oat blows up, whar is you?' That's sense. The boats are
retiring! It's sad, but it's sense. A boat that steams away will live to
fight another day."

Dick was dejected. He fancied he could hear the cheering of their foes
at what looked like a Union defeat, but he recalled that Grant, the
bulldog, led them. He would never think of retiring, and he was sure to
be ready with some new attempt.

The gunboats drew off to the far western shore and lay there, puffing
smoke defiantly. Their fight with the batteries had lasted five hours
and they had suffered severely. It seemed strange to Dick that none of
them had been sunk, and in fact it was strange. All had been hit many
times, and one had been pierced by nearly fifty shot or shell. Their
killed or wounded were numerous, but their commanders and crews were
still resolute, and ready to go into action whenever General Grant
wished.

"Spunky little fellows," said Pennington. "We don't have many boats out
where I live, but I must hand a bunch of laurel to the navy every time."

"And you can bind wreaths around the hair of those navy fellows, too,"
said Warner, "and sing songs in their honor whether they win or lose."

"Now I wonder what's next," said Dick.

To their surprise the gunboats opened fire again just before sundown,
and the batteries replied fiercely. Rolling clouds of smoke mingled
with the advancing twilight, and the great guns from either side flashed
through the coming darkness. Then from a stray word or two dropped
by Colonel Winchester Dick surmised the reason of this new and rather
distant cannonade.

He knew that General Grant had transports up the river above Grand Gulf,
and he believed that they were now coming down the stream under cover of
the bombardment and the darkness. He confided his belief to Warner, who
agreed with him. Presently they saw new coils of smoke in the darkness
and knew they were right. The transports, steaming swiftly, were soon
beyond the range of the batteries, and then the gun boats, drawing off,
dropped down the river with them.

Long before the boats reached a point level with Grant's camp the army
was being formed in line for embarkation on the gunboats and transports.
The horses were to be placed on one or two of the transports and the men
filled all the other vessels.

"You can't down Grant," said Pennington. "A failure with him merely
means that he's going to try again."

"But don't forget the navy and the Father of