"You can have it," announced Ned firmly.
"Yes, all of it," added Chunky. "I'll take my eggs hard boiled after this."
"Drink it. It will do you good, Chunky," urged Tad.
"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?"