“The nugget,” said Crane sternly.
Hogan would have denied its possession if he could, but there it was at his side.
“There it is,” he said.
“What induced you to steal it?” demanded Crane.
“I was dead broke. Luck was against me. I couldn’t help it.”
“It was a bad day’s work for you,” said Peabody. “Didn’t you know the penalty attached to theft in the mining-camps?”
“No,” faltered Hogan, alarmed at the stern looks of his captors. “What is it?”
“Death by hanging,” was the terrible reply.
Hogan’s face blanched, and he sank on his knees before them.
“Don’t let me be hung!” he entreated. “You’ve got the nugget back. I’ve done no harm. No one has lost anything by me.”