“Thank you, sir; but mother will be worrying about me, and I think I had better go home as soon as I can.” “That’s right, Jack: you are a good boy. Always look out for your mother. But you must have a cup of coffee and a bite before you go.” The old gentleman insisted; and John concluded that the coffee and eatables would enable him to walk enough faster to make up for lost time: so he followed Captain Barney into the house, and consumed a marvellously large quantity of bread and ham in a marvellously short space of time, very much to his own satisfaction, and not less to that of his bountiful host. “Jack!” said Captain Barney, who sat in his arm-chair, watching the busy jaws of his young friend. “Sir,” replied he, not in a very clear tone; for his mouth was too full for a favorable exhibition of the human voice. “You have made a good friend to-night.” “Yes, sir; but I only did my duty.” “Did your duty, you dog!” roared the captain, laughing heartily. “That’s just what I’ve been saying. It’s every man’s duty to do the best he can, blow high or blow low; but blow me, Jack, if there’s one man in a thousand that does it. Why, Jack, if every man did his duty, we should all be angels, and every rogue would be fit to make a parson of.” “I couldn’t do any less than I did; but I thought the lieutenant had piped down for the last time when I saw him go overboard,” replied the happy boy, as he finished his lunch. “Now I must go home, sir. I will come down in the morning, and put the boat in order.” “Well, go home, Jack, and quiet your mother; and within a month you will be a reefer on board a man-of-war. Good-night, Jack.” “Good-night, sir.” John walked home as fast as his legs would carry him; for he knew his mother was worrying about him, and would not go to bed till he returned. I need not tell my readers how gladly she welcomed him home after the dangers through which he had passed, nor with what a motherly interest she listened to the story of the cruise, nor record the exclamations of wonder and alarm with which she interlarded the exciting narrative. But, before two o’clock, John was sound asleep, dreaming of batteries and broadsides, bob-stays and bowlines, great guns, cutlasses, and boarding-pikes. CHAPTER IV. THE NAVAL RENDEZVOUS. About a week after the events recorded in the preceding chapters, Lieutenant Bankhead paid another visit to Pinchbrook; but the way had already been prepared for him. Mrs. Somers, finding that she should be compelled to yield to the tremendous pressure which would be brought to bear upon her, had already decided to yield gracefully and without a struggle. Captain Barney had used his eloquence to some purpose; but the strong desire of John to serve his country was the most powerful influence acting upon her mind. On the morning after the captain’s visit, John was somewhat surprised to hear her open the subject herself, without any prompting on his part.