Part 29 (1/2)
CHAPTER XXIV
THE NUGGET IN DANGER
The tramp, who has already been introduced to the reader, had spent the evening at the ga the day, of a siven him by a compassionate miner He had risked it, and for a tiht have left off with twenty pounds But the fatal fascination of the gas ht without a penny in his pocket, so far as he knew
There was, however, a shi+lling 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 froet
”What are they up to,” he asked himself in aht? There's so up I wonder what it is”
He had reason to be surprised With the exception of those who, like hi (when he was in funds), no one in the caular 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 hily Then, with a flash of conviction, he said to hiet 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 coth It meant fortune for hi the property of another troubled hiet, by fair means or foul
The would-be thief understood well, however, that there would be difficulties in the way of accon 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 fro 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 theet, 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'ht have seen us on our way from the mine”
”I couldn't see anybody,” Harry remarked
”Nor I, but there may have been someone, 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 ere 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 someone did see us?” queried Jack
”Then we ht remain awake, Obed”