Laura Lee Hope

“ The scenery around Sycamore was most wonderful—at least, so Ruth and Alice thought. It was not that it was grand or imposing—for it was anything but that. Florida is a low-lying country with many lakes and swamps. But the vegetation was so luxuriant, and the palms, the big trees festooned with Spanish moss and the ferns were so beautiful, that it was a constant delight to the girls. ”

“ They won't remain away all night, I hardly think."
"But if they don't come back until dark, what shall we do?" asked Ruth. "We can't stay out all night again."
"We may have to," declared practical Alice.
"That is so, and we may as well face the issue," said Russ, somewhat gravely. "And now that we have found a sign of human beings, who can possibly tell us which way to go to find the steamer, it would be foolish to waste this chance. If we go off by ourselves again we may get farther and farther away from the Magnolia."
"That is so," agreed Paul. "I think we had better stay." ”

“ And really I shall not be sorry to get back to deah old N'York and renew my wardrobe."
"If he has any more suits he'll have to get a man to look after them," remarked Alice.
"Oh, hush!" chided Ruth.
Then silence once more settled down over the company on the upper deck of the Magnolia. An awning protected them from the hot sun, and really it was very pleasant traveling that way. Of course it was lonesome and the solitude was depressing. For days they would see nothing save perhaps the boat of some solitary fisherman, or alligator hunter. ”

“ The Fountain of Youth, one of the curiosities of St. Augustine, is on Myrtle avenue, two blocks north of the orange grove, and the four laughing young people were soon there.
"Is this really the fountain Ponce de Leon thought would give eternal youth?" asked Ruth, half-seriously, as they stood near the little roofed-over spring.
"That is the legend," declared Paul. "Of course that's not saying it's so. But the spring has one peculiar quality."
"What's that?" asked Russ.
"The waters rise and fall without any particular cause. ”

“ Alice and Ruth DeVere, with Russ Dalwood and Paul Ardite, were standing amidships, on the port side, looking down into the water. A little in advance of them stood Mr. Towne and Miss Pennington. The latter had been much in the new actor's company of late.
"They seem quite interested in each other," remarked Russ, in a low tone.
"Yes, they have something in common," added Alice—"a love of good clothes."
"I like nice things myself," put in Ruth, straightening a bow she wore. "You shouldn't say such things, Alice." ”

“ The two Madison sisters brought away with them a box of rare orchid specimens, the results of their search.
"I wish I could get a moving picture of this; but I can't," sighed Russ, as the motor boat started off in the twilight. Soon it became so dark that the searchlight was set aglow, and this gave a fine illumination.
But Uncle Joshua, which the negro said was his only name, seemed to need no light. In and out among the creeks, rivers, and bayous he directed Russ to steer, until finally, making a turn in a stream, there burst out on the eager eyes of the refugees the lights of the steamer. ”

“ You folks live around here? Don't seem like I've met you befo'."
"We're a company of moving picture actresses and actors," explained Alice, while Ruth, making a detour to avoid the dead body of the animal, went to Tommy and Nellie, who were still holding on to each other.
"Picture-players; eh?" mused the hunter, for such he evidently was. "I seen a movin' picture once, and it looked as real as anything. Be you folks on that steamer?"
"The Magnolia—yes," answered Alice, as her sister led the children up to her.
"You're all right now, dearies," said Ruth. "The nice man killed the bad bear." ”

“ Fortunately the boat was a roomy one, and the lost ones were not as uncomfortable as might have been imagined, with the rugs and cushions and the piece of canvas, as well as their raincoats, for covering.
The craft was tied to a tree on shore, in a sort of little cove, and there the five prepared to spend the night. The moon came up higher over the trees, and shone down on the strange scene.
"I wish it were light enough for some pictures," sighed Russ.
"Nothing much gets away from you, old man," laughed Paul. "Are your ladies comfortable?" ”

“ Often when one gets into a quicksand bog the more one struggles the faster and deeper one sinks. Only it is almost impossible not to struggle against the impending fate.
With the skirt-rope about him, and his friends pulling on it, Mr. Bunn's hand were free. Seeing this, and realizing that the more force that was applied, up to a certain point, the sooner would the actor be freed, Ruth cried:
"If we had another rope we girls could help, and Mr. Bunn could hold on to it with his hands," for she and her sister, as well as Miss Pennington and Miss Dixon, were doing nothing. ”

“ Thus came the excited calls from those in the rowing craft, as it drifted toward the hut on shore—a palm leaf hut that seemed crudely made. Russ and Paul had ceased rowing at the sight of the motor boat, and now their own craft was merely drifting.
"Hurry up, there!" begged Alice. "There must be someone on shore who can put us on the right path. ”

“ Pertell. "You might fall down once more, if you don't mind, Mr. Towne. It will add realism to the film."
"Fall down again! Never! I will resign first."
"Very well, I won't insist on it," replied the manager, for he felt that it was rather hard on the actor.
But moving picture work is not at all easy, and actors and actresses have to do more disagreeable and dangerous "stunts" than merely falling into a muddy stream. The demand of the public for realism often goes to extremes, and more than once performers have risked their lives at the behest of some enthusiastic manager. ”

“ Towne was being filmed in his muddy state.
"The manatee," explained Mr. Sneed. "They are curious animals. They browse around on the bottom of Florida rivers, and sea inlets, as cows do on shore, eating grass. We'll probably see some down here."
"Are they dangerous?" asked Miss Dixon.
"Not as a rule," answered the grouchy actor, who seemed to have taken a sudden interest in this matter. "They might upset a small boat if they accidently bumped into it, for often they grow to be fourteen feet long, and are like a whale in shape."
"I hope we won't meet with any," observed Ruth. ”

“ Still, it was better than nothing.
"Well, we'll try a fire," agreed Russ, as he prepared to go ashore with Paul.
"Oh—don't—don't go!" begged Ruth, nervously.
"Why not?" asked the young actor.
"Because—that beast—!"
"I fancy he's far enough off by now," answered Russ. "A fire will be our best protection, if we can make one. Come on, Paul, let's try it, anyhow."
"Oh, I—I don't like them to go," protested Ruth.
"Silly! It's the best thing to do," answered Alice. "They probably need a little exercise. They haven't so much room in their end of the boat as we have." ”

“ Half a score of actors and actresses moved quickly to their appointed places, while overhead, and at the sides of them hissed powerful electric lights, and in front of them stood a moving picture camera, ready to be operated by a pleasant-faced young man. ”

“ There was no answer.
"Maybe they're asleep," suggested Ruth.
"We can apologize for waking them up," said Alice. "Oh, to think we have help at last!"
Russ and Paul looked at each other. They were not quite so sure, now, in view of the silence, that help was at hand.
Still, the fact that the boat was tied showed that it had not merely drifted to the spot. Some human agency must have been about at some time or other.
With Russ and Paul in the lead the little party made their way to the palm leaf hut. It was ingeniously made—a glance showed that. ”

“ There is no danger; is there, Paul?"
"Sea cows are considered gentle, and seldom attack," he replied. "You can see it quite plainly now. It is swimming near the top of the water."
Alice made her way forward, and even Ruth was induced to come and look at the strange creature, while Russ, from his boat, took views of the occurrence.
"The anchor seems to be caught under one of its flippers," said Paul. "That's why it's towing us. Probably the manatee wants to get rid of us as much as you girls want to get rid of it." ”

“ Bunn!" said Mr. Pertell, quickly. "I am not asking you to do much. You need not get in the bog deeper than up to your knees. That will answer very well. You can pretend it is a sort of quicksand bog and that you are sinking deeper and deeper. You call for help, and Mr. Switzer comes to get you out."
"I refuse to do it!" cried the actor.
"And I insist!" declared Mr. Pertell, sharply. "Your contract calls for any reasonable amount of work, and to wade into a bog knee-deep is not unreasonable." ”

“ I want to save the owners salvage, if I can."
"There speaks a brave man," murmured Mr. DeVere. "And there are many such unknown, who are going down the sea in ships every day. A brave man!"
"Man the falls!" ordered Captain Falcon to those sailors who were not engaged in fighting the fire. "Man the falls, and stand by to lower the boats!"
"Oh, must we really go in those little things?" cried Miss Pennington, as she heard this.
"Certainly," answered Russ, who was near her. "You wouldn't expect to swim; would you?" ”

“ The same rule applies to you men passengers as to the sailors. Women and children first! Do you hear? Stand back!"
The rush was halted almost before it started. Then Mr. Switzer, who had taken no part in it, said slowly:
"Dot is right. Gentlemen, ve are forgetting ourselves!"
"And it took him—above everyone else—to remind them of it," said Mr. DeVere in a low voice. He had remained by the side of his daughters.
"Mr. Switzer is a bigger man than any of us thought," murmured Ruth. "Oh, Daddy, is the boat going to sink?" ”

“ But Russ brought out his camera, and soon the film was moving, as the boat was lowered to the surface of the sea. Then it was soon pulling away from the Tarsus, and Russ got those views too.
"Wait! Wait for me!" cried a voice, and up on deck came Mr. Towne. He had a valise in each hand, which probably contained his best suits. "Wait!" he cried. "I want to be saved, too."
"There's no danger; you'll be saved more by staying here than by going with them," said Mr. Pertell. "Besides, you might soil your clothing if you went in the small boat. Another ship is coming for us." ”

“ Are any of the horrid things around here?" broke in Miss Dixon.
"Not right around here," was the reassuring answer. "This was out in the swamps."
"We are talking about two girls who have disappeared from here, and can't be found," explained Alice, for the story was bound to come out now.
"Oh, how perfectly dreadful!" cried Miss Pennington, as the account was completed. "We must be careful about going out alone, my dear," she added to her friend.
"Not much danger—you'll always want some of the men along," thought Alice.
"What sort of flowers were they after?" Ruth wanted to know. ”

“ Bunn.
"We'll save you!" shouted the manager, as he made a dash toward the bog hole. He was followed by Mr. DeVere, Paul and some of the others.
"Keep back!" yelled the man from the steamer. "If you get in you won't get out either."
"But they must save him!" cried Alice, who had gone forward with her father.
"They can't save him by getting into the quicksand themselves!" pointed out the man who seemed to know the deadly nature of the bog. "The only way is to fling him a rope."
"A rope! There isn't one nearer than the steamer!" cried Mr. Pertell.
"I'll go get it!" offered Mr. Switzer. ”

“ In India I reckon the crocodiles are dangerous, if what you read is true; but I don't reckon a Florida alligator nor crocodile ever ate a man."
"I thought there were no crocodiles in this country," said Russ, who, with a skillful movement of the oars, avoided hitting a big alligator.
"That's a mistake," said Jed. "There are both alligators and crocodiles in Florida, and some of the crocodiles grow to be nearly fifteen feet long. There ain't so much difference between crocodiles and alligators as folks think. The main point is that a crocodile's head is more pointed than an alligator's." ”