most friendly way:

"To the end, my dear Fitz, that you may come to understand there is a
time for work and a time for remaining idle; that he who would
accomplish something does not set out upon a task which, even before
beginning it, he knows to be impossible."

"All of which means what?" Saul demanded, and I understood that the
lad's heart was heavy, for within the hour he had been crowded against
the wall, and a red-coated captain of the Foot had shaken him soundly
because he did not give way to the swaggerers who had come into Virginia
to teach us manners.

"All of which means that the time will come when we shall be able to do
something to please even your Governor Henry," Pierre said sulkily, and
then turned away, himself to take counsel of Uncle 'Rasmus, leaving Saul
and me gazing into each other's faces like a couple of simples, until my
cousin said with a mirthless laugh:

"I am beginning to believe, Fitz, that little Frenchie has more in his
head than ever you or I can hope to find in ours."

It was the first time I had ever heard him suggest that Pierre was wise
beyond his years. In fact, he had always looked upon the little fellow
as a pleasant companion, and I had believed that I was more than his
equal when it came to such tasks as Minute Boys should do. I had set it
down in my mind that when the time for real work arrived, if it ever
did, it would be Saul and I who would do credit to our town of James.

My Lord Cornwallis did not linger at James Town; but continued on down
the river until he was come to Portsmouth, having stopped meanwhile on
the way to "give Lafayette a lesson," as some of our Tory neighbors
suggested.

Then, as you very well know, it began to appear as if this valiant
officer, who represented the king in Virginia, was beginning to get
uneasy because the young French general was pressing him rather warmly,
and continued what was well nigh a retreat until that first day of
September in the year of Grace 1781, when he entered York Town, and
immediately began to fortify the settlements of York and Gloucester as
if counting to make there a permanent abiding place.

It never occurred to me that my Lord Cornwallis had really beaten a
retreat before the Americans, and was now come to where he must have aid
from New York or from overseas in order to get out from what was much
like a trap, until Uncle 'Rasmus, when we lads were gathered about him
in the stable-yard, said, shaking his gr