Anderson, the commander of Sumter, appeared upon the esplanade to meet the boat coming with the white flag. Harry watched him closely. He saw a face worn, but set hard and firm, and a figure upright and steady. The Southerners tied their boat to the wall and climbed upon the esplanade. "What do you want, gentlemen?" asked Anderson. "We have come with our final demand for your surrender," replied the chief Southern officer. "If you do not yield we fire upon you." Anderson shrugged his shoulders. "I hear that a fleet from New York is coming to my relief." "It will never be able to force a passage into the harbor." "That may or may not be, but in any event, gentlemen, I tell you that the flag will not come down. If you fire, we fire back." He spoke with no quiver in his voice, although his supply of ammunition was low, and the fort had a food supply for only four days. "Then it is scarcely worth while for us to talk longer." "No, it would be a waste of time by both of us." The Southerners turned back to their boat. Harry was the last and Anderson said to him in a low tone: "I am sorry to see your father's son here." "I am where he would wish me to be," replied the boy stiffly. "Even so, I hope you will come to no harm," said Anderson in a generous tone. After such a noble rejoinder Harry's heart softened instantly, and he returned the wish. Then he followed the others into the boat, and they pulled back to the mainland. The crowd surmised from the quick return of the boat the nature of the answer that it brought. It seemed to feel one gigantic throb of passion, and perhaps of relief also, that the issue was made after so many weeks of waiting. Yet the holiday aspect disappeared, as if a cloud had passed suddenly before the sun. Harry noted the shadow even before he landed. The people had become silent, and faces that had laughed turned grave. As they set foot upon the mainland, they told their news freely, and then the crowd dispersed almost in silence. It was the first time that Harry had seen Charleston, gay and light of heart, in the shadow, but he was sure that it could not last long. His errand over, he returned to his own battery and told Langdon and St. Clair of everything that had happened. "It's all for the best," said Langdon cheerfully. "Sumter will be ours in another day." "Wait and see, Happy," said Harry. "All right, old Wait-and-See, I will," returned Langdon.