Standing upon Beacon Cliff were three persons, watching with interest
and deep anxiety the cadets’ cruiser as she lay off the coast a league
or more.
They were Mrs. Merrill, the mother of the gallant middy, old Peggy, and
a beautiful young girl whom the reader will recall as Virgene Rich, the
fair witness who had testified so well in behalf of the young sailor in
his affray with Scott Clemmons, Ben Birney, and others of like ilk at
B----.
Mrs. Merrill read at a glance the danger of the vessel, when she saw
that she was becalmed and a storm rising from seaward; but her anxiety
would have been far greater had she known that the craft was crippled
and might not be able to beat off the coast.
What her feelings would have been had she known that her only son was
on board the vessel can well be imagined.
But though she saw that it was a vessel of war she did not connect Mark
with her, as she supposed that his cruiser was in foreign seas, not
having received his last letter from Lisbon, in which he had told her
what the remainder of the voyage would be.
Mrs. Merrill looked several years younger than when Mark had gone to
the Naval School.
Her really beautiful face had almost lost its expression of sadness and
her form was still youthful and graceful.
Virgene Rich, true to her promise, had often ridden down to see Mrs.
Merrill, and so attached had she become to her that Landlord Rich had
asked her to become his daughter’s governess, and thus we find the
young girl also an inmate of “Spook Hall.”
Mrs. Merrill had kept up the flower garden, made the wing in which she
dwelt more comfortable, and, with a horse and phaeton, which she had
purchased, did not seem near so far away from civilization as before.
Then, too, Skipper Jasper Crane, with the Venture, was making a very
snug living for her, and her bank account steadily increased, while
Mark was winning his way in the world, as she well knew.
So the three stood watching the cruiser, the rising storm, and the
coming of night.
“It will be a terrible night, I fear,” Mrs. Merrill said, with
increased anxiety for the cruiser.
At length the deep rumbling of thunder was heard, the lightning flashes
rent the black clouds, and the roar of the still distant tempest
reached their ears.
Then there came a ripple upon the waters, and instantly sail was set
upon the cruiser, which, under its influence, began to move ahead.
“She heads down the coast,” said Mrs. Merrill.
But the wind came in gusts, followed by calms, and each squall was more
severe.
Sail was shortened upon the cruiser at last, as the storm was coming
near, lights were set, and night, black, threatening and dangerous,
came upon land and sea. But the three watchers upon the cliff had
secured wraps, and kept their places to watch the lights that marked
the position of the cruiser.
Louder burst the thunder crashes, more vivid flashed the lightning, and
wilder roared the winds as they bore down upon the devoted ship.
“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.
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.