There was a wave of gray pouring into the ship, returning with bales, boxes, bundles. Then Drew, who had snatched peeps at the activity between searching the upper waters for trouble, saw the gunboats coming--three of them. Again Boyd signaled, but the naval craft made better speed than the laden transport and they were already in position to lob shells among the men unloading the supply ships, though the batteries on the shore finally drove them off. In the end they fired the prize, but she was emptied of her rich cargo. Shoes, blankets, clothing--you didn't care whether breeches and coats were gray or blue when they replaced rags--food. Kirby came to their sentry post, his arms full, a beatific smile on his face. "What'll you have, amigos--pickles, pears, Yankee crackers, long sweetenin'--" He spread out a variety of such stores as they had almost forgotten existed. "You know, seein' some of the prices on this heah sutlers' stuff, I'm thinkin' somebody's sure gittin' rich on this war. It ain't nobody I know, though." They kept their trap as it was through the rest of the day and the following night without any more luck. When the next fish swam into the net it approached from the other side and not past the scout post. The steamer _Anna_ progressed from Johnsonville, ran the gantlet of the batteries, and in spite of hard shelling, was not hit in any vital spot, escaping beyond. But when the transport _Venus_, towing two barges and convoyed by the gunboat _Undine_, tried to duplicate that feat they were caught by the accurate fire of the masked guns. Trying to turn and steam back the way they had come, they were pinned down. And while they were held there, another steamer entered the upper end of the trap and was disabled. Guns moved by sweat, force, will and hand-power, were wrestled around the banks to attend to the _Undine_. And after a brisk duel her officers and crew abandoned her. "We got us a navy," Kirby announced when he brought their order to leave the picket post. "The Yankees sure are kind, presentin' us with a couple of ships jus' outta the goodness of their hearts." The _Undine_ and the _Venus_, manned by volunteers, did steam with the caution of novice sailors upriver when on the first of November troops and artillery started to Johnsonville. "Hi!" One of the new Horse Marines waved to the small party of scouts, weaving in and out to gain their position at the head of the column. "Want to leave them feed sacks for us to carry?" Kirby put a protecting hand over his saddle burden of extra and choice rations. "This heah grub ain't gonna be risked out on no water," he called back. "Nor blown up by no gunboat neither."