erent from St Augustine," complained Miss Pennington,
who roomed with her friend Miss Dixon.

"I should say so. I'd go back to New York, if I could."

"So would I. But I guess we'll have to stay, my dear. Hand me the powder;
will you? My face is a wreck from the cinders and dust."

"So's mine." And together they "beautified."

Ruth and Alice were among the first to go down to the parlor to await the
ringing of the dinner gong. They strolled up to the desk, to ask the
clerk if there was any mail for them, since word had been left at the
hotel in St. Augustine to forward any letters.

"Oh, you are with the moving picture company; aren't you?" the clerk
asked, as he gave them each a letter. They were from acquaintances they
had made at the hotel.

"Yes, we're with the 'movies,'" admitted Alice.

"Going to make all your pictures around here?"

"Not all. We are booked to go into the interior, I believe. Pleasant
prospect; isn't it?" she asked with a frank laugh.

"Well, no, I wouldn't say it was," answered the clerk, and he spoke as
though Alice had meant to be serious. "In fact, if I were you I wouldn't
try to go into the interior around here."

"Why not?" asked Ruth.

"Because it was from here the two girls started out into the wilds to
gather rare flowers, and they have not since been heard from!"

CHAPTER XIII

OUT IN THE BOAT

Ruth and Alice looked at each other. It seemed almost impossible that
there could be this confirmation of the news item they had read, and so
soon after arriving at the hotel. Yet such was the fact.

"Does any one know what has become of them?" asked Alice, after a pause.

"Not the least trace of them has been found," replied the clerk.

"Have they made any search for them?" inquired Ruth, looking over her
shoulder almost apprehensively, as though she, herself, were out in some
swamp, surrounded by perils of all sorts. But only the lighted parlor met
her gaze.

"Search! Indeed they have!" cried the hotel man. "The parents of the
girls have sent out party after party."

"With no result?" asked Alice, softly.

"Well, they found traces where the girls had evidently landed, but that
was all. They seemed to have gone deeper and deeper into the swamp."

"How long ago was it?" Ruth wanted to know.

"Several weeks, now. It is almost impossible that the girls are alive,
though they took a quantity of provisions with them, as they expected to
be gone several days."

"The