Untitled

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15612, 9 June 1916, Page 3

"Gentlemen, I oncc wrote a story," said Sir Rider Haggard to the New Zealand Club in Wellington on Tuesday. His manner of stating the fact amused his audience. Sir Rider went on to tell the story—how three men, after enduring great hardships, found themselves in a treasure chamber, with countless wealth around them. While they were, gloating over it a little accident happened, and they found themselves shut in. At first they were not upset sibout it. There were the gold and diamonds, and they would soon get out. But at the end of a day they were anxious, and at the end of two days they said, "We will give all this accursed pelf and anything else we may possess oeside for a drop of water and a bit of bread." And what was the lesson to be learnt from that? That not all the wealth-in the world mattered if we were attacked and could not defend ourselves. Tt all came down to the leeson that had been taught in the North Sea; it was man against man and ship against ship, to guard their rights and freedom. The audicnce greatly appreciated this little story. Probably fow had perceived previously any such deep meaning in the entertaming story, "King Solomon's Mines."