as pulling itself along
slowly through the mud. The fort itself was only about three miles away,
and as it stood upon low, marshy ground, the backwater from the flooded
Tennessee had almost surrounded it.

Despite their horses, Winchester's men found their own advance slow.
They had to make many a twist and turn to avoid marshes and deep water
before they came within the sight of the fort, and then Dick's watch
told him that it was nearly noon, the time for the concerted attacks of
army and fleet. But it was certain now that the army could not get up
until several hours later, and he wondered what would happen.

They saw the fort very clearly from their position on a low hill,
and they saw that the main Confederate force was gathered on a height
outside, connected with the fort, and as well as he could judge, the
mass seemed to number three or four thousand men.

"What does that mean?" he asked Colonel Winchester.

"I surmise," replied the colonel, "that Tilghman, the Confederate
commander, is afraid his men may be caught in a trap. We know his troops
are merely raw militia, and he has put them where they can retreat in
case of defeat. He, himself, with his trained cannoneers, is inside the
fort."

"There can be no attack until tomorrow," said Colonel Newcomb. "It will
be impossible for General Grant's army to get here in time."

"You are certainly right about the army, but I'm not so sure that you're
right about the attack. Look what's coming up the river."

"The fleet!" exclaimed Newcomb in excitement. "As sure as I'm here it's
the fleet, advancing to make the attack alone. Foote is a daring and
energetic man, and the failure of the army to co-operate will not keep
him back."

"Daring and energy, seventy per cent, at least," Dick heard Warner
murmur, but he paid no more attention to his comrades because all his
interest was absorbed in the thrilling spectacle that was about to be
unfolded before them.

The fleet, the armor clads, the floating batteries, and the mortar
boats, were coming straight toward the fort. Colonel Winchester lent
Dick his glasses for a moment, and the boy plainly saw the great,
yawning mouths of the mortars. Then he passed the glasses back to the
colonel, but he was able to see well what followed with the naked eye.
The fleet came on, steady, but yet silent.

There was a sudden roar, a flash of fire and a shell was discharged from
one of the seventeen great guns in the fort. But it p