Involuntarily he opened his eyes when he felt himself climbing up a small rise in the sand. He opened his eyes and ten feet away was the flat blue surface of the canal they had been searching for.
"You can let go now, Tom," said Astro in a voice hardly above a whisper. "We made it. We're on the bank of the canal."
"Hey, Roger," yelled Astro from the middle of the canal, "ever see a guy make like a submarine?"
Tom and Roger sat on the top of the low bank of the canal drying off from a swim, while Astro still splashed around luxuriating in the cool water.
"Go on," yelled Roger, "let's see you drown yourself!"
"Not me, hot-shot," yelled Astro. "After that walk, all I'd have to do is open my mouth and start drinking."
Finally tiring of his sport, the big Venusian pulled himself up onto the bank of the canal and quickly dressed. Pulling on his space boots, he turned to Tom and Roger, who were breaking out the last two containers of food.
"You know, Astro," said Roger quietly, "I'll never be able to repay you for carrying me."
Tom was quiet for a moment, and then added, "Same here, Astro."