it was evident that their calls were
not going to be heeded. With that she threw a stone at the nearest
alligator. Her aim was exceptionally good. Betty admitted that herself,
afterward, the missile falling on the broad and scaly back of the
reptile.

"Oh--oh!" cried Grace. "Now you have done it, Bet!"

They all looked and waited. Nothing happened. The alligator merely moved
his tail slightly and did not open his eyes.

"Well, I don't see that I did very much," said Betty calmly. "I'm going
to try again."

"Don't!" begged Grace. "They may come for us!"

At that moment Amy, who had gone back a little way toward the far end of
the spit of land, uttered a cry.

"What is it?" cried Mollie. "Is there another alligator there?"

"No, but I have found a way to get off, and back to the shore without
going near those creatures. See! here is a sand bar curving from the
side here, right around to that other point of land. You can see bottom
all the way to shore. It isn't more than a few inches deep, and we can
wade."

They all ran to where Amy stood, forgetting for the time being the
alligators that held them prisoners.

"That's so! It can be done!" cried Betty, taking in at a glance Amy's
plan. "We can wade right along that raised bar. The water is deep on
either side of it, but as she says, it is only a few inches deep on top
of the bar. Come on, girls," and she sat down and began unbuttoning her
shoes.

"Don't--don't!" cried Mollie. "Keep them on. What if we do get wet? Our
shoes will soon dry, it's so hot. And there might be crabs or little
fishes or--little alligators on the bar. We'll wade in our shoes."

"All right, I'd just as soon," agreed Betty.

[Illustration: IN THE SHALLOW WATER OVER THE BAR WERE A NUMBER OF
REPTILES.--_Page 153._

_The Outdoor Girls in Florida._]

Little Captain that she was, she prepared to take the lead. She was
about to step out into the shallow water when she drew back with a gasp.

"What's the matter--cold?" asked Mollie.

"No--but look--snakes!"

Betty pointed to where, pursuing their sinuous way in the shallow water
over the bar, were a number of reptiles.

"Moccasins," whispered Mollie. "We--we can't go that way either," and
she glanced back toward the sleeping alligators. Both ways of escape
were blocked.

CHAPTER XIX

LOST

Grace burst out crying. She said she knew it was silly, and not at all
what an outdoor girl should do, and, very contritely afterwar