The Brecon County Times Neath Gazette and General Advertiser for the Counties of Brecon Carmarthen Radnor Monmouth Glamorgan Cardigan Montgomery Hereford

===T Established Established 1885. 1885. By Appointment. GENERAL 'I Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation, Ltd. Assets Exceed £ 2,500,000. Claims paid over £ 7,000,000. SPECIAL FEATURES. ACCIDENT INSURANCE Liberal Benefits and Conditions. Low Premiums. FREE FIRE INSURANCE EVERY SIXTH YEAR TO PEIVATE PROPEST-J; OWNERS AND HOUSEHOLDERS. THREE POPULAR POLICIES Of Life Assnranca, with Various Options, T- c All Clams of lusuraacc Business Transacted. CHIEF OFFlCES- J GENERAL BUILDINGS, PERTH, SCOTLAND. GENERAL BUILDINGS, ALDWTCH, LONDON. General Manager F. JJOBIE-MILLEEJ J.P. Note.—The Bonds of the Corporation are accepted by all Departments of His Majesty's Government.

Wye Valley Otter Hounds. By invitation^of the M.O.H. the Wye Valley otter hounds started hunting from Pontrilas Station on Tuesday, and are due to meet there again to-morrow (Friday, May 28th) at 10 o'clock.

in or sig Wedding Cards. 7 Oall and see the » s Beautiful Designs In Endless Variety I at the COUNTY TIMES OFFICE, BRECON. f

BWLCH PRESENTATION. Honour to Popular Owner of Talybryn. ftgP11 Thursday night there was a large at the Penuel C.M. chapel, Bwlch, W f0ccasi°n presentations by the mem- Tal8k c^aPe^ an(l the tenantry of the <>ywyn estate to Mr Wm. Parry, on the T^sion his marriage. Tre ^rwas ta^en by Mr L. J. Davies, j; and others present were the Eevs. fC\ ar^ee (pastor), D. Lloyd w vnarhos), W. Llewelyn (Llangynidr), ssra B. Morris (Manest Court), J. lining, Dd. Evans, Samuel Williams, J;' 0,168 (Neuaddfry), Dd. Griffith, Roderick etc. r Mainwaring, superintendent of the an^8' Sunday school, said the purpose of Jja^er*njg was to honour Mr W. Parry e occasion of his marriage and in recog- tjj 011 the many services he had rendered a church. Mr Parry was always generous in his support of the Sunday chil^ an(* was always ready to help the Uf*' wis^e<^ an(* Mrs Parry J.life and happiness. ^ev. W. Llewelyn said they were glad a Sphering of that kind, notwifeh- the nS the terrible and awful crisis which county was passing through and they re able to forget for a moment the state of on the Continent, He congratulated ^rs Parry upen that most auspicious iSl ,0n» an<^ speaking1 from personal know- fee could say that both were from ^j8t°.Ured and respected families in the Whatever the Church was giving and Mrs Parry they were quite worthy e gift. Mr Parry was willing at all n°t only Methodism, but every °Daination and he had proved himself a of Nonconformity in South Wales. • trf ather before him was a Nonconformist 4 » right type and Mrs Parry hailed from *amily at Dyffryn Crawnon, whose was felt there now. Ms] Evans, superintendent of the Sunday school at Bwlch, said Mr Parry V^ved all they gave him that evening. few individual country churches could to maintain a minister, but through 15 L support of Mr Parry they were able to a minister of their own at Bwlch. He ttowledged the personal help given by Mr ZY to the Sunday school work, especially > the children. ii Rev. D. Lloyd said that meeting was of the "inter-denominational" interest by Mr Parry in the churches of the W??ct. It reminded them of the good j^tions of the Talybryn and Manest tob es* He trusted that the union would the enobling of the traditions of the Rev. E. Hardee Merchant, having .j^/j a letter from the Rev. Gomer Harris /.Siting his inability to attend, said that "wof tha virtues which revealed itself *w*singiysin Mr Parry was his constant a^dance at church services. This was an tj^ional virtue to the many already men- g. in his character, and one he could not e Phasise too strongly, seeing that there ere i,to e many persons similarly situated, able gy comnas*nd pleasure as they chose, who took ■"vantage of their position and neglected the pwitiual ^de of Church work. He wished ParrY evfery happiness and long 7 Ito ° con^nue their good work. ^^1 ^Samuel Williams, the senior deacon at wjth a characteristic speech, made the tion on behalf of the Church mem- and congregation to Mr Parry. The t C5 y consisted of a silver Elkington plate, which is inscribed :—"Presented to Jfc*nd Mrs W. Parry on the occasion of Carriage by the members and congre- °f the Bwlch C.M. £ hurch. May his reply Mr Parry thanked the donors tj^heir generous gift and assured tliem Wou^ treasured by his family. He < the church and congregation would be ?-V r blessed to continue the good work ^ere doing. (Hear, hear.) I TENANTS' PRESENTATION. »• V V/ e Chairman remarked that they now to the social side of Mr Parry's work r j. the presentations of the tenants would ?1' Thos. Jones, Neuaddfry, said he had a tenant on the Talybryn estate for nine years, ajid had a good many of b ess dealings with Mr Parry, in which found him an excellent landlord. He Mr and Mrs Parry long life amongst if J iKvid Griffiths, Pencaeau, also spoke e good qualities of Mr Parry as a fyj. j?rd and his remarks were endorsed by V^derick Evans and Mr Morris. Navies, Neuaddfach, made the Captation on behalf of the tenints, which of an illuminated address, an oak and an ink stand. The text of the is as follows :—"To Wm. Parry, Nil' 'ybryn, Bwlch. Dear Sir. We the J^igned tenants wish, on the occasion oi Carriage, to place upon record our feel- sincere goodwill #tid ask you to as a token thereto this address and 20. arm chair of carved oak. We heartily V^t the sincerest greetings and trust ^°nr new life will be filled with the best tseaJth and enjoyment, and also thatyou will 4. be able to continue to fulfil those social ea to which you have given so large a :t!'t of your time and wealth. But our tICular object is rather to recognise your h eSs 88 a landlord during the years that .Ve been your tenants. We rejoice to Sn^kdge the moderation of your t^h S' Your consideration in view of c'°nstantly recurring matters as a need h ^>a'rs consequent upon the damage of xrsher °f seasons, and your unfailing whenever we have occasion to you. Although it is primarily as that \Ve address you, nevertheless, be allowed to place on record our lation of your interest in our neigh- and your endeavour to keep alive v°b'e family tradition. We remember .Vfc ,e*°ved father and mother and rejoice Talybryn interest in the surround- t. rict has not passed away. We tender ifP^tful greetings to the companion of v °nie an(^ our new landlady and trust V days together may be many and y >\ vid ciurs with hearty greeting. Signed ayies, Wm. Prytherch, Wm. Morris, Griffiths, Thomas Jones, Roderick atl^ L. J. Davies." The address was by Messrs J- E Nott & Co 1 hiflh a.vies added that Mr Parry was held y, esteeem by the tenants and he also efrence to the gift of -a plot of land ,1jI ■

1 LLOYDS BANK LI" IT D. __H_ HEAD OFFICE: 71, LOMBARD STREET, LONDON, E.G. .=::=;-==-=-===C:- Capital Subscribed £ 31,304,200 1 Capital Paid up P.5,008,672 Ii Deposits, &c. £ 124,937,017 Reserve Fund 3,600,000 Advances, &o. 61,535,439 Savings Bank Department. FOP some time past, public men of ail panties have been urging those whose earnings are larger tnan usual to save part at least of their additional income, so that, if employment should slacken and wages diminish in the future, there may be something in hand with which to meet those contingencies. The Directors of Lloyds Bank Limited have pleasure n announcing that they have decided to place the services of the Bank, with its widespread system of Branches, at the disposal of the public for the deposit of savings, however small. The Bank already has a large Savings Bank Department in the South West of England, of which advantage is taken by a great number of small deposit customers, and the same facilities are now available throughout the whole of its system. Wherever, therefore, a Branch of Lloyds Bank is established, such deposits can now be made, and interest will be allowed thereon, on terms as to rate, withdrawal, &c., which can be obtained on application. It is not the intention of Lloyds Bank to enter into competition with established Banks and other institutions which are already doing useful service in this direction, but to extend existing facilities so that they may be within the reach of the small depositor wherever there is a Branch of Lloyds Bank. THE BANK HAS OVER 880 OFFICES IN ENGLAND AND VIALES., 1- n_

TO ANYONE WITH A LIVER." What a melancholy lot is that of individuals with a liver." How can you be bright and cheerful when your liver—itbe largest organ in your body-is not working efficiently ? No wonder you grow irritable, and make others irritable, tou, when the liverish mood is on yoa. In its worst forms liverisbness is often accom. panied by doll racking headaches and bilious bonts, which interfere with the day's work and rob you of the night's rest. Whenever the liver shows signs of getting out of order, try a few doses of Mother Saigel's Syrup. Yoa will marvel at the tooic stid regulating icflueuce of this popular remedy upon not only the liver, but also upon the stomach and bowels. With these important organs of digestion reinvipor. ated by the action of Mother Seigel's Syrup, you should be able to eat well, work well, sleep well and enjoy life.

NEW ZBALAND'S VITAL STATISTICs.The vital statistics for New Zealand for 1914 are now available, and show the excess of births over deaths to have been 19,192, while the I). in. crease for the year was 11,334. The 1914 birth rate was 25 99, and the death rate 9 31. The Government statistician estimates tbe total population of tbe Dominion on December 31st at 1,158.438, of whom 601,085 were males 557,263 females. The total number of persons who arrived in tbe Dominion daring 1914 was 37,646, giving au excess over departures of 5,540. Of 37,646 persons who went to New Zealand last year, 4.267, or 1133 per cent, of tbe total, were children under 12 years of age, and of 32,506 departures, the children num- bered 2,819, or 8 67 per cent. The departures shown do not, of course, include tbe 11,998 member9 of Expeditionary Forces which have lets tile Dominion eince tbe outbreak of war.

LAD I E S Send no money We will forward you post free a sample of QAUTIERS FAMOUS PILLS 3 which arefcwithoat doubt the most oertain remedy eve I discovered for all female irregularities. They are un equalled for Women and are safe, snre, ana speedy. Also our valuable 50-page Booklet and Guide to Health on I receipt of a Post-card or a letter. I BALDWIN A CO.. Herb & Drug Stores Only Address-ELECTRIC PARADE, HOLLOWAY, LONDON. N Sold in Boxes, 7id., 2/9. Extra Strong C'I.

WYE FISHING. Proposed Uniformity of Bye-Laws. The Wye Board of Conservators have taken a preliminary step towards obtaining the conformity of bye-laws regulating sea fishing in the estuaries of the Wye, Severn and Usk, of which Cardiff is taken as the furthest point, with the Flat Holm on the eastern boundary line. Sir Stafford Howard, who presided at the Wye-Board's meeting, moved that inquiries be made to ascertain the nature of the various bye-laws on the matter, and get other boards to agree to unification. The whole object, he said was to prevent the destruction of immature fish. Mr J. Williams Yaughan, Hay, character- ised this as a most important step to protect sea fisheries,, and supplied the Board with the results of his trawling experiments to show the large proportion of immature and non-marketable nsh which were netted by fishermen. When trawling was carried on for the purposes of trade he was afraid there was little chance of these immature fish being returned to the sea and growing bigger, as was done in the eases he bad referred to.. It would, he added, be an excellent thing if the whole coast was placed under the same bye-law, beciuse different bye-laws caused friction and sea fisrhemen,though fellows,were apt to be very jealous of their neighbours if they thought they were getting a better pull than they had. The recommendation was carried. During the meeting Mr J. A. Hutton, the salmon expert,. reported the capture of a remarkable fish .markedin the Wye, and recorded 33 inches long and weighed 8 lb. m Z5 When captured a year later at Gatcombe Sands it was 40 inches long and weighed 28 lb., an. extraordinary growth. It was caught in the Severn by Mr George Withers, who had also caught two others. Mr Withers had, therefore, won both prizes which he had offered for the return of such fish. It was decided to prepare a statement to place before the inspector at the forth-com- ing inquiry into the bye-law of the board altering the close season for the upper and lower waters of the Wye. The salmon licenses, it was stated, had largely dropped owing to the war. The following gentlemen were re-appointed members of the Board for the County Coun- cils named i-Breeonshire Col. Hugh Powell Williams, Rhayader; Mr J. Williams Vaughan, Hay; Mr A. Gwynne Vaughan, C.O. Builth Wells, Monmouthshire; Ald. W. Hughes, Monmouth Mr E. Carne Curre, Chepstow; Mr A. G. Burchardt Ashton, Llandago. It was resolved to act with other Boards in urging the Board of Agriculture and Z5 Fisheries to uetain the services of Mr C. E. Fryer, I.S.O. ,as superintendent inspector be- J yond the period when his retirement is due, the Board being of the opinion that so expert and valuable an officer should not be lost during the present exceptional circumstances. Lieut. H. A. Christy wrote expressing sincere thanks for the kind resolutions of sympathy on the death of his brother, who was killed in action. The statement of accounts up to May loth showed a balance of £ 748. A comparative statement as to the receipts up-to-date showed totals practically the same X911 last year, X913 this year. On the other hand the comparative number of licences sold was not so satisfactory up-to-date they in £ 27S against £412 up to the same period last year. Outstanding rates were £322, which the Clerk hoped to get in with one exception. The Chairman said the position was satis- factory as far as it went, except as regards the number of salmon licences being taken up. In his report on Wye Salmon (reprinted from the Salmon and Trout Magazine") Mr J. Arthur Hutton describes the season of 1914 as most unsatisfactory both for rods and nets. Only 1,893 salmon were taken by rod and line, as compared with 3,533 in the previous year, but owing to the fact that most of the fish were taken in the spring there was the remarkable average weight of I 20 8 lb., as compared with 17-4 lb. in 1913. For some canse not understood there was a great scarcity of small summer and autumn fish in 1914-a scarcity noticeable also in many other rivers. I

[ALL URNM WMBKTID:] THE SKELETON GUARD, BY WILLIAM BELL Author of "SnmggJrng Tales of Oild Sealord," Sin," "Tha Mist on Snowdon," "Not Her Fault," The Boaster's Lesson," &c. I think it is very hard that one should Buffer through their grandparents or their great-grandparents, or other ancestors. I reckoned my case one of dire bad luck. One night I was digging up the family past, try- ing to find out what fine fellows the Kirkwalls had been. I was expecting to discover fresh reason for my pride in the family, when I came across an old document, which my grandfather had written. This told me that had it not been for ow! of the Kirkwalls, who lived in the time or Elizabeth—that model Monarch-being so careless as to lose a lot of papers, we, the Kirkwalls, would have been great people in the laud, and at least one Barony would have been ours. .This knowledge set me thinking. I fancied myself in the House of Peers, strutting about with the best of them. I who, beyond a love of adventure and an empty pocket, had nothing in the world. You see, artists never have, unless they paint puitzle pictures, and I only painted ordinary pictures. I suppose I must have inherited this love of adventure from the swashbuckling gentleman who occupied his time iN chasing the Dons and gazing for the Armads, and who had begun the ruination of the frtrhily. I say ruination, and you will agree with me, for it is ruination to be painting pictures which will not sell, when you ought to be fashioning the laws of the nation.' As I read the yellow document I felt that it was only poetic justice that my ancestor should have come to a bad end, or at Jeftst so it was supposed. He sailed away from' Eng- land one dav. and was never seen again. The papers could not be found, and claimants ha come forward; but they had all been worsted, and the Kirkwalls had gone down, 'down. until I, the last of the tribe, iN-m signing William Kirkwall on my paintings, and hoping against hope that they might be purchased. I am not of a particularly malicious disposi- tion, but I can say that if I had had Roger, Baron Hirkwall. before me, I would have spoken more sharplv to him than could his Queen, and everyone knows that, the immacu- late Virgin Queen had an acid tongue. While I was communing thus—and I have forgotten to say it was1 evening—my old friend Jimmy Hall came in. He is also of the fraternity of the hrllh; but wherens I de- voted myself to* seascapes, he painted animals. I may say, in passing, ffiat my claims to be- ing a marine painter we're chiefly based on a holiday at Margate; but Jimmy Wll-S the possessor of Tandf and farm*, and he studied from nature. I painted fo keep the pot boil- ing; he had no need t<\ We had one taste i:i common-, and that was love of adventure.. I do not. know what kind of people Jimmy's ancestors were. but I should say they belonged to that clas* who were always saying. By my halidame." and rescuing strange young females from the i clutches of bold barons. Jimmy was always planning some fantastic scheme for a journey, and as lie was prodigal with his money it often happened' that I aC- companied him on his expeditions, and these, added to the month at Margate, had fully equipped me for my seascape painting, which an ungrateful public passed by in order to purchase a drawing of Salome or some (tther questionable character. I-le bLii-it i,i tfp():' I,' oil Old Roger Kirkwall; and I was thinking when he- knocked that I would like to find those papers, for it had been said in the courts that once they came to light the descendant of the Kirkwalls could claim, and claim successfully, the Baronv which had fallen into desuetude. I wais picturing castles in Spain when .Jimmy came, and lie- also quickly started picturing' castles in Spain, though in a different manner: Say, Billy." he exclaimed, I've got a; B I tt scheme to make both of us ricli. Rich? I answered—" what do you want with riches? Haven't you enough?" Ellollgil he echoed, scornfully. Find me the man. Billv Kirkwall, who tells I ,ou that he has enough of riches and I will show you either an ass or a liar." "Easy. Jimmy—easy, Jimmy; that is very strong. But what is this wonderful -,clienie. ? look here. I have information that a Spanish treasure-ship was wrecked, beached on an island in the Pacific (an island which is not on the map), and left, and the treasure is there to this day. It is" one of those which were to fight Drake, and there are thousands of pounds' worth of ingots of gold and silver. gold and silver pieces, and many precious stones. Now. my plan is to hire a yacht and find this island. I'll show you the chart in. a. moment-, and we'll go and collar the lot. I laughed in his face—I really had' to explode. What a story to bring to anyone in the twentieth century! I hinted to Jimmy that he was talking rot. He replied somewhat heatedly. "All right. Mr. Nonsuch, have your way; but I am offering you wealth- and much wealth, if you will come with me. I know all your objections—I have considered them aU.- I have successfully rebutted them all. You think I am mad, Billy, but I am not. Say you will come as soon as possible,, before anyone else gets the information." I happened at that moment* to turn round rather hastily, and I noticed at the. window a face looking in. It was not a nice face- hatred and envy and greed looked out of the eyes, and the lips were cruel. I started back, and mentioned the thing to Jimmy. lie laughed, and said it was my imagination, but I thought that 'someone had evidently got wind of the treasure and had followed him; however, I said nothing. Jimmy showed me the plans, and pointed out exactly where the El Dorado was. I was still sceptical; but Jimmy has a way with him. and so, when he left nie, I had promised to accompany him on his fool's errand. You must understand that 1. of course, stood to lose nothing at all; and if by some unforeseen freak of fortune we were successful in lifting the Spanish treasure, it would, mean that I should be independent of mv palette and my paints. So the thoughts of what I, had lost by the carelessness of my ancestor jwent out of my head, and I eagerly looked forward to per- chance handling Z, some of the Spanish doub- loons which would bring me fortune and wealth. And even, the loss of a title is com- pensated for when you have plenty of money, and money for me had always been scarce. and money for me had always been scarce. Thus a few weeks later, Jimmy Hall and I were pacing the deck of a trim little ship w hich carried a crew of Lascars, and a more cut-throat looking lot I have never seen. Per- haps I judge them harshlyjf this you must know, was my first experience of Lascars. There was one in particular whom I disliked. He was not like his fellows. He seemed more civilised, and reminded me of someone I had seen, though when and under what circum- stances I could not say. We had no trouble with them, which was a good thing, for something else engaged our attention. As we left Southampton Water we noticed a ship which was painted green—a study in green-ttnd we sa.w that it followed in our wake as we rounded the Isle of Wight. Some few days out, we sighted the same ship and lost it again. Then two days later it once more appeared, and Jimmy and I began to wonder. It seemed quite plain that we were being followed. I Ol the third occasion on which we saw the green ship, a somewhat- peculiar incident oc curred. Jimmv and I frequently consulted our chart, and after this particular consultation, as we were leaving our cabin, we saw the Lascar I hated rise from just outside and make off as though to go about his duties. It was obvious that he had been hiding, and had seen and heard all we had done and said. Jimmy spoke sharply to him, and he seemed thoroughly abashed. I did not mention my suspicions, but I was convinced the man waft lolls' a bad character and one we could not trust, ind I determined to keep a keen watch on him. The same night I was lying awake in- my bunk, which was in the inner cabin. I may say that a touch of neuralgia was responsible for my sleeplessness. It might have been near midnight, and I was cursing my luck be- cause I could not sleep—Jimmy was snoring like a drove of pi<$5—whew I was conscious of ¡ a blinding flash of light wid a splash in the water. I. immediately rose and roused Jimmy, and together we went on deck. Beyond the light :>f a ship near us, we could see nothing. But with the aid of night-glasses we watched, wondering what to expect, yet expecting something. We were not disappointed, for we just made out a form pull itself up the ladder of the other vessel, which we instinc- tively guessed was the green ship. Jimmy called all hands on deck, and then it was seen that the Lascar about whom I had been suspicious was missing. We dis- missed the men and went below. There we found that a box had been opened and our chart stolen. It all dawned on me; the man who had looked through the window when Jimmy came and planned the trip and the Lascar were the same. As I pondered I re- membered several points of resemblance. He lad evidently disguised himself, and volun- teered as a member of our crew in order to rob us, and now. it was quite clear to both Jimmy and myself, the green ship would race off and get the treasure; and the flash had been the signal to his coinrades in the green ship that the man had been successful in his stealing, and that he was coming to them. Great despondency fell on Jimmy and on me. We had had examples of the speed at which the green ship could travel, for it had played with us, now coming up. now vanish- ing as it liked. We certainly had a copy of the chart, but with the speed of the other ship we were helpless, for we could only arrive in time to find the Spanish galloon- allowing that it existed—already despoiled. I thought the happening only in keeping with my ordinary fortune. Nevertheless, for some 1 reason, although fog^ally we could iwt explain it, we pressed on for the island. As we drew near, we en- countered a. severe storm, so severe that I did not think at one time that the ship could live through it—the sea was terribly rough, and the wind howled dreadfully. I may. of eoui-se, be exaggerating, for my experience of the sea, was not great, but I really expected the boat to founder. However, the gale spent itself, and we slowly rteared the goal' of our hopes, which we eip-ected to find the grave of our hopes. We arrived in the neighbourhood of the ifelalld. or where it was supposed to be, and I wortdered as* to when we should encounter the ereen ship' again, for we were convinced weJ should see it. perhaps returning with the treasure.. Jimmy Hall is generally of a sunny disposition. but his- language and looks when he spoke' of the Lascar were no: good and I knew tliat if ever they met there would be trouble, if not: bloodshed- We 8ighted 110 ships; in fad it appeared as if we were out of the track of all shipping, and one evening iii the cabin Jimmy- and I calculated that by sunrise the next morning we should be within sight of the island. And sure enough, with the next dawn we could see a long, irregular piece of land!- and, with the aid of our glasses, we quite clearly discerned the masts and hull of a vessel, which as the atmosphere cleared and the dis- I tance lessened we was- green. There is our last hop", gone. Billy. They t have found the treasure, although." he added, thoughtfully, the vessel is on the wrong side; the treasure, as I read the chart, is on tht, other." then still more thoughtfully he continued, of course. there is no anchorage on the other side, that's it 1 ¡ Our siiip gradually the island, and neither of us spoke until at last- Jimmy broke the silence. What I cannot make out about that boat, Billy." he said, as he examined it carefully wiih his glasses, is that it has a certain list, and I can see no signs of life aboard." Jtwt at that moment the man at the look- out reported a body to starboard. We brought our glasses to bear a.nd saw it was I the body of a sailor-,t Lascar sailor like our own, but not the one who had left us. We I only saw it for a moment, but it seemed as though it had been in the water a long time. We had not to conjecture on the appear- ance of the body, for the thing was made plain a« we came within range of the green ship. It was beached high and dry, and had evidently been driven ashore by the gale we had experienced. We landed in a little boat—just Jimmy and myself—and be- gan to reconnoitre. We soon found iliat there was no one oil the green ship, and hav- ing satisfied himself on that point, Jimmy took out his chart and determined that the treasure-ship should be on the south side of the island. The island, I ought to tell you, was about a mile wide, and perhaps three miles long. We tramped across the width, treading through luxuriant grass and cacti. It wars a tropical scene indeed, and no one appeared. Only the ion- of beautiful birds and the lap of the ocean were to be heard, but as we progressed we noticed footmarks, and saw that someone had been that way be- fore, and we knew that the traitrous and dis- guised Lasear had stolen a march on us, but evidently he had not got away; in fact, we expected every moment to see him, and our revolvers were in our hands in case of need. But we saw no one. Great green lizards slowly retreated before. us, and we gained a. view of the bay. A fine wide bay it was too, and our hearts jumped, our eyes distended, and our breath came quickly; for there before us was the galleon which we had come so far to seek. Had it not, or had it still, its treasure? I can tell you I was indeed excited, and so was Jimmy. We ran, caring little whether we met the Lascar or not. We ran, I say, to the ship. It also was high and dry: and rotting. It etill bore the traces of former grandeur; but on the hull was vegetation, probably seeds had been wafted and had fructified. It was a fine old wreck, and we felt that we had only to get on board to become rich—that is, if our friends had not already taken the treasure, and \ve still saw footmarks even near the ship. But we were comforted with the thoughts of t he wreck of the green vessel. 11 I need hardly tell you thfrt we quickly scrambled on to the deck of the old fighting vessel of the Dons; and I thought as I trod the creaking, grass-covered deck that in all probability this was one of those ships which had held lightly the might of England and the navy of Elizabeth. We immediately went below, risking break- ing our necks as we did so, for the ladder was very rotten, and we found ourselves in a long, low cabin, to which a broken skylight admitted the only illumination. Never shall I forget the sight which met our eyes; never while memory lasts shall I be able to shut out the details of that scene. Two men were lying on the floor—as we ap- proached there was a scurrying, presumably Tats-and a great chest rested on both, pin- ning them down. They were dead, and the rodents had commenced work on them. Their features were set, and their teeth glistened- for their mouths were wide open, as is a dog's when it is thirsty. I immediately recognised -one it was the man whose face I had seen at the window, the man who had appeared as a Lascar on our ship. Then, when we were fully conscious of the awful expressions of their dead and dilapi- dated faces, we saw that the heavy, iron-bound chest was bursting, and some of its contents were strewn about—gold pieces were round the dead men, and some actually rested on their clothes. Attached to the treasure chest was a long, rusty chain; this went over a beam in the ceiling, and it was in following its course that, turning, we realised to the full, the whole ghastly scene. A chair was near, and in it sat a grinning skeleton, and its fingers clutched the chain. It seemed to us as we gazed that the skeleton guard of the treasure had just caused the chest to fall on the men. and was enjoying their plight. We went near the horrible thing, and found that it was dressed in the habiliments of the spacious times of Elizabeth-ruffles and all. How it got there alone we knew not, nor could we conjecture how it had hold of the chain, or how the chest had dropped on the two men we could not say; but there it was, a horrid, grinning thing, laughing at its handiwork. We formed this theory: The Elizabethan had endeavoured to take the ytreasure, and had raised the chest as far as the skylight, when something had happened to him—possibly he had been struck down with heart disease and the chain had been cauglit by the disguised Lascar, and his friend had gone the same way as we had, and by some mischance had loosened the skeleton's grasp of the chain, with the result that they had perished, breath and life being crushed out of Jhem by the Weight of the bullion. I do not care to dwell on the scene. You can be quite euro that, obtaining aid, we

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I THE WAR-AND AFTER. Whether the War comes to a speedy end or is prolonged through another winter, the time is ripe to consider the problems which will await solution when peace has been declared. Every one must realise that in many respects, things can never be as they were before. We can never return to the old days of iaisserfairc either in defence or in trade. Char eyes have been opened to the necessity of being prepared to maintain our honour and to give effective support to our Allies. Our very existence as a great Power depends upon our ability to do so. This involves, probably, a widely extended scheme of military training, so that the nation's manhood may be ready to respond to any sudden call that may be made upon it. No 'less is it necessary to organise British trade, so that the nation may benefit to the fullest possible extent in work and wages. It is obvious that our fighting resources must largely depend upon our commercial and industrial prosperity. With- out such prosperity it would be impossible for us to maintain the naval and military forces necpssary to command success The organisation of trade, therefore, is quite as important as the organisation of our fighting forces. The two things can never be separated. NO TRADE WITH GERMANY. In warring with a chivalrous foe the wounds of battle are soon healed. We have fought with both France and Russia during the last century, but when the sword was I sheathed and an honourable peace concluded we soon resumed amicable: elationships. This cannot be the case after the present, war. I By her cold-blooded murder of peaceful non- combatants, her innumerable acts of pillage and rapiue, her disregard of every rule of civilised warfare, her poisoning of wells, and her employment of asphyxiating gases, Germany has shown herself to be a savage and brutal foe, whose name will be held in abhorrence and detestation for generations to come. When peace is restored, therefore, there can be no resumption of trade between Germany and the Allies on anything like the scale which existed previous to the tD War. By her own acts Germany has dealt a deadly blow at her trade with her best customers. It is certain that, for very many years to come, no inhabitant of the British Empire, no Frenchman, and no Russian will feel inclined to purchase goods from Germany which can be obtained elsewhere. It is clear, then, that there will be greatly extended fields for British. trade both at home and abroad. If the opportunity is seized by British manufacturers, encouraged and assisted by the Government, we shall be able to compensate ourselves tenfold for the loss of German trade by increased trade with the more civilised nations of the world. THE UNITY OF THE EMPIRE. The war has demonstrated the essential unity of the British Empire. Our kinsmen in our great Dominions have given lavishly of their 'lives and treasure because they are fighting in a common cause. It is clear that our relationships after the war must be of a closer and more intimate character than they were before. The Colonial Secretary has made the announcement that the Govern- ment intend to consult the Dominions of the Empire on the question of the terms of peace to be submitted at the proper time by Great Britain and her Allies] This is a proper recognition of the great part the Dominions have played in the present conflict, and of I

JOKK .HI0 EO.ITDRAkCCHItEE JONES NEttRAIGIk The quickest and Tnost mrtain mra- tor HEADACHE, TOOTHACHE, NEURALGIA. "JTF"-Imitati.n, 134d. each, 111Y. d. at .11 ad SEND ID. PO,%TAGE J. MORG&N JONES a Co., J

J at Cwmrhos by Mr Parry for the extension of the burial ground. The tenants felt that the good feeling which existed between them and Mr Parry demanded special recognition on an occasion of that nature and they showed it in the form of presentation that evening. Mr Parry thanked the tenants for their I generous gifts and wished them every pros- perity and happinness in the future. During the evening recitations and piano- I forte solos were given by Miss Doris Pritchard, Miss Jones, and Miss Stella Price. The accompanist was Miss Jones, Lower Shop.

quickly transferred the box and its contents to our ship, and for some time we suffered from the glut of gold. We laved our hands in gold and precious stones. We left the men where they were; but we examined the rags of the skeleton, though they were rotting, and in the breast we found some papers. We could not decipher them there, but on board we consulted in our cabin and tried to make them out. I was shaken in every fibre of my being, and my head swam when I noticed the name Kirkwall, and after much trouble and care we found them to be the missing papers, the loss of which I was bemoaning when Jimmy came to me about the treasure. I was strangely agitated; then I desired to bury the skeleton, for evidently it was all that remained of my kinsman, Roger, Baron Kirkwall. My thoughts were a medley. What a won- derful thing-the skeleton guard of the trea- sure was my ancestor, and the precious papers were preserved. Fortune had smiled on me at We buried Baron Kirkwall on the sandy shore. We did not mark the place, but I can tell you that when I left the island I felt grateful that I had been led that way, for I riches and honour had come to me. > Vet even now in my bed I can hear rhe J scurrying of those rats, I can smell the awful j ciiarnel house, and I can see the terribly j mutilated face of the man who tried to bea.fcjU«. | [THE END.) i the status of daughter nations to which they have attained. But it cannot end there. If the views of the Dominions are to weigh in deciding the terms of peace, their interests and opinions ought Surely to count when framing the policy of the Empire in normal times. Closer co-operation in defence and in trade is the obvious solution of the problem, and is one which the war has made not only possible but easy. 0 THE PROBLEM OF EMPLOYMENT. The problem of employment will probably become a pressing one when peace is signed. The Government orders for munitions and clothing, which. at present keep so many of our workers busy, will have practically ceased, and there will be a demand for employment from a million or more men returning from the colours to civil life. How can work be provided for all these? Obviously, in one way only, and that is by extending the sale of British goods in all parts of the globe. A large portion of the oversea trade of Germany, which has been hung up since the commencement of the war, ought, as we have just said, to be captured by British merchants. Indeed, it ought now to be vigorously attacked, before Germany has the opportunity of resuming her export trade. The vas4 markets of North and South America and the Far East offer great opportunities at the present time for British trade, while the trade which Germany has heretofore done in the British Empire should, without difficulty, be Secured by the Mother Coun- try. In the home market, it goes without saying that the great bulk of the goods we have hitherto imported from Germany will be made by British workers. We do not doubt that, given fair play to the British manufacturer and reasonable security for the investment of capital, the expansion of trade following the war will be such as to provide ample work for all who are able and willing. to undertake it.