ng hard, as if
they could feel the cool fresh odour of the water playing in their
nostrils, while at the same time the mule, pinned down by the weight of
the two barrels, strained its neck round and whinnied, as it looked
piteously in his face.

The look had its effect, for the end of the kerchief was once more
thrust into the barrel, allowed to soak, and then drawn out.

"I don't know how we're going to manage," thought the boy, as he held
the dripping corner of the kerchief towards the mule's muzzle; but the
poor brute did, and acted without hesitation, making a snap as sharply
delivered as that of a dog, and catching the end between its strong
teeth. Then it gave its head a toss, and treating the water-bearing
piece of fabric as if it were a wisp of wet grass, drew it, dripping and
cool, right into its mouth, the sharp tug or two given overcoming Ned's
resistance.

Before the boy could recover from his surprise there was a quick juicy
sound of champing in accord with the movement of the mule's jaws, a
gulp, and the kerchief had gone.

"You stupid brute!" cried Ned indignantly. "What am I to do now?"

Common-sense suggested what should be his next proceeding, and that was
to take off his own handkerchief and his felt hat, which he turned
inside out. Then laying it beyond the mule's reach, he soaked the fresh
kerchief till it would hold no more, squeezed it so that the contents
fell into the reversed crown of his hat, and repeated the act till about
half of half-a-pint of dirty water lay ready. This he held out to the
mule, which plunged in its lips and rapidly sucked out every drop.

Repeating the process, Ned managed to give each of the ponies enough to
wash out its mouth.

"If I only had a straw or a reed!" thought the boy; but there was hardly
a twig of the sage-brush to be seen, and he shook his head in despair.

But there was something else to do. The mule was fidgeting, and any
restive action on the beast's part might mean waste of water; so he
hurriedly closed the tompion, leaving its brass chain so that there was
no risk of loss; and this was hardly done before, refreshed by its
portion, the mule made a desperate effort to rise, but only got its
fore-legs well planted, and then sank back. It made two more trials,
but with less and less success, and then, apparently fully aware of the
fact that the weight carried was too much for it, resignation ensued,
and the poor beast lay partly over on its s