Sky Island

" said

looking up surprised. "W

lphia,"

t, "you're a long w

try," the boy replied, gazing out over t

cour

course?"

iggest lot of water

o you

l told me,

Cap'n

e. He lives at my house, too-the white

that you

ot proudly. "I

l, seems to me,"

r mother and me, an' fo

you any

lin' on his ship. You mus' be a stranger in these parts, little boy, not to kn

held an old umbrella that was as tall as he was. Its covering had once been of thick, brown cloth, but the color had faded to a dull drab except in the creases, and Trot thought it looked very old-fashioned and common. The handle, thou

to his fine silk stockings and tan shoes, b

season now," remar

d it tighter. "No," he said, "but umbrell

t'n sun-struck

don't b'lieve this is bigger than any other ocean," said

ou had to sail acros

higan," he went on dreamily, "and it

ed. "Your eyes can only see jus' so far, whe

is," he replied. "What are those buildings over ther

fishing. The town is half a mile from here, an' my house is almost a ha

n beside her on

s?" asked Trot, m

others are bossy, an' the girls without brothers haven't any 'go' to 'em. But the world's full o' both

e," replied Trot. "My 'sperience with boys is

oys much better than I do girls, but some a

bad, either, an' if we don't both turn out

tossed a pebble into the wat

n from the store. She's knit

he wear

hy he don't sailor any more. I'm glad of it, 'cause Cap'n Bill knows

ing a good deal for granted. A on

ndignantly. "Folks don't learn t

et around without leg

earth, an' found out all that the people in 'em knew and a lot besides. He was shipwrecked on a desert island once, and ano

eague?" ask

a mile is. But a league

is it,

sk Cap'n Bill. He

the boy. "I know some thi

u're pretty sm

a few things that were wonderful. Cap'n Bill may know more'n I do-a good d

nickname I got when I was a baby, 'cause I trotted so fa

on-Br

id it

d what

a funn

e answered gloomily. "My father once said I was bright as a button,

real name?"

us de Lambertine

he only other thing would be 'Salad,' an' I don't like sala

"There's a lot more of it,

here comes Cap'n Bill!" as

e 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 li

mething jolly and carefree and honest and sociable-about the ancient seaman

id, coming up, "is this t

ap'n Bill, but on my way home I sat down here to rest an' watch the gull

think as ever I sawr him at the village," he

Bright

e from the railroad station

id Butto

him. "Don't see no waggin

id Butto

ride wi'

ight shoo

" continued Cap'n Bill, peering down toward the foot of the bl

-Bright, "I didn'

' dropped from the sky, C

d very seriously. "

rise. "I've hearn tell o' them sky keeridges;

d Button-Bright. "I

e think a minute," said the sailor reflectively. "Here's a riddle for us to gue

um, riddl

the ans

him. The only queer thing about him was his big umbrella. "Oh!

doubtfully. "Then you're so

brel!" she cried. "He used

shoots, mate; but why, I can't say. Did you dr

ton-Bright. "Th

e air before you could drop down, an'-oh, Cap'n Bill! He says he's f

ked the sailo

erstand. But I'm afraid you won't believe me, and-" he suddenly broke off and looked tow

. "Won't you com

," replied B

go then," said the

his pipe and lighted it again, and he smoked thoughtfully as he pegged al

ollowing after Trot, with his umbrell

om home an' among strangers. But I won't say anything more till we've heard your story. Then, if you need my advic

. "I need a lot of things, I'm sur

GIC UM