Part 23 (2/2)
”Darned new-chum fool!” he muttered, as he stood up ”Here, you moonstruck jackeroo, stop that da Peters ”If you want to know, it's native copper I've seen tons of it On the Cloncurry you can get it by the square old, you old wind-bag! There's a fortune in that boulder Come on, boys Out with the tools, and let us dolly a luht be only native copper, but for the moment neither Tony nor Murray doubted the opinion of Peters There was a scurry and a confused bungle as each tried to get anted, while Pal uncoainst all of theh-and-ready apparatus for testing any mineral encountered A blowpipe, a bit of candle, a small bottle of powdered borax, another of mercury, and a bent platinum wire, packed away in an empty jam-tin, formed his assayer's kit--a paraphernalia which induced ascontempt from Palmer Billy as it would have done from a skilled and cultured scientist, ithout hair-balances, acids, retorts, and a dozen other appliances, would have scorned the idea of an analysis or anything approaching it But in the annals of reat mine been made known and available to hu prospector, and how many hopeless and worthless ”properties” have sed the contributions of a gullable public through the ornamental reports of the skilled and cultured proprietor of an elaborate laboratory!
By the time the jam-tin and its contents had been obtained fro, he had crushed on the blade of a shovel, with the blunt head of thestone Tony lit the stu it over the flame to protect it from the rain, while Murray held the jam-tin of implements With a pinch of the powdered stone in the palm of his hand, Peters took the blowpipe, and blew the candle-flame on to the end of the bent platinued it into the borax, and again placed it in the fla at the end of the wire in a white, transparent bead Touching it on the powdered stone, he again placed it in the flame, and watched it until he saw creep into it the rich, ripe colour which denoted gold
”Native copper!” he cried in scorn, as he held out the ruddy bead to Palold, boys--gold!”
Palmer Billy came nearer, and looked at the bead with a fine scepticism
”Is it?” he said ”Well, dolly a luold out”
”I'll do it with mercury,” Peters exclaimed, as he seized the small bottle from the tin and shook it triumphantly towards the three
”We don't want no fakes,” Palold it'll wash out when the stone's crushed You crush a bit of the rock; I'll look after the water”
He took up a dish from the disorder of Peters's kit, and started off to collect water in it froetful of the rain and of everything save the prospect of proving the find, set to work to crush pieces of the boulder into a fine powder By the time Palmer Billy returned with the dish half-full of water, they had a handful of the powdered stone ready, and he, with much solemnity, as became a sceptic, eradually spilling the water, and with it the finer dust of the stone, until only a little wet sand remained in the bottom of the dish With his head on one side he lifted the dish, tilted over until the sand caught the light at the proper angle; then he slowly revolved the dish in his hands, the three others closely watching the expression of his face
Without a word he put the dish on the ground, and, walking over to Peters, slapped hiorously on the back
”I' to be grandfather to the lot of you, and I don't give a shearer's curse for your fakes and your fiddlements; and I struck a shere I said there'd be a reef--but, as I'old”
[Illustration: CAPERED ROUND THE BOULDER [_Page 216_]
The conversion of the sceptic co way once more to the enthusias and shouting, the others joining in, despite their weariness and their saturated clothes What were a few tenificance of Palht's sound sleep, a few hours' sunshi+ne, a couple of good meals, and their discomforts were at an end; while there in the boulder they had tapped, and probably in others that they saw around them, and perchance in the hill up which they had claold which was theirs by right of discovery, by the right of the ht of their future toil The tuckerscarce; but what of that? A few hours' work and one of the to clear off the score they had left and bringthey wanted--whatever it was, in a week it would be paid for The gold was at their feet; the strength to win it in theirfor possession in their , heard nothing, saw nothing, as they yelled and danced, but the delight that was upon theht which only comes to those who know success in the midst of desolation and despair
When they had relieved soht themselves of their creature co by their freedom, had found a way for the they could eat; and when the men found them, they found also that the spot was very round than the summit of the hill A shelter of branches was constructed, under which they placed their stores, and a fire, after so, they re them in the shelter where the heat of the fire could reach and dry them, the while they busied themselves with the preparation of the meal of which they were in so much need A break in the clouds, as they partook of it, added to the contentment they felt, for by the cessation of the rain an undisturbed night's rest seemed assured to them, and they needed that to fit them for their attack on the morrow upon the treasures they had found
They were in cal, which was fortunately fine, and set out to syste stone they had stumbled across It was all on the side of the hill which was farthest froh the whole side of the hill was composed of it
”What's to be done now?” Palmer Billy asked, when they old as we can in a couple of days, and then send Murray back with two horses for stores enough to last another two ood for, and h on hand to carry off and bank”
”Ah, that's the talk,” Pal round for the sharks to bite at you Plank the stuff in the bank, and sit s at the,” Murray said
”Isn't Marh?” Palmer Billy asked ”Didn't he put up stores on a tally, and don't e hih for me till the Government wants to build a railway and comes to me for a loan”
”That's a bit preood as a bank, and better; he stood us a shout and stores ere stony Where's the bank that'll do that?” Palmer Billy retorted ”You tell him, when you ride in for fresh stores, to shi+ft some of the in soon with a dray-load of nuggets,” he added to Murray
CHAPTER XV