The money he took out had served him well.

He had made good use of it, and was accumulating a fortune rapidly.

Such was his statement; but whether implicit reliance might be placed upon it was a question.

Gay John was apt to deceive himself; was given to look on the bright side, and to imbue things with a tinge of _couleur de rose_; when, for less sanguine eyes, the tinge would have shone out decidedly yellow.

The time went on, and his last account told of a "glorious nugget" he had picked up at the diggings.