Page:Cornelia Meigs--The island of Appledore.djvu/112

94 against being carried, so that all three of his friends were well worn out by the time they  had deposited him in the big, cool, shadowy  room that formed the first story of the mill. Billy went out on the steps to thank the men and to give them directions as to how to find the hotel.

“You follow the wood road until you come to the main highway,” he told them, “and then  go straight down that until you come to the  bridge. It’s pretty far, but you can’t lose the way.”

“We’ll make time by walking,” returned the sailor; “the water won’t be down off that causeway until after two and it would be no  good trying to cross it with such a tide running. We’ll be sure to send you help.”

“There’s a better way than that,” exclaimed Billy; “I can go up the lane to the Shutes’ and get them to help me. That will be quicker than waiting for you to send some one. I should have thought of that before.”

The two men walked off down the sun-flecked road, and Billy stood for a minute watching them go. It was a warm and pleasant day, with birds singing, and big white clouds blowing across such patches of sky as