"Would you, though?" demanded the speaker, a look of delight overspreading his face. "Well, if I ever see my children or wife again, they shall learn to pray for you, and I would, if I knew how."
"When the shaft caved in," Jack said, "we had just found three nuggets of gold, and even during our extremity, we retained our hold of them. We are not rich, as Sam states, but if you will accept of the nuggets, and keep them as a remembrance of our deliverance, we shall feel thankful."
They laid them down and were gone before we could remonstrate, and just as they left the tent the inspector entered.
"Well," he exclaimed, "what have you decided to do about the store? The patronage of the whole of Ballarat is at your disposal, for, go where I will, I can hear of nothing but the two Americans, who fight duels with one hand and rescue people with the other."
"We have decided," replied Fred.
"That you will commence business?" eagerly inquired the inspector.
"Yes."
"Good!" and without another word the inspector left our tent abruptly, as though he had forgotten some important business.