He listened intently, and hope shot into his eyes. But he had heard of the fancies of the victims of thirst and he was afraid. Was he growing delirious?
“Brick,” he said huskily to his friend, who sat hunched up in a corner. “Listen, and tell me if you hear anything.”
Inspired by the new tone in Don’s voice, Brick sat up.
“It—it sounds like falling water!” he exclaimed, in an awed voice. “Oh, Don, are we going crazy?”
“Come,” cried Don, staggering with weakness, but hurrying as fast as he could in the direction of the sound.
At a sudden turn in a passage the sound grew louder, and an instant later their eyes fell on a small stream of water, dashing over a rocky bed.
With a wild cry of delight, the boys threw themselves on the brink of the stream and plunged their heads into the cooling water. Then they drank avidly until Don, remembering caution, pulled Teddy back with main force.
“Easy, old boy,” he laughed happily. “Take your time. You’ll get into trouble if you drink too much after being without it so long. The stream isn’t going to run away.”
The soundness of this appealed to Teddy, and he refrained for a time. But again and again they plunged their heads into the water, each time feeling new life thrill through every vein.
At last Don sprang up and threw off his coat.