Like a trusty pilot leaving his ship he strolled over and vaulted up on the fence beside the boys who, having taken the village, were now making themselves comfortable in it.

His first question showed his thoughtfulness.
"Is the brook water all right ?" "Sure.

Thirsty ?" "No, I only wanted to make sure it was all right.

There were some big hogsheads of poison up in the woods where the brook starts and the other feller killed three Germans who tried to empty them in the stream.

By mistake he shot a hole in one of the hogsheads and I thought maybe some of the stuff got into the water.