Digging for Gold

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Good Lord, Chloe!" he said, pressing a hand to his chest. "What on earth has gotten into you? I wasn't expecting you this morning." Not terribly much. I have my books, and my music," he said, with a gesture toward his gramophone. "And besides, you're well aware of what I think of anyone in the market for a book around these parts." Of course it is better to dig than to idle or starve, or be a burden on one’s friends; nevertheless, I don’t like the notion of it. I suppose, however, that I must try it just now, for it is quite certain that we cannot exist here without gold. By the way, Joe, have you got any more?” The Indian caught it deftly; crash went his powerful teeth into the hard mass, and in an incredibly short time it was—with the pork! Aren't you - I don't know, bothered by it?" she said, keeping a close eye on his expression once again. It didn't shift. If he was lying, his tell was more difficult to spot than her teenage son's.

The chief took this remark for a hint, and at once offered some gold-dust in exchange for powder and shot, but Rance shook his head, knowing that, if obtained, the ammunition would in all probability be used against himself. The chief was therefore obliged to rest content in the mean time with the harmless weapon. He has a flat elsewhere in the city," he said, perched on a stool behind his counter. "He'll be here later, I'm sure. I've got a lovely vintage wine lined up for this evening." And once he says yes, you'll be needing a wedding planner," said the man's wife. "I know a fantastic lady. Her name's Jenny. You'll get along famously."

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Then what do you want?" he said, curling his lip. She could've sworn his teeth were slightly pointed. “Why ambush me in a coffee shop?” Besides,” continued Frank, “I have read a good deal about that country of late, and the descriptions of the magnificence of the scenery have made me long to have an opportunity of painting it and—” He rolled his eyes, though he'd fervently deny it if she dared to point it out. "So you keep saying," he said. He'd politely grimaced through many of Chloe's high-and-mighty lectures about sleep schedules, healthy alcohol intake and 'safe' exercise activities for men of his age. She meant well, at least, but she knew she was being ignored. It didn't deter her, though. "I assure you, my dear, I'm not about to drop dead anytime soon. My lifestyle is perfectly fine as it is."

Say no more!" said a man at a nearby table. "My brother's a goldsmith. He sells all sorts of stuff, real high-end, completely bespoke. It'll be right up Fell's alley." I’ve bin’ thinkin’ about that, sir,” said Joe, “and it seems to me that our only chance lie in settin’ up a grog and provision store!”Carrying these in their hands, and disposed round their persons, intermixed with short swords and long bowie-knives, the whole party mounted guard, bristling like human hedge-hogs, and, placed at equal intervals on each side of the camp, marched about for an hour or two, without seeing or hearing anything more of their enemies. The bargain was soon made. The one party continued their journey; the other, with an abundant supply of water, returned to those who had been left behind, and reached them in time to save their lives. Stop! if you and I are to be companions in trouble, you must not call me Mister Frank, you must drop the mister.” This was rather a startling piece of advice, and for a time Frank felt much depressed, but on returning to his lodgings the day he received his dismissal, his eye fell on his palette and brushes, which he at once seized, and, hastening out to his favourite tree, was soon so thoroughly absorbed in the study of “nature” that his sorrows vanished like morning mist.

I don’t know, and don’t care,” replied the man, “but I say God bless you. Go away and be content with that.” No one made any reply, but by their looks they appeared to think nothing of a twenty-mile walk. They found, however, that such a distance, traversed over loose sand ankle-deep, and under a burning sun, was not what any of them had been accustomed to. Chapter Seven. Gives the Result of the First Day’s Digging, and shows the Powerful Effect of Lynch-Law. Not officially. I'm Chloe. We met the other month, that morning at Fell's," she said with a glowing smile, providing a veneer for her calculating gaze. Get out all your weapons, big and little,” said Rance, as he loaded his rifle, “and fire ’em off to begin with. It will show them that we are well prepared.”

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Aziraphale beamed. "Yes, he is," he said. Chloe looked at him, that endlessly fond smile born from a love affair that had been ageing like a fine wine since time immemorial. Sat on the fringes of that beautiful story, she took a moment to share his happiness.

The place where they had halted was without a scrap of vegetation, and as there was no wood wherewith to kindle a fire, they were compelled to encamp without one. To most of the travellers, however, this was a matter of little importance, because they were too much exhausted to eat. Those who had water drank a mouthful sparingly, and then lay down to sleep. Those who had none also lay down in gloomy silence. They did not even indulge in the usual solace of a pipe, for fear of adding to the burning thirst with which they were consumed. Jine ’em, say I,” replied Joe. “I’m fond of Meyer, and I like the Scotchman too, though he is rather fond of argification; besides, it strikes me that from what we have heard of diggers’ ways, we shall be the better of being a strong party.” Frank,” said Mr Allfrey, somewhat solemnly, as he turned his gaze full on the animated face of his nephew, “ if I could get you put into a lunatic asylum without a doctor’s certificate I would do so without delay, but, that being impossible just now—although I think it will be not only possible but necessary ere long—I have to make you a final proposal. It is this:— that, as you express such a powerful objection to enter an office in this country, you should go abroad and see whether a three-legged stool is more attractive in foreign parts than it is in England. Now, I happen to have a friend in California. If your geography has not been neglected as much as your Latin, you will remember that this country lies on the western seaboard of North America, not far from those gold-fields which have been recently turning the world upside-down. Will you go?” The UK law on gold panning states that, in most cases, gold found during panning actually belongs to The Crown Estate. You will need permission from the Estate to remove gold that you discover, and they may grant you a lease within a specific area. The biggest gold finds in the UK Well, boy, have you thought over what I said to you yesterday about fixing upon some profession? You are aware that you cannot expect to lead a life of idleness in this world. I know that you are fit for nothing, but fit or not fit, you must take to something without delay.”An expert worker in average ground could gather and wash a panful of dirt every ten minutes. There were few places in Bigbear Gully that would not yield two shillings’ worth of gold to the panful, so that in those early days, while the surface soil was still fresh, a man could, by steady work alone—without incidental nuggets—work out gold-dust to the value of between five and six pounds sterling a day, while, occasionally, he came upon a lump, or nugget, equal, perhaps, to what he could procure by the labour of a week or more. I have studied much, uncle,” said Frank eagerly, “although I have said little to you about the matter, knowing your objection to it; but if you would condescend to look at a few of my drawings from nature, I think—” I understand, uncle, perfectly,” replied Frank with a smile. “The fact is that I had made up my mind, lately, not to oppose your wishes any longer, but to agree to go into an office at home. Of course it is more agreeable to me to think of going into one abroad.” On the way the good-humoured American seemed to take a fancy to Frank, with whom he had a great deal of animated conversation. After asking our hero every possible question in regard to himself and intentions, he told him that he was Yankee,—a piece of superfluous information, by the way;—that his name was Jeffson, that he was a store-keeper at one of the farthest off diggings, that the chief part of the loading of one of the mules belonged to him, and that he was driving a considerable business in gold-dust without the trouble of digging for it. The jeweller stood from his table, pointing at the watch on his wrist, which he’d sold to Aziraphale not long ago. It was a Vacheron Constantin. "Where'd you get the thirty-eight grand watch?" he asked. Several people gasped audibly.