The pale and wintry sun showed the defiant Stars and Bars floating
over Donelson, and Dick from his hill could see men moving inside the
earthworks. Certainly the Southern flags had a right to wave defiance
at the besieging army, which was now slowly and painfully rising from
the snow, and lighting the fires anew.
"Well, what's the program today, Dick?" asked Pennington.
"I don't know, but it's quite certain that we won't attempt another
assault. It's hopeless."
"That's true," said Warner, who was standing by, "but we--hark, what was
that?"
The boom of a cannon echoed over the fort and forest, and then another
and another. To the northward they saw thin black spires of smoke under
the horizon.
"It's the fleet! It's the fleet!" cried Warner joyously, "coming up the
Cumberland to our help! Oh, you men of Donelson, we're around you now,
and you'll never shake us off!"
Again came the crash of great guns from the fleet, and the crash of the
Southern water batteries replying.
CHAPTER XI
THE SOUTHERN ATTACK
The excitement in the Union army was intense and joyous. The cheers
rolled like volleys among these farmer lads of the West. Dick, Warner
and Pennington stood up and shouted with the rest.
"I should judge that our chances of success have increased at least
fifty, yes sixty, per cent," said Warner. "As we have remarked before,
this control of the water is a mighty thing. We fight the Johnnie Rebs
for the land, but we have the water already.
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