She must hoist it . How fortunate that Uncle George had once shown her how ! Ten minutes later there was a commotion over at Harbour Head where the signal was promptly observed , and very soon -- although it seemed long enough to Mary Margaret -- a boat came sailing over to the Big Dipper . When the men landed they were met by a very white-faced little girl who gasped out a rather disjointed story of a light that had n't been lighted and an uncle with a broken leg and a sister tied in her chair , and would they please see to Uncle George at once , for she must go straight over to the other Dipper ? One of the men rowed her over , but before they were halfway there another boat went sailing across the harbour , and Mary Margaret saw a woman and two men land from it and hurry up to the house . That is Mother and Uncle Martin , but who can the other man be ? wondered Mary Margaret . When she reached the cottage her mother and Uncle Martin were reading her note , and Nellie , just untied from the chair where she had been found fast asleep , was in the arms of a great , big , brown , bewhiskered man . Mary Margaret just gave one look at the man . Then she flew across the room with a cry of delight . `` Father ! '' For ten minutes not one intelligible word was said , what with laughing and crying and kissing . Mary Margaret was the first to recover herself and say briskly , `` Now , do explain , somebody . Tell me how it all happened . '' `` Martin and I got back to Harbour Head too late last night to cross over , '' said her mother . `` It would have been madness to try to cross in the storm , although I was nearly wild thinking of you two children . It 's well I did n't know the whole truth or I 'd have been simply frantic . We stayed at the Head all night , and first thing this morning came your father . '' `` We came in last night , '' said Captain Campbell , `` and it was pitch dark , not a light to be seen and beginning to snow . We did n't know where we were and I was terribly worried , when all at once the Big Dipper light I 'd been looking for so vainly flashed out , and everything was all right in a moment .
But , Mary XXXXX , if that light had n't appeared , we 'd never have got in past the reefs .
Campbell Dipper Father Head Margaret Martin first minutes night storm