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

A. liked
B. past
C. used
D. used to