, sir; you can give us a receipt for this nugget."

"Nugget!" ejaculated the commissioner, fixing his eyes for the first time on
the burden which Mr. Stackpole carried. "Bless my soul! you don't mean to
say that you have found a nugget of that size!"

"That's just what we've done," answered Obed.

"When did you find it?"

"Well, we took it from the mine about midnight. We found it in the
afternoon, but calculated we'd better take possession when there wasn't so

many lookin' on. I say, Mr. Commissioner, I don't think it would agree with
me to be a rich man. I got broken of my rest last night, from havin' the
nugget in the cabin."

"You ran very little risk. No one could have found out that you had it in

your possession," remarked the commissioner.

"That's where you are mistaken, commissioner. We came near being robbed

of it only an hour after we brought it home."

"Bless my soul! How did that happen?"