“Why hasn’t anybody ever started a ferry, then, if there’s need of one?” he asked.
Cap’n Crumbie put his head on one side and looked down at the ocean.
“Ever swallow sea-water, Jack?” he asked.
“When I was swimming, many a time.”
“What does it taste of?”
“Salt, of course.”
“Salt is right. But there’s all manner o’ things in it besides salt—even gold, I’ve heard say. It’s there, for the taking, and no danger o’ the ocean running dry. Well, did you ever hear o’ any one in Greenport starting to take salt or gold out o’ the sea. No. O’ course you didn’t. Don’t ask me why. I don’t know. But I reckon it’s about the same reason why nobody ever started to run a ferry across to the Point from here. Either they didn’t think of it, or it’s too much trouble.”
“When the summer cottagers come back and the hotel opens, I guess there would be plenty of business,” Jack mused. “You’d think the hotel alone would make it pay.”
“Probably ’twould,” the Cap’n agreed.