“Captain Grover, I want to ask your advice. Can you suggest any way by which I can manage to reach the island?”
“You’ve got me there, Guy. These islands are never visited for commercial purposes. I know almost nothing of them—indeed, nothing at all, except their location. Of course, if there were ships that visited them for any purpose, that would simplify matters; but, so far as I see, the only way of seeking the treasure would be to organize an expedition expressly for that purpose.”
“I suppose that would be very expensive.”
“It certainly would.”
“But if the treasure were found, the one who incurred the expense would be richly repaid.”
“Well, perhaps so,” said the captain, skeptically.
“You won’t go anywhere near the island, then, captain?”
“No, Guy, I sha’n’t.”
Guy sat quiet a moment. He was very much disappointed. He began to realize how utterly quixotic was the expedition on which he had embarked.
“I begin to wish I had never found the letter,” he said.