“Thank you,” said Trot.  “Oh, here comes Cap’n Bill!” as she glanced over her shoulder.

Button-Bright turned also and looked solemnly at the old sailor who came stumping along the path toward them.  Cap’n Bill wasn’t a very handsome man.  He was old, not very tall, somewhat stout and chubby, with a round face, a bald head, and a scraggly fringe of reddish whisker underneath his chin.  But his blue eyes were frank and merry, and his smile like a ray of sunshine.  He wore a sailor shirt with a broad collar, a short peajacket and wide-bottomed sailor trousers, one leg of which covered his wooden limb but did not hide it.  As he came “pegging” along the path—­as he himself described his hobbling walk—­his hands were pushed into his coat pockets, a pipe was in his mouth, and his black neckscarf was fluttering behind him in the breeze like a sable banner.

Button-Bright liked the sailor’s looks.  There was something very winning—­something jolly and carefree and honest and sociable—­about the ancient seaman that made him everybody’s friend, so the strange boy was glad to meet him.

“Well, well, Trot,” he said, coming up, “is this the way you hurry to town?”

“No, for I’m on my way back,” said she.  “I did hurry when I was going, Cap’n Bill, but on my way home I sat down here to rest an’ watch the gulls—­the gulls seem awful busy today, Cap’n Bill—­an’ then I found this boy.”

Cap’n Bill looked at the boy curiously.  “Don’t think as ever I sawr him at the village,” he remarked.  “Guess as you’re a stranger, my lad.”

Button-Bright nodded.

“Hain’t walked the nine mile from the railroad station, have ye?” asked Cap’n Bill.

“No,” said Button-Bright.

The sailor glanced around him.  “Don’t see no waggin er no autymob’l,” he added.

“No,” said Button-Bright.

“Catch a ride wi’ some one?”

Button-Bright shook his head.

“A boat can’t land here; the rocks is too thick an’ too sharp,” continued Cap’n Bill, peering down toward the foot of the bluff on which they sat and against which the waves broke in foam.

“No,” said Button-Bright, “I didn’t come by water.”

Trot laughed.  “He must ‘a’ dropped from the sky, Cap’n Bill!” she exclaimed.

Button-Bright nodded very seriously.  “That’s it,” he said.

“Oh, a airship, eh?” cried Cap’n Bill in surprise.  “I’ve hearn tell o’ them sky keeridges; someth’n’ like flyin’ autymob’ls, ain’t they?”

“I don’t know,” said Button-Bright.  “I’ve never seen one.”

Both Trot and Cap’n Bill now looked at the boy in astonishment.  “Now then, lemme think a minute,” said the sailor reflectively.  “Here’s a riddle for us to guess, Trot.  He dropped from the sky, he says, an’ yet he didn’t come in a airship!”

“’Riddlecum, riddlecum ree;
What can the answer be?’”

Trot looked the boy over carefully.  She didn’t see any wings on him.  The only queer thing about him was his big umbrella.  “Oh!” she said suddenly, clapping her hands together.  “I know now.”