estralla did not know why she was so sure that missy sylvia had wandered out beyond the barracks; but, since her little mistress was not at mrs. carleton's, and had not come to the landing-place, the little colored girl was sure that she must be among the sand-hills, and she ran along calling sylvia's name as she ran.
now and then she stopped to listen for some response, or to look about for some sign that might tell her that sylvia had passed that way, and near the top of one of the little slopes she found a bunch of the green vines and yellow blossoms which sylvia had dropped.
"she shuah am somewhar near," thought estralla, and just then she heard a far-off call.
"dat was my name!" she exclaimed aloud, and listened more intently than ever.
"maybe 'twas jes' one o' them gull-birds a-callin'," she decided as no further sound came to her ears.
now she went on more carefully, but she, too, came to the shore; but it was on the inner curve of the land, a little cove where an old shanty stood near the water, and a boat was drawn up near by.
estralla looked into the rough cabin, half hoping to find sylvia there. then she went back a little way and shouted sylvia's name again and again, and this time there was a response. "estralla! estralla!" came clearly to her ears.
"my lan' o' grashus!" whispered the little darky, and then called loudly, "i'se a-comin', missy sylvia." and now sylvia called again. back and forth sounded the voices of the two girls, each one moving toward the other, for at the welcome sound of estralla's call sylvia had sprung up and hurried in the direction from which the voice seemed to come.
it was now so nearly dusk that as they came in sight of each other they were like dark shadows.
"oh, estralla! where is my father?" sylvia cried as estralla ran toward her and flung both arms about her little mistress.
"he's a-waitin' fer yo', missy! don' be skeered; i'se gwine to take keer of yo'."
"do you know the way back, estralla?" asked sylvia. "i couldn't find the fort."
"no, missy; i reckon we couldn't fin' nuthin' now, 'tis too nigh dark. but thar's a cabin an' a boat jes' over t'other side o' dis san' heap. i kin fin' them," responded estralla, turning back. they walked very slowly, for estralla wanted to be quite sure that they were going in the right direction, and not until they were in sight of the cabin and the shadowy outlines of the boat did she feel safe. then with a sigh of relief she exclaimed:
"wat i tell yo', missy sylvia! ain't dar a boat, like what i said? an' don' yo' know all 'bout a boat? course yo' does. now yo' can sail us right off home. an' when yo' pa comes home 'mos' skeered to def, 'cos he cyan't fin' yo', thar' yo'll be," and estralla chuckled happily as if all their troubles were over.
but sylvia was not so sure. unless there was a sail or a pair of oars the boat would be of little use, and even with oars and sail could she guide the boat safely to charleston?
they soon discovered that there was a pair of oars in the boat, but there was no sail or tiller. sylvia could row, but estralla could not be of any use. but it seemed the only way in which they could reach either fort moultrie or their home, for both the little girls realized that they might wander about the sand-hills all night without finding their way back to the fort. it was chilly and dark, and the old cabin with its sagging roof and open doorway was not a very inviting shelter. indeed, estralla was quite sure that a lion, or at the very least a family of wolves, was at that moment safely hidden in one of the dark corners of the cabin.
"the moon is out! look!" said sylvia, "and there goes a steamer."
sylvia did not know that this steamer was a guard-boat which governor
pickens of south carolina had ordered stationed between sullivan's
island and fort sumter to prevent, if possible, any united states
troops being landed at that fort.
"i can see the fort!" declared sylvia. "that's it off beyond the boat," and she pointed down the harbor. "now, we will start. i know i can row the boat that far, and i am sure my father will not go home without us. to-morrow we will send this boat back."
sylvia had now forgotten all her weariness, and she was no longer afraid. she was sure that in a little while she would be safely at the fort, and then, she resolved, she would at once tell mrs. carleton that mr. doane had the letter and ask permission to tell her mother of her part in the secret message.
the boat was already half afloat, and it was an easy matter to pull up the big stone attached to a strong rope which served as an anchor, and then to push off from shore.
"you watch, estralla, and if any other boat comes near shout at the top of your voice," said sylvia as she dipped the oars into the dark water and pulled off from shore.
"my lan', missy! bar's dat light agin," called the half-frightened darky, "an' we's right in it dis time!"
an instant later a call came from the guardboat. "boat ahoy! where bound?" and before sylvia could ship her oars or answer the call she found herself looking straight into the blinding light, and felt the little boat rising on the crest of the wave made by the steamer.
"we's gwine to be drownded, missy!" shouted estralla, and before sylvia could say a word the frightened little darky had sprung up and lurched forward across sylvia's knees.
the boat tipped and the water rushed over one side, but sylvia, clutching the oars steadily, and remembering her father's frequent warnings, sat perfectly still and the little craft righted itself.
"you nearly upset us; keep still where you are. don't move!" said sylvia angrily. the light had flashed in another direction now, and the guard-boat had moved on, thinking the boat contained two young darkies bound for sullivan's island after a visit to charleston.
sylvia could feel the water about her feet and ankles. she wished that she had called for help, for she realized now that they might be run into and sunk by some passing craft. beside that the wind and tide were now carrying them swiftly along toward the open sea. then, suddenly, sylvia dropped her oars and screamed at the top of her voice. estralla shouted loudly. their boat had run directly against the wall of fort sumter. in an instant there were lights flashing over the parapet. there was the sound of voices, a call, and then the little craft was held firmly against the barricade and a gruff voice called:
"stop your noise, and we'll have you safe in a jiffy."
but it seemed a long time to the frightened children before a tall soldier swung over into the boat and lifted sylvia and then estralla up to the outstretched hands which grasped them so firmly.
"what on earth were you out in that boat for?" questioned an elderly gruff-voiced officer, when sylvia and estralla, thoroughly drenched and wondering what new misfortune was in store for them, followed him into a bare little cell-like room where the lamplight made them blink and shield their eyes for a moment.
sylvia told of their adventures as quickly as possible, and the officer listened in amazement.
"upon my word!" he said as she finished. "it's a wonder you are alive to tell the story. and so you are a little yankee girl? well! come along to my quarters and my wife will put you both to bed, or you'll be too ill to go home to-morrow."
"can't we go to fort moultrie right away?" pleaded sylvia. "my father must be worried about me."
"no one from this fort can go to fort moultrie," he responded gravely. "those flash-lights are from a guard-boat which the south carolina people have sent down the harbor so that major anderson won't send us reinforcements without their knowledge. i wish anderson would send some message to the president," he added, as if thinking aloud.
sylvia wondered to herself if the letter she had carried to mr. doane might not be a message to the president? she wished she could tell this big officer about it. but she remembered her promise to mrs. carleton not to speak of it to anyone.
"here's a half-drowned little yankee girl and her little darky," said the officer, as he led the two girls into a warm pleasant room where a pretty elderly lady with white hair sat with her needlework.
"for pity sake, gerald!" she exclaimed. "they are shivering with cold," and without asking a single question she began to take off sylvia's wet dress.
"gerald, send sally right in with hot milk," she directed, and the officer vanished.
it was not long before sylvia was sitting up in bed wrapped in a gay-colored blanket and drinking milk so hot and sweet and spicy that it seemed as if she could never have enough of it. estralla was curled up in a big scarlet wrapper on a rug near the fire with a big mug of the spiced and sweetened milk. and when they had finished this a plate of hot buttered biscuit, and thin slices of ham, was brought in. then there was more warm milk.
"now you must both go straight to sleep," commanded mrs. gerald, "and to-morrow morning my husband will take you safely home," and kissing sylvia, and with a kindly smile for estralla, the friendly woman bade them good-night.
there was no light now in the room save the dancing firelight, sylvia lay watching the shadows on the wall. estralla was fast asleep, but her little mistress lay awake thinking over the adventures of the day. she was at fort sumter, the long dark fort which she had so often seen with the stars and stripes waving above it from her home, from miss patten's schoolroom, and in her sails about the harbor. sylvia snuggled down in her comfortable bed with a sense of safety and comfort. "i wish my father and mother could know i am at fort sumter," was her last waking thought.
