“I don’t remember much of what he did say. One queer thing he told me, though. It was about a derelict they’d found half buried in the sand on some island in the South Seas. I didn’t forget the vessel’s name, because it had been called after Cape Hatteras. When I got home I told Dad about it, and he said there was a boat called the _Hatteras_ that had been lost years and years ago with a lot of platinum on board.” “Was it the same boat?” Tempest asked, lazily. “Don’t know,” said Dave. “It sounded to me as though it might have been, but Dad didn’t seem to think so.” “Then your old friend the sailor didn’t get the treasure, eh?” “He didn’t know anything about it. You see, his ship was only sheltering off there, and they rowed ashore just to have a look at the derelict. Perhaps they would have been a bit keener if only somebody had remembered that there was a lost treasure-ship called the _Hatteras_.” “Did the old man say exactly where it was?” “No. He just mentioned that they were running between Christmas Island and some other island, when they had to take shelter.” “Well, there’s many a syndicate taken a sporting chance on a thing like that and made a little fortune,” Tempest commented. “Now, after your father told you there was a treasure-ship called the _Hatteras_, why didn’t you go back and pump the old man to find out the exact bearings of the island?” “In the first place, as I say, Dad didn’t think it was any good after all that time; and in the second place the old man’s ship had put to sea again.” “Where to?” “Don’t know. I didn’t ask him.” “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 weren’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 isn’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 hadn’t gone and lost your island as soon as you’d found it! Old Man Opportunity doesn’t usually knock twice at the same man’s door, but if ever he does come again, mind you listen with both ears, Dave.”