rom 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?"

"A pesky thief sneaked in, and carried it off, as he thought."

"How could he think he carried it off when he did not?"

Upon this Obed explained the trick to which he had resorted, and the
commissioner laughed heartily.

"Do you know the man--the thief, I mean?" he asked.

"Yes, it is, a man that has been prowlin' round the camp for some weeks,
not doin' anything, but watchin' for a chance to appropriate the
property of some lucky miner. I'd like to see the fellow's face when he
opens the handkerchief this morning, and finds the rock."

"It appears you have lost a handkerchief, at any rate," said the
commissioner, with a smile.

"He's welcome to it," answered Obed, "if it will comfort him any. I
brought it away from home two years ago, and now I can afford to buy
another."

By this time the nugget had been carried into the office and exposed to
view.

"It is a splendid specimen," said the commissioner admiringly. "It is
certainly the largest that has ever been found in this camp."

"Has any been fo