Abner, who had been started from his seat in his eagerness, sank back, and looked at his visitor in blank amazement. At length he said, sternly: "If you have nothing of importance to communicate, leave me. I have no time for pleasantry. From your manner I expected news--bad news--" "And was disappointed," said the mulatto, with a smile. "Who are you?" demanded Abner. "I don't mind letting you know my name. I am called Yellow Steve--got no other name. I just come to say I shall be around, and if you should ever need me it is most likely you will find me right at hand. I am everywhere. Can come as near as possible being in three places at once." "You must be a remarkable person," said Abner. "I have a remarkable story to tell you at some time." "Why not tell me now? I may fall in to-morrow's fight." "Then I will tell your brother." "But he may fall. Does it concern me?" "It is the waif, the foundling, you call sister, my story concerns. Some time you shall have it--not now." The man disappeared through the door as he spoke, and, though Abner rushed out after him, he was gone. He inquired of Willie Thornbridge which way the man had gone, but Willie declared he had not seen him come out of the tent. He pursued his search and inquiries, but no one else had seen Yellow Steve at all. Abner Tompkins, on the morning of the battle, was early astir, and, breakfast over, the bugle sounded boots and saddles. Abner kept his lines well dressed, and awaited the order to advance. The skirmish lines had already been thrown out, and the distant roar of guns could be heard. Diggs declared that war was a cruel "institution," and that he was ready to retire at as early a date as possible. "You present a nice figure on that horse," said Corporal Grimm. "Darned if a cannon-shot could afford to miss you." "Yes," added Sergeant Swords, "you'll present as nice a mark for the sharpshooters up on that camel's back as if you were a squirrel in a tree." "You'll come out all right yet, Henry," said Uncle Dan, the scout, riding up at this moment, with his trusty rifle on the pommel of his saddle. "Do you think I'll be shot, Uncle Dan?" asked Diggs, shuddering in spite of himself. "No, not if you do enough shooting yourself," replied the old man. "Ye must watch yer chance and pop it to them so fast they can't git a chance to pop back." At this moment a pale, fair youth, mounted on a bright bay horse, came galloping up to Captain Tompkins. He was dressed in the uniform of a United States cavalryman, with a saber and carbine at his side, and pistols in his holsters. The sight of this youth, and the nearness of the coming battle, brought sad reflections to Abner's mind. Willie Thornbridge was just eighteen, the only comfort and support of his widowed mother. Abner remembered well the bright, sunny morning when Willie bade his mother farewell, and the mother, with tear-streaming eyes and aching heart, admonished Abner to take care of and protect him.