Johnny felt quite shocked at this statement; but before he could reply, the girl came back bringing a plateful of pilot-bread in one hand, and a little tin pail of water and a tumbler in the other. She placed these on the table; and the boys sat down, and began to eat with good appetites.
"I didn't know before that pilot-bread was so good," remarked Felix.
"I did," said Johnny: "I always liked it. We have it quite often at home, instead of crackers; because Sue and I like it so well. And this is excellent pilot-bread."
The girl seemed very much pleased at this praise of the refreshment; and, after the boys had emptied the plate, she offered to get some more bread and water. But they assured her they could not wait any longer. They did not say they could not eat any more, for they were still hungry.
As they were about to go out again into the dark, windy night, Johnny asked the girl what her name was; and she replied, "Ruth Anderson."
After some difficulty, they found their bicycles, and walked along the road with them until they were so far from the shore that the wind no longer made it impossible to mount. The light from the lighthouse was a great help to them for some distance; but, the farther they receded from the beach, the darker it became; and finally, as a slight turn to the right brought the woods between them and the light, they were again in darkness. As soon as their eyes became accustomed to the change, however, they were able to proceed tolerably well; although, from their ignorance of the road, they did not dare ride rapidly. Felix kept ahead, and Johnny followed at a little distance behind. Before they had proceeded more than a mile, it began to rain. This complicated matters. Although it did not rain very hard at first, it was evident that a storm was setting in.
"It won't do for us to get soaking wet," said Johnny, "since we are not sure of finding our way home. If it rains real hard, we had better stop at a house, if we come to any."
"I don't believe we shall come to any," returned Felix: "we haven't seen any sort of a building yet."
They rode on now as rapidly as they dared, and all the time the drops were coming faster and heavier. Presently it began to pour, and the wind rose so that they had to give up their bicycles again. The wind continued with such violence, that, after they were upon their feet, they could walk only in the direction in which it was blowing. But, as Johnny said, that was in the direction of home. They were obliged to leave their bicycles, after drawing them to one side of the road, as well as they could judge of that location in the darkness. There seemed to be some tall grass at the side of the road. After proceeding some distance farther, stumbling into puddles, and occasionally into the stone wall that bordered the side of the road, Felix announced that he was certain there was a house or barn just off at the right.
"For here's an opening in the wall," he continued: "this shows there is some kind of a place along here."