Evening star., 1900-01-20

near the fieshless hand that had made use
of it. The inscription was in English, and
easily decipherable. 1t read
August. 1T43. I doubt much if this he
who Reads that 1, Jn Simonds, once of
London. discovered this Island ITO, and,
being weary of tn World. Return'd alone
1'11. Since then 1 Have remained. l am
now above so Years. Too feeble To return
to The World which 1 fain Would see
again To Him who Reads / bequeath This
Isle. with All it contains. Req sting Only
that He bury My bones With a Prayer to
God for my Salvation. There be Gold here
in Full abundance. and Precious Stones Put
here by the Hand of God when Tn mount n
was alive With fire. 1t be my Empire, an
Empire Island | Have named 1t. Have it
So. then, If Ye Revere my Mem'ry.
JOHN SIMONDS,
by The Grace of God, Near Heaven.
Amen
More than a century had passed since
that inscription was made-since John ST.
mOndS ceased to breathe-yet everywhere
the shpwreckcd twain discovered evidences
of his habitation and his industry. There
was no need to search for gold or precious
stones. John Simonds had performed that
task for them. There were nuggets sufh-
cicnt for Il kings ransom piled IN cone
like heaps around the house beneath Inc
royal palms which shaded it from the re-
ficCtcd rays of the sum- and within the ad-
joining room of the ruin they found dia-
monds and emeralds in the rough which
even their uneduCated eyes were CdpdDIc VI
recognizing.
The bones of John Simonds We're buried
with due reverence, as he had requested,
and Craddock prayed most earnestly for
the repose of his soul.
After that they returned to the wreck
of the Mascot and by rigging tackle, sue
Cceded in hosting through the strange aper-
ture everything that might be valuable TO
them in their unheard-of retreat. Even the
small boat that they had repaired was
hoiSted into the mountain in the same man.
ner. and then, bit by bit, they broke up
the schooner, saving the timbers and such
Of the brass and iron work as they deemed
might prove available at future time.
Afterward the stone house was repaired,
and thus months passed almost unheeded
by them For time they kept watch of
the sea through their doorway to the world.
but they were far out of the beaten track
of vessels, and at last they desisted, con-
vinced that the only way of escape for
them across the open in the small
boat they had saved from the wreck, or in
such craft as they might be able to con-
struct from the timbers they had preserved.
Often they contemplated such an attempt,
but 1t each time postponed, for there
was a certain kind of enjoyment in the life
they led. and there was drear uncertainty
in trusting themselves again to the treach-
erouS sea in a craft so frail as the one at
their disposal But the construction of an
other was begun at last. out on the solitary
reef where the Mascot had stranded.
one year passed away, and then another
twice the boat winch they were construct
ing was nearly swept away by storms, but
the good fortune that had preserved them
through all their vicisstudes spared that
also. and one day. nearly three years after
they were cast upon the reef. Craddock and
ThorgenSen bade adieu to Empire Island
and sailed away to the nOrth'ard in lug
sailed craft, laden with gold and precious
stones enough to render them both rich for
the balance of their lives.
Before the sail was hosted. and while
they fioated beneath the opening in the
side of the mountain, Craddock pointed with
his right hand toward the huge pile of OBJ
sidan. and said solemnly:
Ralph, before we set sail, let us make
one promise. each to the other, and swear
Sacredly to keep it for all time
Agreed, Grad. What is it? You could
not ask promise of me that l would not
grant"
Let us promise. each to the other. that
neither of US will ever return to this island.
unless in company with the other. or with
the express permission of the absent one"
Agreed, l promise"
Four months lateer the sh!pwrecked mar
iners arrived in San Francisco safe. sound,
well. and with the fortunes they had dis
covered intact
CThe end)