"I found them in 'The Sailor's Handy Book,' which will tell you all about a thousand nautical things," replied Morris. "I have a copy of it in my valise, and I will lend it to you to-morrow." "Thank you; and I will buy it as soon as I can find one; but I am not likely to find one over here," added Louis. An hour later the Maud passed astern of the approaching steamer, and she had evidently not changed her course a point. The day had already begun to dawn in the east, in the Orient towards which the little vessel was sailing. She was still out of sight of land. At four bells, or six o'clock, Pitts came out of the forecastle, and Morris saluted him with a "good-morning," as if one had not been the chief officer and the other the cook, and Louis did the same. "What time am I to have breakfast ready on board of this steamer?" asked Pitts. "You must ask the captain; but you need not wake him for that purpose. Half-past seven is the hour on board the ship, and you had better be ready at that time," replied Morris; and Louis nodded assent when the mate looked at him. The cook went to his apartment, and made a fire in the galley. His first need was hot water, and he went to the run to obtain a supply with a couple of buckets. He took off the scuttle in the standing-room, careful to make as little noise as he could in order not to wake the starboard watch in the cabin, the doors of which were wide open. He descended by the little ladder, but it was dark in the run, and as he stepped from the lower round, he put his foot ankle deep in water. He was startled, for it looked as though the steamer had sprung a leak. He hastened to procure a lantern, and made an examination. Two half-casks of water were secured on each side of him. He attempted to move one of them in order to find a leak. It was empty! So were the other three! It was an alarming discovery, and he made haste to report it to the first officer. Morris could not explain it; neither could Louis; but they knew they could not proceed on the voyage without water. CHAPTER XXIX THE PROSPECT OF A WATER-FAMINE 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."