"Too bad
the sand got in the galley and messed up the rest of that good food."
"We'll have plenty to get us by--if my calculations are right," said
Tom. "One hundred and fifty-four miles to be exact."
"_Exact_ only as far as my sun sight told me," said Roger.
"Do you think it's right?" asked Tom.
"I'll answer you this way," Roger replied. "I took that sight six times
in a half hour and got a mean average on all of them that came out
within a few miles of each other. If I'm wrong, I'm very wrong, but if
I'm right, we're within three to five miles of the position I gave you."
"That's good enough for me," said Astro. "If we're going out there"--he
pointed toward the desert--"instead of sitting around here waiting for
Strong or someone to show up, then I'd just as soon go now!"
"Wait a minute, fellas. Let's get this straight," said Tom. "We're all
agreed that the odds on Captain Strong's showing up here before our
water runs out are too great to risk it, and that we'll try to reach the
nearest canal. The most important thing in this place is water. If we
stay and the water we have runs out, we're done for. If we go, we might
not reach the canal--and the chance of being spotted in the desert is
even smaller than if we wait here at the ship." He paused. "So we move
on?" He looked at the others. Astro nodded and looked at Roger, who
bobbed his head in agreement.
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