Page:Barbour--Lost island.djvu/165

 "Heigh-o," Tempest laughed "They say opportunity knocks at every man's door once in his life, and it seems to me, David Hallard, that you were n't listening when your turn came. You 've kind of lost that island, eh?"

"But you don't think the stuff would be there, do you?" "Me? How do I know, laddie! Maybe—and maybe not. Anyway, it is n't any use shedding tears over it now, is it?"

"I never did shed any tears over it," Dave said. "I got excited about it at the time, naturally, not because I wanted the money for myself exactly, but—"

"But what?"

"Well, perhaps it was silly, but it struck me it would be great to find the treasure and fix up my dad again as he was before he lost all he had in New York."

"The spirit is all right," commented Tempest, grinning, "If only you had n't gone and lost your