Part 35 (1/2)
Followed by a crowd of miners, Obed Stackpole strode to the claim where he had ”struck it rich” In spite of his hoainly for to stand in his shoes, homeliness and all The day before little notice was taken of him Noas a man who had won fame at a bound
They soon stood around the lucky claientlerandmother used to tell me 'Handsome is as handso for h doin' handsos It's made three of us rich, and it's ready to make somebody else rich Who'll be the lucky man? Do I hear a bid!”
”Fifty pounds,” said Tom Lewis
”That'll do to start on, but it won't do to take Fifty pounds I am offered Who says a hundred?”
A German miner offered a hundred, and Tom Lewis raised ten pounds
A Scotch miner, Aleck Graham, offered a hundred and twenty-five
From that time the bids rose slowly Obed showed himself an excellent auctioneer--indeed he had had some experience at ho when it became dull, and did not declare the claiher bid could be obtained
”Three hundred pounds, and sold to Frank Scott,” he concluded ”Mr
Scott, I congratulate you I calculate you've ood investet within a week 'Birds of a feather flock together,' as -book says, and 'it never rains but it pours'”
Frank Scott caements for the payment of the sum he had offered Within five minutes he was offered an advance of twenty-five pounds for his bargain, which put hih he declined it I may as well say here, since we are soon to bid farewell to Bendigo, that the claih this was not up to his expectations, he had no reason to regret his purchase
The little crowd ofwhen t-comers appeared on the scene They were the well- at the deserted cabin For convenience' sake ill call the the et, as he supposed
”What's all this crowd?” said Colson in a tone of curiosity
Ropes put the question to To
”Haven't you heard about the nugget?” asked Lewis
”What nugget?” asked Colson innocently
”That slab-sided Yankee, Obed Stackpole, found a nugget last night--a regularhis claih”
”Where's the nugget?” asked Colson eagerly
”In charge of the commissioner, ill send it under escort to Melbourne”
Colson expected this intelligence Still he looked downcast The chance of getting hold of it under such circuo for?” questioned Ropes
”Three hundred pounds Frank Scott bought it”
”That's a pretty steep price”
”Yes, but there et”