Produced by Steven desJardins and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: Ben's Nugget by Horatio Alger Jr.] [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