mephistopheles and Crawley parted at the suburb; the former was to go to certain haunts and form a gang to seize the rich prize. Meantime Crawley would enter the town and discover where the men were lodging. If in an inn, one of the gang must go there as a well-dressed traveler, and watch his opportunity. If in a lodging, other means.
Crawley found the whole city ringing with the great nugget. Crawley put eager questions, and received ready answers. He was shown the bank up to which the men had ridden in broad daylight; the one on the big horse had the nugget on his saddle; they had taken it, and broken it, and weighed it, and sold it in the bank parlor for three thousand eight hundred pounds. Crawley did not like this, he had rather they had not converted it into paper. His next question was, whether it was known where the men lodged.
“Known! I believe you; why, they are more thought of than the governor. Everybody runs to get a word with them, gentle or simple. You will find them at the 'Ship' inn.”
To the “Ship” went Crawley. He dared not be too direct in his queries, so he put them in form of a statement.
“You have got some lucky ones here, that found the great nugget?”
“Well, we had! But they are gone—been gone this two hours. Do you know them?”
“Yes,” said Crawley, without fear, as they were gone. “Where are they gone, do you know?”
“Why, home, I suppose; you chaps make your money out of us, but you all run home to spend it.”
“What, gone to England!” gasped Crawley.
“Ay, look! there is the ship just being towed out of the harbor.”