consideration it was decided not to use up all the food that remained.

"We may need some for luncheon," explained Russ, who seemed to have taken
command of the little party. "We may not be able to reach the steamer by
noon."

"Do you think we'll _ever_ be able to reach it, old man?" asked Paul, in
a low voice.

"Oh, sure. We've just _got_ to find it!" whispered the young operator,
with a quick glance at the girls.

"That's so," agreed Paul. But he knew, as well as did Russ, that it would
be no easy matter.

And so the "rations" were divided into two parts, though with all there
would not have been enough for one substantial meal. Fortunately,
however, the coffee was plentiful. The cook, when told to put up a lunch
for the picnic party that was to figure in the moving pictures, had been
very liberal, otherwise there would have been no food left now. And in
the matter of coffee enough had been put in to make several large pots
full.

As for water, some had been brought along, but, luckily, after this was
exhausted Russ managed to find a spring on shore, not far from where the
boat was moored.

"We'll have to take a chance on it," he said. "Anyhow, boiling the water
for coffee will kill all the germs in it."