dently a drunken wretch," and with the words he hastened away in the
direction of the sounds.

"Ha, ha! I hear ye, capting!" shouted the voice; "but drunken wretch or
not, I wouldn't harm a hair o' any o' yer heads. All I'm a-wantin' is a
free passage up furder north, where I come from."

"Oh, mamma, I'm so frightened! so 'fraid the bad man will hurt my dear
papa," cried little Elsie, clinging to her mother, while tears filled
her sweet blue eyes.

"No, papa will whip de naughty mans," said Ned, shaking his baby fist in
the direction of the sounds.

"Ah ha, ah ha, um h'm! little laddie; I have no doubt your papa is
bigger and stronger than the naughty mans," said Cousin Ronald, "and if
he catches the good-for-nothing scamp, can whip him within an inch of
his life."

At that Walter burst into a laugh. "Now, Cousin Ronald," he said, "I'd
not be a bit surprised to learn that you are well acquainted with that
scamp. However, I'll run after Brother Levis to see the fun, if there is
any, but I'm sure nobody need be one bit afraid," and with that away he
ran.

"Ah, Cousin Ronald," began Violet, laughing, the others joining in with
her, and all entirely occupied in looking at the old gentleman, whose
face, however, could be but indistinctly seen, as he had so placed
himself that the moonlight did not fall fully upon it, "confess
that----"

But she got no further. A shout of drunken laughter from the other side
of the vessel again startled them.

"Ha, ha! the capting's gone in the wrong direction to catch this
customer. But he needn't to hunt me up. I'm a real harmless kind o'
chap, an' wouldn't hurt a hair o' any o' your heads."

Again every head was turned in the direction of the sounds, but seeing
no one they all burst into gleeful laughter, in which the captain
presently joined, having returned from his bootless search, fully
convinced that it need be carried no farther.

CHAPTER XVI.

IT was a bright, sweet May morning. _Reveille_ sounded at the Naval
Academy at Annapolis, and with the first tap of the drum Max woke and
sprang from his bed. He glanced from the window as he hurried on his
clothes, and a low exclamation of surprise and delight burst from his
lips.

"What now, Raymond?" queried Hunt, who was dressing with equal
expedition.

"The _Dolphin_! the _Dolphin_!" cried Max, in a joyful, exultant tone.
"She lies at anchor down yonder, and I haven't a doubt that I shall see
my father and all t