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[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, just