und before?" asked Harry.

"Yes; six months ago a Scotch miner, named Lindsay, found one weighing
twenty-two pounds and some ounces."

"Is he here now?"

"Yes, and without a shilling."

"Didn't his nugget benefit him any then?" asked Harry.

"It became a curse to him. He obtained some thousands of dollars for it,
and all went in three months."

"How did he get rid of it?"

"In drinking and gambling. Two months since he drifted back to the camp
in rags. He did not have money enough to buy a claim, but being a good
practical miner he got a chance to work a claim on shares for another
man, who had just come out from Melbourne, and who knew very little of
mining. I hope you will make better use of your money. Are these boys
your partners?"

"Yes, Mr. Commissioner, they are equal partners. What's one's luck, is
the luck of all."

Meanwhile the commissioner was weighing the nugget on a pair of scales.
The three awaited the result with great interest.

"It weighs seventy-four pounds and four ounces," he announced. "My
friend, it will be famous in the annals of Australia. If I am not
mistaken, when it is known it will create a stampede to our mines."

"About how much do you think it will realize?" asked Obed.

"At a rough guess, I should say fifteen thousand dollars. It may be more
and it may be less."

Obed Stackpole's rough face was fairly radiant.

"I say, boys," he remarked, turning to Harry and Jack, "that's a pretty
good day's work, isn't it?"

"I should say so, Obed."

The commissioner made out a receipt, which Obed put away carefully in
his pocket.

"That's better than carrying the nugget round," he said.

"I suppose you will go to Melbourne," said the commissioner.

"Yes, we shall start in a day or two."

Here Obed paused, for it occurred to him that there were practical
difficulties in the way of carrying out his plan.

"That is," he added slowly, "if we can raise the money. I suppose we
can't borrow on the nugget?"

"No, but I can suggest a way out of your difficulties. You can sell your
claim. It will realize a good round sum, as the one from which the
nugget has been taken."

"That's so, Mr. Commissioner. Thank you for the suggestion. Boys, there
is still some business before us. We'll realize something extra, it
seems. I don't care how much, if it's only enough to take us to
Melbourne."

Just then a miner entered the office, and seeing the nugget instantly
made it his purpose to re