“Look here, if this ain’t gold, I never saw a sovereign!” cried Tim, as he displayed a water-worn piece of the precious metal.
Mat could hardly believe his eyes, and whilst yet examining the nugget, Tim brought forth another from under the bank of the dried-up watercourse in which he was standing.
Both brothers now fell to with pointed stakes to dig in the sand, and, before another hour had passed, had unearthed several nuggets of various sizes.
At length this “pocket” of treasure ceased, and their digging-sticks came on to hard rock, which, at length, laying bare and following up the creek, they discovered was milky white, with distinct veins of gold running through it.
“Why, the gully is full of gold! our fortune’s made!” panted Tim, as he sat down to rest, and surveyed the beautiful rock beneath him.
“So it might be if we were away from here, Tim; as it is, it’s not so much use to us as if ’twas a lot of lead; all the same, we’ll take the bearings of the gully, and as it’s late, and we’ve lost the best of the day digging, we’ll camp to-night with the Tinguras, they seemed friendly enough with the Waigondas, though Dromoora says they’re thieves.”
The brothers marked the trees slightly, took up their spoils, and moved away from the “golden valley,” as they christened the spot, and by sundown were at the camp in question, which they intended to make their headquarters for a few days.
Upon arriving they showed the blacks one of the nuggets they had found, but these merely remarked that such “stones” had often been found by them, and that they were of no use.
It struck them that this tribe did not receive them very cordially upon this occasion, for they made uncalled-for remarks, said there was no food in the camp for strangers, never showed them where they might sleep, and behaved generally in a rough and uncouth manner.
However, this behaviour did not trouble our lads, they merely took the precaution to load their gun that night; this weapon, together with ammunition, being their constant companion, when away from home.