The Secret Cave — The Count of Monte Cristo

Under the hot midday sun Edmond walks alone on Monte Cristo. Lizards scatter and goats leap on the rocks. Before he digs, fear hits him: someone might still be watching. He climbs to the highest point and checks that both ships have sailed away. Only then does he feel safe enough to work.

He follows the carved marks to a hidden cove. The treasure should be under a huge round rock, but how did anyone move it? Then he understands: they did not lift the rock up. They lowered it into place over the entrance. He digs out the wedge, uses Jacopo's gunpowder to blast it loose, and rolls the stone into the sea. Under it he finds an iron ring and stone steps leading down.

Edmond stops at the top of the stairs, afraid the cave will be empty. Maybe Borgia stole the treasure long ago. He goes down anyway, whispering "Perhaps." The first cave is empty, but a hidden second room opens behind fake granite. His pickaxe hits iron. Inside a wooden chest with the Spada family crest he finds gold coins, gold bars, pearls, and diamonds.

He runs across the island laughing and crying. He falls to his knees and thanks God. He counts his fortune: stacks of gold, thousands of coins, and jewels beyond counting. When night comes he eats a little, drinks rum, and sleeps at the cave entrance with his gun nearby. Faria was right. The treasure is real.