This information rather startled the cautious gentleman, and the question was put to me without equivocation,—­

“How much advance did I demand for the flour which they held for for me?”

“Fifty-six pounds per ton,” I replied, promptly and firmly.

“Would I not take fifty pounds?”

“No”

“Would I sell all that I held in the city to the firm of Hennetit & Co. for that price?”

I replied that I would, provided the transaction was cashed that afternoon.

There was a short discussion among the members of the firm; and I saw the junior partner go out in great haste.  He returned in a few minutes, and reported, I knew what he went after.  He desired to learn the direction of the wind before completing the bargain.  Fortune favored me.  It was blowing a gale directly off shore.

“Will you take a check on the bank, or do you desire gold dust?” was Mr. Hennetit’s polite interrogation.

I replied that I preferred the dust, if it was clean, and had been received from the government office.  It was warranted free of sand; and while the weighing commenced, I drew up orders for the delivery of flour held by the several firms in the city.  By the time that I had concluded, the dust was put into bags, marked with my name, the amount in each bag, and I found myself thy possessor of ten thousand pounds in hard cash, or nearly fifty thousand dollars.

In less than an hour the money was safely locked up in the vaults of the bank; and then I began to feel as though I had passed through an ordeal that had left me, at least, ten years older than I really was; and I almost made a solemn vow never to attempt another speculation; but I am glad that I hesitated, because before I left Australia I indulged in many; and while some were unfortunate, others, I am happy to state, turned out well, and enable me to live at the present time, a life of such comparative idleness, that I almost repent being a bachelor, and sometimes think that the sea of matrimony would relieve my life of ennui.

I owe an apology to the reader, perhaps, for thus taking so much space to relate a transaction that made some noise in Melbourne, owing to the boldness of my strike, and the success that attended it.  It was a lottery, with the chances in my favor, and had I not improved it there were others who would.

The vessels expected did not arrive for three days after I sold out; yet the Messrs. Hennetits & Co. made money out of the operation, and whenever I met them, after our business relations were ended, always joked me about selling to them for so low a price, while they were prepared to give me at least five pounds more per ton.

But I will retrace my steps, and return to our store at Ballarat, from which place I took flight on the very day that we found our nugget.

“I think,” said Mr. Critchet, as we sat smoking our pipes after tea, the store being closed for the night, “that I shall be well enough in a few days to go to work myself.  I feel the spirit in me, but the flesh is yet weak.”