e birds over a camp fire.

"And now tell us about yourselves," suggested Mabel to Alice. "Oh! to
think of meeting you again this way," and she recalled the first meeting
in the train going to the New England backwoods.

By degrees, and with each one telling a part, the story of the moving
picture players was related. They told how they had looked in vain for
their steamer. Mabel and Helen Madison also went more into details,
giving some of their trying experiences in the swamps and bayous.

"But for days we have not tried to find our way from here," said Mabel.
"Our motor boat broke down, and we can't get it to go."

"I fancy I can fix it," said Russ, "but the question is: Which way to go?
We may only get to a worse place."

"Let us eat, anyhow," suggested Paul.

It was not a very elaborate meal, but it put new heart and courage into
the lost ones.

"We'll get back somehow--some time," declared Alice, who was now almost
her old self. "And then won't everybody be glad!"

Night was coming on, but before the advent of darkness Russ had remedied
the defect in the motor boat. There was trouble with the ignition system,
and also with the carbureter.

"Now we could go, if we knew which way to go," he said, as he tested the
craft.

"Hark!" exclaimed Alice, suddenly.

The sound of a cheerful whistle came through the screen of trees.

"Oh!" gasped Ruth. "Who can it be?"

She had her answer a moment later.

Around a bend in the stream, rowing a battered boat, came an old colored
man. It was he who was making the melody. Cheerfully he whistled, and
more happily was he listened to.

"Ahoy there, Uncle!" called Russ. "Can you tell us where we are, and
where the _Magnolia_ is tied up?"

The old colored man was so startled by the sudden hail, breaking in on
his whistling, that he nearly went overboard. He recovered himself,
however, and called out:

"Whut--whut yo' all doin' at mah cabin?"

"Is this your place, Uncle?" asked Russ.

"It shore am. An'--an'--I bids yo' all welcome--I shore does, honey!" he
added quickly, remembering his hospitality.

"We've made ourselves at home," said Mabel. "Oh, whoever you are, can you
show us the way out of this wilderness?"

"Kin I show yo' all a way outen dish yeah woods? I shore kin, honey lamb!
I knows dish yeah place laik a book, even if I cain't read. Where all
does yo' all want t' go? Oh, wait a minute, though. Hole on! I done got
t' ax yo' all some questions. Hab yo