midnight
It was in vain that Mr. Fulton explained that his little daughter was lost , that he must be permitted to return to the fort . The sentry wasted no words . `` Orders , sir . Sorry , '' was the only response he could get , and at midnight Mr. Fulton was in his own house looking out over the harbor . Mingled with his anxious fear for the safety of his little daughter was the thought of the sentries now guarding Charleston 's water-front , of the assembling of soldiers in the city , and the evident plan of the southerners to seize the forts in the harbor and force the Government into war . He realized that in that case it would not be possible for his family to remain in Charleston . Early the next morning Sylvia was awakened and made ready for her return , and when the sun shone brightly over the waters of the harbor she and Estralla , with Captain Gerald and a strong negro servant , were on board a boat sailing rapidly toward home .