im.
"Don't hold back, and say that you don't believe that the mine contains
another nugget. That won't do in Ballarat. Speak up with confidence, and
tell about the richness of the mine, and your disinclination to sell.
That will only make people more eager, and you will get better terms."
"But we don't believe that the claim will ever pay another dollar," I
replied.

"What is that to you?" he retorted. "Didn't you buy without
expectations, and haven't you ever purchased a lottery ticket and drawn
a blank? A claim is a lottery, and one of the most treacherous kind.
Sell while you can, and try another site."

We remembered of a purchase that we had made in California, when a
shrewd fellow sold us his worked-out claim for two hundred dollars, and
we were laughed at for our greenness. We felt a desire to retaliate, but
we had been taught in New England schools that two wrongs did not make
one right, and we banished the plan from our minds of urging people to
buy our mine on the plea that it was rich beyond comparison. If it was
desired, we determined that it should be bought without extolling
claptrap of any kind.

While we were in this frame of mind, a stranger entered our store, and
expressed a desire to see the nugget which had turned half the heads in
Ballarat.

He manifested no disappointment when told that it was at the government
office, and after asking a few questions, boldly made an offer for our
claim that was greatly in advance of what we had anticipated.

There was a moment's hesitation on our part, and we were strongly
tempted to close the bargain; but better thoughts came to our aid, and
we declined the offer, on the ground that he offered more money than the
mine was really worth, and more than he could possibly get back.

"That," replied the would-be purchaser, "is my lookout. I know the
condition of the mine, and what has been taken from it. If my offer is
accepted I am willing to pay the price that I mention, and whether it
repays me or not is none of your affair."

It would have been cruel to disappoint the man, and as money was our
object, and he was so anxious to do us a service, we, with great
magnanimity, accepted of one thousand dollars in gold dust, and gave the
purchaser a deed of the claim.

"A good day's work!" cried Fred, rubbing his hands, as soon as the
stranger's back was turned. "A dozen or twenty more such, and then, hey
for home!"

We had made, as Fred said, a good day's work