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 wealth, how much more good he could, and he thought he would, do with it than would that dissolute and worthless crowd at Jamestown, or that company of selfish merchants in London. He found that the lumps he had already procured weighed fifteen pounds or more, and he reflected that such an amount was about all he could carry with him and keep concealed on his person, and even that amount would be very burdensome. He quickly calculated the probable value of fifteen pounds of gold, and found it was enough, if he could get back to England with it, to charter a hark and come over and get the rest of the gold, however much there might be.

It required no small resolution to leave that glittering mass of untold value there in the earth and go back to Jamestown, but at last Ralph carefully replaced the loose earth upon the golden mass, gathered some stones and placed over it, scraped up some dead leaves from some distance away, and scattered them over the rocks, hoping to conceal the gold from any straggling Indian who might pass the spot. Then, stowing away his nuggets in his clothes as best he could, he set out on his return to the boat, which was about three miles away. With a