“Our father is Josiah Pepperell,” answered Dan, “and our house is almost a mile back from shore near Cambridge.”

“So you ’re Josiah Pepperell’s children!  To be sure, to be sure!  Might have known it.  Ye do favor him some,” said the fisherman.  “Well! well!  The ways of the Lord are surely past finding out!  Why, I knew your father way back in England.  He came over here for religion and I came for fish.  Not that I ain’t a God-fearing man,” he added hastily, noticing a look of horror on Nancy’s face, “but I ain’t so pious as some.  I ’m a seafaring man, Captain Sanders of the Lucy Ann, Marblehead.  Ye can see her riding at anchor out there in the bay.  I have n’t set eyes on your father since he left Boston and settled in the back woods up yonder.”

He sent the boat flying through the water with swift, sure strokes as he talked, and brought it ashore at the first landing-place they found.  Here they drew it up on the bank and, taking out the lobster-pots, turned it upside down so the rain would not fill it.  Two great green lobsters with goblin-like eyes were hidden away under the pots, and when the boat was overturned they tumbled out and started at a lively pace for the water.

“Hi, there!” shouted the Captain, seizing them by their tails, “where are your manners?  By jolly, I like to forgot ye!  Come along now and take supper with the Pepperells.  I invite ye!  They ’re short of clams and they ’ll be pleased to see ye, or I miss my reckoning.”  There were pegs stuck in the scissor-like claws, so the creatures were harmless, and, swinging along with one kicking vigorously in each hand, the Captain plunged into the long meadow grass, the children following close at his heels.

The clouds grew darker and darker; there was a rumble of thunder, and streaks of lightning tore great rents in the sky as they hurried across the open meadow and struck into the pasture land beyond.

“Head into the wind there and keep going,” shouted the Captain as the children struggled along, impeded by their wet clothing.  “It ’s from the north, and we ’re pointed straight into it.”

Past bushes waving distractedly in the wind, under the boughs of young oak trees, over stones and through briars they sped, and at last they came in sight of the cabin just as the storm broke.  Goodwife Pepperell was standing in the door gazing anxiously toward the river, when they dashed out of the bushes and, scudding past her, stood dripping on the hearth-stone.  Her husband was just hanging his gun over the chimney-piece, and the noise of their entrance was drowned out by a clap of thunder; so when he turned about and saw the three drenched figures it was no wonder that for an instant he was too surprised to speak.

“Well, of all things!” he said at last, holding out his hand to Captain Sanders.  “What in God’s providence brings thee here, Thomas?  Thou art welcome indeed.  ’T is a long time since I have seen thee.”