"Good. What I want to do is to get fresh water for us and the women; I know how to look for it. Will you keep guard over the women with Captain Marvel till I return?" "Yes." Rough-and-Ready placed a loaded pistol in the sailmaker's hand--he did it without hesitation--and that act completed the conquest. Joshua, standing by, had heard the conversation and now shook hands with the sailmaker. Scadbolt and the Lascar had also seen the conference. "They've bought him over," said the Lascar. "Never mind," replied Scadbolt, "there will be plenty of opportunities." In less than an hour Rough-and-Ready returned. He had taken two bottles with him, and brought them back filled with bright, clear, fresh water. He had his wide-awake hat in his hand; it evidently contained something good, he was so careful in carrying it. Joshua put his hand in, and started back with a cry; he had grasped a nettle. "Careful, careful," said Rough-and-Ready, laughing at Joshua's grimaces; "don't be too eager to take hold of things. A great deal of the wood-growth round about-here is covered with thorns, and some of them are poisonous to the blood. This isn't, though; 'tis an old friend." He took out of his hat two small branches with long spines upon them; the branches were covered with fruit resembling a small apple. "Good to eat?" asked the sailmaker. "Shouldn't have brought them otherwise," answered Rough-and-Ready, in unconscious imitation of the sailmaker's manner of speaking. The sailmaker took some of the fruit and ate it, and would have taken more, but that Rough-and-Ready's hand restrained him. "That's not the way for a man to eat who has been nearly starved for six weeks," he said, "unless he wants to kill himself right out. Here, make yourself useful; but take a little water to drink first." Rough-and-Ready measured a small quantity of water, and gave the sailmaker and Joshua to drink. He had thrown down a couple of pieces of wood when he said "Make yourself useful," and the sailmaker, after drinking, asked him what the wood was for. "A good job for you two that you have me for your mate," said Rough-and-Ready good-humoredly; "you might stand a chance of starving else. The enemy"--with a nod of his head in the direction of Scadbolt and the Lascar--"won't be half as well off as we shall be. Just watch me." He took his knife and cut from the wood two pieces, in one of which he made a kind of groove, which he placed upon the ground. "This is off the black fig-tree, and is the best wood there is for making fire. Now rub away into the groove, steadily, like this, and keep rubbing. It's hard work; but never mind; it's worth the labor."