“See, see! she heads in toward our harbor!” “She is lost!” cried Mrs. Merrill, wringing her hands in distress. “Perhaps she has a pilot on board,” suggested Virgene. “No! no! for the coasters shun this harbor, and only Captain Crane and one of his boys know the channel in.” “Mark knows,” said old Peggy, in a very decided way. “Yes, but he is not here--see! the lights advance steadily, and--Virgene, there is a pilot on board yonder craft, for she has rounded Whaleback Rock and passed between The Sentinels, and that was not chance, surely.” “And the storm is upon her now,” cried Virgene, as the lurid glare upon the sea showed now the advance of the tempest directly down upon the ship. “Yes, but Whaleback Rock and The Sentinels will break its force, while she has now gotten under the lee of Castle Rock, and heads into the harbor.” As Mrs. Merrill spoke the storm was seen to catch the ship and hide the lights from view in an instant; but the rocky islands she had spoken of broke its force, and, though the cruiser was driven onward with a rush, she was held firmly on her course, and a few minutes after glided in under the lee of Beacon Cliff. “She is safe!” cried Mrs. Merrill, as she saw the lights reappear in the harbor, and the three were almost blown by the wind to the mansion. The storm howled savagely about the old mansion, but all was comfort within, and old Peggy set about getting supper, when all were startled by a loud knock. “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.