| Silas Minton's funeral was a quiet
{{U}}(36) {{/U}} . It was {{U}}(37) {{/U}} by the only
{{U}}(38) {{/U}} he had in the world, his niece and nephew, and by a few
friends. The priest who {{U}}(39) {{/U}} {{U}}(40) {{/U}} a
hundred miles into this wild part of the county was now getting {{U}}(41)
{{/U}} for the simple ceremony. Minton, {{U}}(42) {{/U}} "Minty" as
his friends {{U}}(43) {{/U}} call him, {{U}}(44) {{/U}} a hard
life {{U}}(45) {{/U}} for gold in a lonely part of Western Australia. He
had always refused to work in a gold mine {{U}}(46) {{/U}} he believed
that he could do better {{U}}(47) {{/U}} his own. Although he was not a
boastful(夸口的)person, he had often declared that one day he {{U}}(48)
{{/U}} find a lump (块) of gold as big as his head and {{U}}(49)
{{/U}} he would retire and live in {{U}}(50) {{/U}} for the rest of
his life. But his dreams of great wealth {{U}}(51) {{/U}} came true. For
many years he had hardly earned enough money to keep himself {{U}}(52)
{{/U}} . Two men now gently lifted the rough wooden box that {{U}}(53) {{/U}} Minty's body, but they almost dropped it when they heard a loud cry from the grave-digger. His spade (铁锹)had struck something hard in the rocky soil and he was shouting excitedly. Then he held up a large stone. {{U}}(54) {{/U}} it was covered {{U}}(55) {{/U}} dirt, the stone shone curiously in the fierce sunlight: it was unmistakably a heavy piece of solid gold! |