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 Waters," said Dick, as their
transports swung from the shore upon the dark surface of the river.
"The mighty rivers help us. Look how we went up the Cumberland and the
Tennessee and now we've harnessed a flowing ocean for our service."

"Getting poetical, Dick," said Warner.