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.