urteen feet long,
and are like a whale in shape."

"I hope we won't meet with any," observed Ruth. "I can't bear wild
animals."

"Manatees are not especially wild," laughed Mr. Sneed, it being one of
the few occasions when he did indulge in mirth. "In fact, the earlier
forms of manatee were called _Sirenia_, and were considered to be the
origin of the belief in mermaids. For they carried their little ones in
their fore-flippers, almost as a human mother might do in her arms, and
when swimming along would raise their heads out of water, so that they
had a faint resemblance to a swimming woman."

"How very odd!" cried Alice. "And are there manatees down here?"

"Many in Florida? Yes," was the answer. "I suppose we'll see some if we
stay long enough. But I'm going to serve notice on Mr. Pertell now that I
refuse to drive any of the sea cows to pasture."

"I don't blame you!" laughed Ruth. "Oh, look at Mr. Towne! He's fallen
again!"

And so the unfortunate actor had, but this time into a clump of rough
bushes that tore his now nearly ruined white flannels.

"That's good!" cried Mr. Pertell, approvingly. "You did that very well,
Mr. Towne!"

"Well, I didn't do it on purpose," the actor protested, as he managed,
not without some difficulty, to extricate himself from the briars.

Then he ran on, Russ making picture after picture, while the manager
rapidly changed some of the other scenes on the typewritten sheets to
conform to the accident of which he had so cleverly made use.

"Mr. Bunn, I have a new part for you, in this same play," the manager
said, when Mr. Towne was finally allowed to rest.

"What is it?" asked the older actor. "I hope you can put in something
about Shakespeare. I have not had a Shakespearean part in so long that I
have almost forgotten how to do it properly."

"I can't promise you that this time," said the manager. "But it just
occurred to me that you could also try to trace the escaping lovers, and
get stuck in a bog-hole."

"Who, the lovers get stuck in a bog?"

"No, you!"

"Me? Never! I refuse--"

"Now hold on, Mr. 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.