It seemed that they could not stand it another moment. Jerry ran the motor as fast as he dared, but it seemed to go very slowly, though in reality they made good progress.
It was about three o’clock when Ned, who was peering down from the bow of the airship, uttered a joyful cry.
“Water! Water!” he cried. “There’s a brook just below us!”
Jerry stopped the Comet suddenly and sent it down. It needed but a glance to show that the desert was at an end. In a little green glade there was a sparkling brook.
No water ever tasted better than did that to the thirsty travelers. The boys drank with caution, warned by Nestor and Tod, for too much of the liquid at once would have made them ill. As for the professor, nothing seemed to bother him. It is doubtful if he even was aware of the shortage in the drinking supply.
No sooner had he alighted from the airship than he left the others revelling in the cool water, and began to search for the flying lizard.
The travelers remained down all night, and camped beside the little stream. In the morning they replenished their tanks, and started off again. They flew all that day, and toward the close of the afternoon they saw in the distance a small settlement.
“I think we’d better land there,” was Jerry’s opinion. “We don’t exactly need gasolene, but if we can get some there it may stand us in good stead. I’ll fill the reserve tank.”