e
that of Chris, and then as they joined hands, the latter raised his left
foot to the stirrup, sprang up, and dropped into the saddle with a sigh
of relief.

"Well done us!" he panted. "Who'd ever have thought that being half
starved would make two fellows feel like that?"

"It was awful, wasn't it?"

"Not so horrible as thinking about them all dying for want of water.
Oh, Ned, Ned, Ned, can't we get one barrel on your or my pony and ride
on fast?"

"No," said Ned decisively. "We couldn't hold it on, and we couldn't go
fast."

"And we couldn't fasten the other on the mule's back. Is there nothing
else we could do?"

"I can't see anything but going right on. Let's catch up to the mule
now and keep on talking so as to forget about being so faint. I say,
how fast one's clothes dry!"

"Yes," said Chris; "and how cool one feels in spite of the sun coming
down as if it would roast us. Do you know why it is?"

"No," replied Ned.

"I'll tell you, then. Father told me once. He said it was one of the
laws of physics."

"I say, don't talk about physic now."

"Who was talking about physic, stupid? I said physics--natural science.
Father said that in evaporation a feeling of coolness always comes on.
That's what we feel now as the water in our clothes evaporates. He
showed me how to cool water by filling a bottle and wrapping it in
flannel, then keeping it wet and standing it in the sun."

"Yes, I knew that made it cooler, but I didn't know it had anything to
do with evaporation. Then the water in the barrels must be nice and
cool."

"Nay, not it," said Chris sharply. "That's getting warm, because the
outside of the barrels is not kept wet.--Well, old Skeeter's brother,
how are you getting on?" he cried, as they rode up one on either side of
the mule, the only answer being the cocking of one ear in the speaker's
direction, the other at Ned.

"Let's give up worrying about it, Chris," said Ned at last. "We can do
nothing else but keep on as we are, only hoping and praying that they're
all lying down trying to sleep till we come. It's impossible to get on
any faster."

"Quite," said Chris despairingly. "I will hope and feel sure that all
will turn out as it should. It must. It shall. I say, how long have
we been coming since we started?"

"I don't know, and I can't think," was the reply.

"I say, I can't see the lake now," cried Chris. "It's all hidden by the
thick hot haze that has closed i