Although Ben was feeling better, he was not entirely at ease. The whole thing seemed so theatrical. It was like working on the stage of a theater. Besides, he was not yet assured of success. While the presence of spectators was flattering, it was rather embarrassing to the workmen. They would have preferred to have made their clean-up without an audience. Skepticism, along with curiosity, was written on the faces of all. And, like all sensation-seekers, they withheld any decided opinion until the result should be known. In imagination Ben could already hear the jeering laughter of the crowd over his failure, and this added to his nervousness. His cheeks were flushed with excitement, and he stole over to where Beth and little Sue were standing and said in an anxious whisper, “It’s just awful not to know how it’s going to pan out!” When at length the crucial moment arrived, and he saw Mundon scoop up some particles of yellow metal with one hand while with the other he waved his hat, everything seemed to swim before Ben’s eyes. The crowd gave a hearty cheer, in which he joined as if in a dream. It was pleasant to be congratulated; and it must be confessed that the boy miner enjoyed being looked upon as a marvel of enterprise. Old Madge appeared to be wonderfully interested in the proceedings; and Ben did not quite like the expression of his countenance when he looked upon the gold. Neither did he like a look of envy which could be seen upon the faces of some others. “Can’t please everybody,” Ben said to himself, with a shrug. “Some people never like to see any one else succeed.” The rest of it was pleasant enough. There was a sort of Fourth-of-July excitement about it that was most exhilarating. After the last hanger-on had gone and the gates were shut for the night, Mundon remarked that he would go down-town to get a new fitting that was needed. “We got twice as much gold to-day as we did yesterday,” he said as he turned to go. “Mebbe we’ll get twice as much as this to-morrer--it’s bound to vary. But, anyway, we’re all right. Well, so long! I’ll be back inside of an hour.” “So long!” Ben replied. Left alone on the scene of his triumph, Ben surveyed the mass of rubbish and endeavored to estimate how much it would yield. He had supposed himself to be alone, and was surprised to see a Chinaman standing in the opening above the little strip of beach. “What do you want here?” Ben demanded. “I come to see you on business,” the man replied in excellent English. “How’d you get here?” “O, I come in when other people come; and I wait till your partner go, because I want to see you alone.” With a quick motion of his arm the man threw back one of his voluminous sleeves and pointed with his claw-like fingers to the roof and walls. Ben noted that his dress marked him as a member of the ordinary merchant class of Chinese. “You work with the bricks and dirt,” he said, pointing to the piles of rubbish. “What you intend to do with building?”