Ben's Nugget A Boy's Search For Fortune   By: Horatio Alger (1832-1899)

[Illustration: TURNING THE TABLES.]

BEN'S NUGGET;

OR,

A BOY'S SEARCH FOR FORTUNE.

A Story of the Pacific Coast.

BY

HORATIO ALGER, JR.,

AUTHOR OF "RAGGED DICK," "TATTERED TOM," "LUCK AND PLUCK," "BRAVE AND BOLD SERIES," ETC., ETC.

THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO., PHILADELPHIA, CHICAGO, TORONTO.

COPYRIGHT BY HORATIO ALGER, JR., 1882.

To

Three San Francisco Boys,

JOSEPH AND MAXEY SLOSS AND CLARENCE WALTER,

THIS STORY

IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.

PREFACE.

"Ben's Nugget" is the concluding volume of the Pacific Series. Though it is complete in itself, and may be read independently, the chief characters introduced will be recognized as old friends by the readers of "The Young Explorer," the volume just preceding, not omitting Ki Sing, the faithful Chinaman, whose virtues may go far to diminish the prejudice which, justly or unjustly, is now felt toward his countrymen.

Though Ben Stanton may be considered rather young for a miner, not a few as young as he drifted to the gold fields in the early days of California. Mining is carried on now in a very different manner, and I can hardly encourage any of my young readers to follow his example in seeking fortune so far from home.

New York, May 19, 1882.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. PAGE THE MOUNTAIN CABIN 13

CHAPTER II. THE MISSING CHINAMAN 23

CHAPTER III. TWO GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD 30

CHAPTER IV. KI SING IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY 38

CHAPTER V. FURTHER ADVENTURES OF BILL MOSELY 46

CHAPTER VI. AN UNEQUAL CONTEST 54

CHAPTER VII. TIED TO A TREE 62

CHAPTER VIII. TURNING THE TABLES 70

CHAPTER IX. BRADLEY'S SIGNAL VICTORY 78

CHAPTER X. "THE BEST OF FRIENDS MUST PART" 87

CHAPTER XI. PLANS FOR DEPARTURE 95

CHAPTER XII. THE PROFITS OF MINING 100

CHAPTER XIII. KI SING'S RIDE 104

CHAPTER XIV. GOLDEN GULCH HOTEL 113

CHAPTER XV. BILL MOSELY REAPPEARS 122

CHAPTER XVI. A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE 131

CHAPTER XVII. LYNCH LAW 139

CHAPTER XVIII. AFTER THE EXECUTION 147

CHAPTER XIX. BEN WINS LAURELS AS A SINGER 151

CHAPTER XX. A LITTLE RETROSPECT 158

CHAPTER XXI. MR. CAMPBELL RECEIVES TIDINGS OF HIS WARD 165

CHAPTER XXII. A MORNING CALL 174

CHAPTER XXIII. A SECRET CONFERENCE 183

CHAPTER XXIV. MISS DOUGLAS RECEIVES A MESSAGE 188

CHAPTER XXV. WALKING INTO A TRAP 195

CHAPTER XXVI. A HARD HEARTED JAILER 201

CHAPTER XXVII. A STAR IN THE CLOUD 210

CHAPTER XXVIII. JONES CHECKMATES ORTON CAMPBELL 219

CHAPTER XXIX. A WEDDING RECEPTION 229

CHAPTER XXX. THE NUGGET 237

CHAPTER XXXI. JOB STANTON'S MISTAKE 246

CHAPTER XXXII. THE HOUSE IS MORTGAGED 255

CHAPTER XXXIII. THE BLOW ABOUT TO FALL 260

CHAPTER XXXIV. CONCLUSION 265

BEN'S NUGGET;

OR,

A BOY'S SEARCH FOR FORTUNE.

CHAPTER I.

THE MOUNTAIN CABIN.

"What's the news, Ben? You didn't happen to bring an evenin' paper, did you?"