Ropes put the question to Tom Lewis, who chanced to be passing.
"Haven't you heard about the nugget?" asked Lewis.
"What nugget?" asked Colson innocently.
"That slab-sided Yankee, Obed Stackpole, found a nugget last night—a regular monster—and he's been selling his claim. I bid for it, but I didn't bid high enough."
"Where's the nugget?" asked Colson eagerly.
"In charge of the commissioner, who will send it under escort to Melbourne."
Colson expected this intelligence. Still he looked downcast. The chance of getting hold of it under such circumstances seemed very small.
"What did the claim go for?" questioned Ropes.
"Three hundred pounds. Frank Scott bought it."
"That's a pretty steep price."