“It must be some one from the ship,” said Mrs. Merrill, and she and Virgene went to the door.
“Mother!” and a form clad in a greatcoat steps forward, while other cloaked forms are behind him.
“My son!” cried Mrs. Merrill, as she was enfolded in her son’s arms, but quickly released as the others stepped in out of the storm, and Mark said:
“Mother, I wish to present my commander, Captain De Long, Lieutenant Briggs, and my chum, Cadet Midshipman Bemis Perry.”
Other introductions followed to Virgene, and Captain De Long said:
“We found ourselves on your coast, Mrs. Merrill, in distress, for we had a crippled mast, and your brave son became our pilot, and ran us into a safe harborage. Then I gave him leave to come ashore on condition that he brought us with him.”
It was a pleasant evening that was passed there in old “Spook Hall,” and old Peggy sat down to them one of her most tempting suppers.
It was midnight before Captain De Long started upon his return to his ship, but he gave Mark permission to remain till after breakfast the following morning, when, if the weather was not severe, the cruiser would sail on her course once more, as, with his crippled mast, the commander wished to reach Annapolis as soon as possible, knowing that he would have to run from port to port in good weather.
It was noon the next day when the cruiser sailed, Mark again acting as pilot out to sea, and fair weather and a stiff breeze held her on her way, until once again she dropped anchor off the Naval School, and the young sailors went ashore to “bone it” hard for another long year, and to struggle for honors.