"No, thank you. I wouldn't offer it to a mule."

"So I see," flung back Ned, with a malicious little grin appearing in
the corners of his mouth. "But speaking of mules, I wonder if it has
occurred to anyone that our mules might be wanting a drink, too."

"Haven't they had any water to-day?" asked Tad.

"Haven't seen them drink since we left Springfield."

"Why, of course they have had water every day. They could not live
without it."

"If they're like me they could--if they had to drink egg water,"
grumbled Stacy amid a loud laugh from his companions.

"I'll attend to them right after supper," decided Tad. "But just now
we had better talk over our own situation. It is plain that something
has happened to the Professor. How much longer will our provisions
last, Ned?"

"Well, on a rough guess, I should say not beyond to-morrow."

"Then I should say in the first place that it would be wise to put the
outfit on half rations beginning to-morrow morning--"

"No, no, no," protested Chunky, springing up and waving his plate
excitedly.

"You won't have anything before you know it, young man," warned Ned.