Page:Cornelia Meigs--The island of Appledore.djvu/140



was a pause as Sally struggled with an obstinate latch, then she opened the door at  the head of the stairs and disappeared. The removal of the light seemed to soothe the old  sailor, since he lay still, while Billy stood listening—listening, for what, he did not quite  know.

What he did hear was the sound that of all others he least expected. With a sharp crack that echoed throughout the frail old building,  a rifle went off directly overhead. An instant later he heard Sally’s voice, upraised in the  terrified screaming of a thoroughly frightened child. He forgot Captain Saulsby completely, forgot everything except that he must run to help Sally. The door on the stairs had swung shut in the draft: it had slammed and  latched itself so that he had a moment’s struggle to get it open. When he did so finally and plunged into the room above, he had again 122