to feel that I would willingly give everything I possessed for a good
long cooling draught of spring water. However, I clenched my teeth and
said nothing, for I knew perfectly well that if the word "thirst" were
once mentioned all hands would instantly begin to clamour for water, and
I might have the greatest difficulty in restraining the others from
making a raid upon the breakers, regardless of consequences.

But, after all, my self-restraint was of little practical value, for
presently the carpenter flung the loom of his oar athwart the boat until
it rested upon the gunwale, and, tossing his clenched fists above his
head, cried in a husky, unnatural tone of voice:

"Great jumpin' Gehosophat, how thirsty I am! Mr Temple, I votes we
knock off long enough to have a drink all round. I'm as dry as a
limekiln inside; my tongue's beginnin' to rattle again' my teeth, an'--"

"The more reason why you should keep it quiet, Chips," I retorted
sharply. "Thirsty! Of course you are; so are we all, for that matter:
but there is no reason why we should yelp about it. And as for having a
drink, you know as well as I do that, with the small quantity of water
which we have in the boat, it has been necessary for us to pledge
ourselves solemnly to take no more than a certain quantity daily, and we
must wait for our next drink until dinner-time comes along--"

"But, Mr Temple," interrupted the sailmaker, who with the others,
myself included, had now cocked his oar, "our proper 'lowance of water
is 'alf a pint at each meal, and another 'alf a pint at some other time.
Can't we 'ave that there hextry 'alf pint now?"

"No, you certainly cannot," I answered, as well as I was able to speak
for the saliva that gathered in my mouth at the mere thought of that
nectar-like half-pint of water. "If you did, you would be as thirsty as
ever within the next half-hour, and then you would be sorry enough that
there was no more water coming to you, except at meal times, for the
rest of the day. But I'll tell you what I'll do. It is now," glancing
at my watch, "within three minutes of nine o'clock. At ten we will take
a spell of ten minutes, and each man shall then have the third part of
half a pint of water, with a suspicion of rum in it as a pick-me-up.
Then at twelve we shall dine, and each man shall have his half-pint; at
three o'clock we will have another third of half a pint; at six we shall
have supper; and at nine o'clock, if we find