As Billy bent over to help Thomas Murphy, he saw something that, for a moment, made him so excited that he couldn’t have told whether he was standing on his head or his heels.
A black-haired man was creeping along the wall toward the door of the mill!
When he was sure that he was standing on his heels, Billy looked at the clock.
Seven minutes left!
He helped Thomas Murphy to his chair. He even took time to say, “Mr. Murphy, there are some things that I have been wanting to ask you about iron.”
“Anything,” said Thomas Murphy, safe in his chair, “anything that I know is at your service, William.”
Then Billy said, “Mr. Prescott told me to come back at half-past four.”
“I should say,” remarked Thomas Murphy, “that you’ll have to hurry, William. Near as I can see the hands of that clock, it’s hard on to that now.”
Billy did hurry, and soon had the key safe in his hands.
As he went quickly down the corridor, William Wallace gave him some special advice: