"Well, you know we built a snow fort in the school-house lot; and they sneaked up the back road, and cut across lots where we couldn't see 'em, and jumped on us suddenly from the stone-wall."
"Strategy, my boy. Military strategy deserving of a good cause. And how did you meet the attack?"
"Why, we pulled ourselves together and went for 'em."
The colonel was getting excited and impatient.
"Well, we fought 'em and drove 'em down to the front of the school-house, and then they opened the door and sneaked in, just as I told you, and locked us out."
"Ah! more strategy. The enemy had brains. But you should have laid siege and starved him out."
"We did lay siege, grandfather."
"And did you starve him out?"
"No, they came out."