und him in.

"Well, we'll go at it again to-morrow," said Dick.

"We will be doing something else to-morrow. We've got to hike out of
here, and keep moving, too. Last drop of water has just gone into
the coffee pot," and Ned turned the empty water can upside down.

"Hope you can find the creek that leads to the fresh-water country.
I don't believe I could. We came through too many twisty, narrow
places. We sure don't want to be three or four days finding it. I'm
awful thirsty now."

"You must stop thinking about it. I believe I won't try for that
creek. It's a regular Chinese puzzle up among the mangroves, and I'm
not a bit sure I could follow our trail back to fresh water. I'd
rather take chances of that river that leads more to the east. I
know it can't go through to our bay, but it must lead up to the
Everglade country where the mangroves won't be so bad. We may have
to do some toting, but we will be sure to find water by to-morrow
night or the next day at the worst. But I won't go that way unless
you think best. It's too serious a thing for me to decide alone."

"Oh, I'm with you Ned. I might live till day after to-morrow without
water, but I wouldn't have a ghost of a chance beyond that, and we
might be three days in your Chinese puzzle country. Wow! but I'm
thirsty."

"Say that again, Dick, and I'll confiscate your coffee. I'm going to
save half of it for breakfast, anyhow. So go slow. You're on
allowance now. We will have breakfast before daylight. I want to
start as soon as we can see. It's a lot cooler before sun-up."

"I'll wake easy. I'll be so thirsty--Oh! excuse me, I forgot. But
Ned, would you mind if I took my crocodile along in the canoe? He
wouldn't take up much room and I could sit on his back. I could lead
him across any carry and I've grown quite fond of him."

"You had better stop talking nonsense and get some sleep. You may
need it."

"Yes, I know. 'Most anything may happen. You'd feel bad to think you
had refused a poor boy's dying request--and he your chum, too. Can't
I have my little pet crocodile?"

When the sun rose the young explorers had already paddled several
miles and were in a labyrinth of little bays from which they
followed channel after channel until each one shoaled down to a few
inches in depth. Finally they found one that deepened as they
advanced, although its banks came nearer together and the branches
of big trees closed over it.

"This is all right. Fresh water s