There was a quarrel in A Company. Collins was shaking his fist in the faces of some laughing comrades. "Dern yeh! I ain't afraid t' go. If yeh say much, I will go!" "Of course, yeh will! You'll run through that there medder, won't yeh?" Collins said, in a terrible voice: "You see now!" At this ominous threat his comrades broke into renewed jeers. Collins gave them a dark scowl, and went to find his captain. The latter was conversing with the colonel of the regiment. "Captain," said Collins, saluting and standing at attention--in those days all trousers bagged at the knees--"Captain, I wan't t' get permission to go git some water from that there well over yonder!" The colonel and the captain swung about simultaneously and stared across the meadow. The captain laughed. "You must be pretty thirsty, Collins?" "Yes, sir, I am." "Well--ah," said the captain. After a moment, he asked, "Can't you wait?" "No, sir." The colonel was watching Collins's face. "Look here, my lad," he said, in a pious sort of a voice--"Look here, my lad"--Collins was not a lad--"don't you think that's taking pretty big risks for a little drink of water." "I dunno," said Collins uncomfortably. Some of the resentment toward his companions, which perhaps had forced him into this affair, was beginning to fade. "I dunno wether 'tis." The colonel and the captain contemplated him for a time. "Well," said the captain finally. "Well," said the colonel, "if you want to go, why, go." Collins saluted. "Much obliged t' yeh." As he moved away the colonel called after him. "Take some of the other boys' canteens with you an' hurry back now." "Yes, sir, I will." The colonel and the captain looked at each other then, for it had suddenly occurred that they could not for the life of them tell whether Collins wanted to go or whether he did not. They turned to regard Collins, and as they perceived him surrounded by gesticulating comrades, the colonel said: "Well, by thunder! I guess he's going." Collins appeared as a man dreaming. In the midst of the questions, the advice, the warnings, all the excited talk of his company mates, he maintained a curious silence. They were very busy in preparing him for his ordeal. When they inspected him carefully, it was somewhat like the examination that grooms give a horse before a race; and they were amazed, staggered by the whole affair. Their astonishment found vent in strange repetitions. "Are yeh sure a-goin'?" they demanded again and again. "Certainly I am," cried Collins at last furiously. He strode sullenly away from them. He was swinging five or six canteens by their cords. It seemed that his cap would not remain firmly on his head, and often he reached and pulled it down over his brow. There was a general movement in the compact column. The long animal-like thing moved slightly. Its four hundred eyes were turned upon the figure of Collins.