Mr. Downs's
brother has got an apple-tree."

"An apple-tree! Dear! dear! Think of getting to a place where people
have only one apple-tree," muttered Mr. Bright.

By the time that they had made the circuit of the island it was twelve
o'clock. This was dinner-time, Eyebright declared, and she produced
the lunch-basket. Mrs. Downs's bread had yellow specks of saleratus in
it, and was very different from Wealthy's delicious loaves; but they
were too hungry to criticise, though Eyebright shook her head over it,
and thought with satisfaction of the big parcel of yeast-powder which
she and Wealthy had packed up. She knew exactly where it was, in the
corner of a certain red box, and that reminded her to ask papa when
the boxes would be likely to come.

"They are due at this moment," he replied, "I suppose we may look for
them at any time now. Mr. Downs says there have been head winds for
this week past, and I presume that has kept the sloop back. Perhaps
she may come to-day."

"I do hope she will. I want dreadfully to begin and fix the house.
Doesn't it seem a great while since we left Tunxet, papa? I can't
believe that it is only three days, so much has happened."

The tide had been going out since eleven o'clock, and by four, when
they were ready to cross, the causeway was uncovered. It was a wide
pathway of sand, not flat and even all the way, but high in some
places and low in others, with shells and pebbles shining here and
there on its surface. It was like a beach, except for being narrower,
and having water on both sides of it, instead of on only one. The sand
was still wet enough to make good hard footing, and Eyebright skipped
gayly over it, declaring that she felt just like the children of
Israel in the middle of the Red Sea.

"It is so strange to think that, just a little while ago, this was all
water," she said; "and just a little while longer, and it will be all
water again. It is the most interesting thing we've got on our island,
I think, papa; but it makes me feel a little afraid, too."

"There's nothing to be afraid of if you're only careful not to come
here except when the tide is going out," said her father. "Now
remember this, Eyebright,--you must never try to cross when the tide
is rising, even if the sand looks perfectly dry and the water seems a
good way off. The sea comes in very fast up here on these northern
shores, and if you made a misstep and sprained your ankle, or had an
accident of any