s of batteries on the cliffs responded.
The water of the river spouted up in innumerable little geysers and now
and then a boat was struck. Over both cliffs and river a great cloud
of smoke lowered. It grew so dense that Dick and his comrades, watching
with eagerness, were unable to tell much of what was happening.

Yet as the smoke lifted or was shot through with the blaze of cannon
fire they saw that their prophecies were coming true. The boats in water
too deep for anchorage were caught in the powerful eddies and their
captains had to show their best seamanship while they steamed back and
forth.

The battle between ship and shore went on for a long time. It seemed at
last to the watching Union soldiers that the fire from the lower line of
batteries was diminishing.

"We're making some way," said Warner.

"It looks like it," said Dick. "Their lower batteries are not so well
protected as the upper."

"If we were only over there, helping with our own guns."

"But there's a big river in between, and we've got to leave it to the
boats for to-day, anyhow."

"Look again at those lower batteries. Their fire is certainly
decreasing. I can see it die down."

"Yes, and now it's stopped entirely. The boats have done good work!"

A tremendous cheer burst from the troops on the west shore as they saw
how much their gallant little gunboats had achieved. Every gun in the
lower batteries was silent now, but the top of the cliffs was still
alive with flame. The batteries there were far from silent. Instead
their fire was increasing in volume and power.

The four gunboats that had silenced the lower batteries now moved up to
the aid of their comrades, and the seven made a united effort, steaming
forward in a sort of half-moon, and raining shot and shell upon the
summits. But the guns there, well-sheltered and having every advantage
over rocking steamers, maintained an accurate and deadly fire. The
decks of the gunboats were swept more than once. Many men were killed or
wounded. Heavy shot crashed through their sides, and Dick expected every
instant to see some one of them sunk by a huge exploding shell.

"They can't win! They can't win!" he exclaimed. "They'd better draw off
before they're sunk!"

"So they had," said Warner sadly. "Boats are at a disadvantage fighting
batteries. The old darky was right when he preferred a train wreck to a
boat wreck, 'ef the train's smashed, thar you are on the solid ground,
but ef the b