"
"But you're only stating the side of the besieged."
"Don't interrupt. It's impolite. I mean to be thoroughly fair. Now
come the factors favoring the besieged. The assailing army, despite its
superior numbers, is far in the enemy's country. It may be attacked at
any time by another army outside, small, but led by a very able general.
Now, you have both sides presented to you, but I have already arrived at
the determining factor. What would you say it is, Dick?"
"I don't know."
"You haven't used your reasoning powers. Remember that the man who not
merely thinks, but who thinks hard and continuously always wins. It's
very simple. The answer is in four letters, f-o-o-d, food. As we know
positively, Pemberton was able to provision Vicksburg for five or six
weeks. We can't break in and he can't break out. When his food is
exhausted, as it soon will be, he'll have to give up. The siege of
Vicksburg is over. I know everything, except the exact date."
Dick was inclined to believe that Warner was right, but he forgot about
his prediction, because a mail came down the river that afternoon,
and he received a letter from his mother, his beautiful young mother,
who often seemed just like an elder sister.
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