American Boys Afloat by Oliver Optic

Morris and Louis were quite as thoroughly startled as Pitts had been when he made the discovery that the water-casks were all empty; for he had sounded all of them, and afterwards shaken them, listening for the noise of the needed fluid.

"What shall be done? " asked Morris, who had just relieved the wheel, as he directed a blank gaze at Louis.

"It is not for me to say what is to be done," replied the deck-hand, remembering that he was such, and not a leader of the big four, as he had generally been.

"We can't get along without water," added Morris.

"We cannot; and I am as thirsty as a grounded polywog," answered Louis, as he turned to the ice-pitcher with which the pilot-house was supplied.

Pitts passed it out of the window to him, and he drank a copious draught.

"That is good," he added, "though it is a little warm."

"But there is plenty of ice on board, sir," interposed the cook and steward, as he took the pitcher from the deck-hand. "I will put some in it, for it is nearly full of water; and that may be all there is on board."

There was an ice-chest built into the after part of the run, which had been filled from the ship's supply, and the provisions were stored around it.

"Pitts can't even make any coffee for us," continued Morris ruefully. "It takes water to make coffee."

"That is as true as truth itself," replied Louis cheerfully; "but we will not cry about it."

"I don't mean to cry about it; but it is a serious question, for the Guardian-Mother cannot overhaul the Maud in less than twelve or fifteen hours more, and we want something to eat and drink to-day."

"I think we can stand it one day," added Louis, laughing. "I went longer than that on a New Jersey sand-spit without a drop of drink of any kind."

"I can melt the ice and get water enough to cook with," interposed Pitts.

"But suppose the Guardian-Mother should fail to find us, as she did your party, Louis, when you made the run in this boat from Funchal to Tarifa? " suggested Morris.

"That is possible, but not probable," added Louis.

"Why did the commander of the ship instruct Captain Scott to make a port at Valetta in the island of Malta? " demanded the first officer.

"Because, as I said, it is possible that the ship may fail to find the Maud. But this question is no more to me than to the rest of the party; and I am willing to do what the majority think best, Morris," replied Louis, when the mate began to be a little warm in the discussion.

"I think we had better call the captain, and have the matter decided at once," added Morris.

Louis was sent aft to attend to this duty, as the mate decided. Scott was sleeping very soundly, and he was entitled to another hour nearly in his bed. He woke with a start when Louis put his hand on the arm of the dreamer, as he appeared to be.