It Is Never Too Late to Mend Part 130

The man fumbled and brought out about an ounce. All the time he weighed it, the Jew's keen eye kept glancing into his face he lowered his eyes and could not conceal a certain uneasiness. When he was gone, Levi asked Robinson whether he knew that face.

"No," said Robinson, "I don't."

Levi called Nathan out.

"Nathan, look at that man, follow him cautiously, and tell me where we have seen him; above all, know him again. Surely that is the face of an enemy."

Then the old man asked himself where he had seen such an eye and brow and shambling walk as that; and he fell into a brown study and groped among many years for the clew.

"What! is Erin-go-bragh up with the sun for once?" cried Robinson to Mary McDogherty, who pa.s.sed him spade on shoulder.

"Sure if she warn't she'd never keep up with Newgut," was the instant rejoinder.

"Hem! how is your husband, Mary?"

"Och, captain, it is a true friend ye are for inquiring. Then it's tied in a knot he is.

"Mercy on us, tied in a knot?"

"Tied in a knot intirely--wid the rheumatism--and it's tin days I'm working for him and the childhre, and my heart's broke against gravel and stone intirely. I wish it was pratees we are digging, I'd maybe dig up a dinner any way."

"There is no difficulty, the secret is to look in the right place."

"Ay! ay! take your divairsion, ye sly rogue!--I wish ye had my five childhre."

"Oh! you spiteful cat!"

"Well, Ede, come to sell?"

"A little."

"What is to do out there? seems a bit of a crowd."

"What, haven't you heard? it is your friend Jem! he has got a slice of luck, bought a hole of a stranger, saw the stuff glitter, so offered him thirty pounds; he was green and snapped at it; and if Jem didn't wash four ounces out the first cradleful I'm a Dutchman."

"Well, I am right glad of that."

A young digger now approached respectfully. "Police report, captain."

"Hand it here. May I sit at your table a minute, Mr. Levi?" Mr. Levi bowed a.s.sent.

"No clew to the parties that attacked our tent last night?"

"None at present, captain, but we are all on the lookout. Some of us will be sure to hear of something, course of the day, and then I'll come and tell you. Will you read the report? There is the week's summary as well."

"Of course I will. Mum! mum! 'Less violence on the whole this week; more petty larceny.' That is bad. I'll put it down, Mr. Levi. I am determined to put it down. What an infernal row the cradles make. What is this? 'A great flow of strangers into the camp, most thought to be honest, but some great roughs; also a good many Yankees and Germans come in at the south side.' What is this? 'A thief lynched yesterday. Flung headforemost into a hole and stuck in the clay. Not expected to live after it.' Go it, my boys! Didn't I say law is the best for all parties, thieves included? Leave it, Andrew, I will examine it with the utmost minuteness."

The dog used fine words on these occasions, that he might pa.s.s for a pundit with his clique, and being now alone he pored over his police-sheet as solemn and stern as if the nation depended on his investigations.

A short explosion of laughter from Andrew interrupted this grave occupation. The beak looked up with offended dignity, and, in spite of a mighty effort, fell a sn.i.g.g.e.ring. For following Andrew's eyes he saw two gig umbrellas gliding erect and peaceful side by side among the pits.

"What on earth are they?"

"Chinamen, captain. They are too lazy to dig. They go about all day looking at the heaps and poking all over the camp. They have got eyes like hawks. It is wonderful, I am told, what they contrive to pick up first and last. What hats! Why, one of 'm would roof a tent."

"Hurroo!"

"What is up now?"

"Hurroo!" And up came Mary McDogherty dancing and jumping as only Irish ever jumped. She had a lump of dim metal in one hand and a glittering ma.s.s in the other. She came up to the table with a fantastic spring and spanked down the sparkling ma.s.s on it, bounding back one step like india-rubber even as she struck the table.

"There, ould gintleman, what will ye be after giving me for that? Sure the luck is come to the right colleen at last."

"I deal but in the precious metals and stones," replied Isaac, quietly.

"Sure, and isn't gould a precious metal?"

"Do you offer me this for gold? This is not even a metal. It is mica--yellow mica.

"Mikee?" cried Mary, ruefully, with an inquiring look.

At this juncture in ran George, hot as fire. "There!" cried he, triumphantly to Robinson, "was I right or wrong? What becomes of your gold-dust?" And he laid a nugget as big as his fist on the table.

"Ochone!" cried the Irishwoman, "they all have the luck barrin' poor Molly McDogherty."

The mica was handled, and George said to her compa.s.sionately, "You see, my poor girl, the first thing you should do is to heft it in your hand.

Now see, your lump is not heavy like--"

"Pyrites!" said Isaac, dryly, handing George back his lump. "No! pyrites is heavier than mica--and gold than pyrites."

"Mr. Levi, don't go to tell me this is not a metal," remonstrated George, rather sulkily, "for I won't have it."

"Nay, it is a metal," replied Levi, calmly, "and a very useful metal, but not of the precious metals. It is iron."

"How can it be iron when it is yellow? And how is one to know iron from gold, at any rate?"

"Be patient, my son." said the old Jew calmly, "and learn. Take this needle. Here is a scale of gold; take it up on the needle-point. You have done it. Why? Because gold is a soft metal. Now take up this scale from your pyrites?"

"I can't."

"No, because iron is a hard metal. Here is another childish test--a bloodstone, called by some the touchstone. Rub the pyrites on it. It colors it not--a hard metal. Now rub this little nugget of pure gold I have just bought."

"Ay! this stains the stone yellow."

"A soft metal. Here in this little phial is muriatic acid. Pour a drop on my nugget. The metal defies it. Now pour on your pyrites. See how it smokes and perishes. It cannot resist the acid. There are many other tests, but little needed. No metal, no earthly substance, resembles gold in the least."

"Not to a Jew's eye," whispered Robinson.