April 17, 2025 • 7 mins
A Florida vacation becomes an adventurous journey when the Outdoor Girls explore orange groves and trek into the mysterious interior. Sun, surprise, and southern charm await!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dot Org The Outdoor Girls in Florida by Laura Lee Hope.
The loon onward chugged the gem, and the sudden acceleration
in the heartbeats of the girls seemed to keep time
with the staccato exhaust of the motor. Lost faltered grace
and night coming on Ago Dane. Oh you too, cried Molly.
(00:24):
I wish I were a boy, Why, asked Betty, as
she guided her craft to the center of the stream,
For there were not so much under the overhanging trees
with their festoons of moss. Why, Molly, dear? Then I
could use slangs such as oh, well, what's the use?
(00:45):
I don't suppose it would do any good. But are
you sure we are lost? Asked Amy. What makes you
say so, Betty? Because this place doesn't look at all
like any part of the river we came down before
the truck. Was that we let Tom steer, and we
didn't notice the course very much as we should have
(01:05):
done on coming in a new channel. But I'm sure
we are lost. It isn't a very pleasant thing to
be sure about, said Molly grimly, but we may as
well face the worst. Grace. Lets you and I look
to our stock of provisions. What for, asked Grace, who
had found a few stray pieces of candy in a
(01:26):
box and was contentedly eating them. Well, if we're lost,
that doesn't mean we're not going to eat. And if
we have enough for supper and breakfast, breakfast, cried Grace.
Are we going to be here for breakfast and stay
out all night? Added Amy? There may be no help
(01:48):
for it, said Betty as calmly as she could. We
have slept aboard before this, and we can do it again.
But you're not going to give up without trying to
give back to the grove, are you, you? Asked Molly, who,
after the first shock, was her own brave self again,
as was Betty. Of course I'm going to try, replied Betty,
(02:11):
But that doesn't mean we'll get there. Often, after you're lost,
trying to find your way back again only makes you
lost the more, especially with night coming on. But what
are we going to do? Queried Grace blankly. She had
ceased eating candy. Now, Well, it's very evident that we're
(02:31):
not going the right way, went on Betty. The farther
we go, the more sure I am that we were
never on this part of the stream before, so I
think we had better turn back, and if necessary, start
over again from where we had lunch. We may be
able to see the right turn by starting over once more.
(02:52):
Then we will be all right. Once I am started
on the right track, I think I can follow it.
We have a compass, and I know in a general
way which direction we came, though I was not as
careful as I should have been. But it will be
very dark, objected Amy. It is getting darker all the while.
(03:13):
That will be the worst of it, admitted Betty frankly.
And if we find we can't go on, we shall
have to tie up for the night. We might do worse,
but anchor far enough from shore so that nothing can
get us. Pleaded Grace. No alligators, I mean, don't worry.
(03:33):
They won't come aboard, declared Betty. These rivers are split
up into a lot of side brooks by use and
such things, said Molly. Tom mentioned that, and he said
that often one could wander about in them, being close
to the right route all the while, and yet not
know a thing about it. Cheerful prospect, remarked Grace. Oh,
(03:58):
I'm sure we'll get on the right street, sometimes, spoke
Mollie cheerfully. What do you say, had we not better
turn back? They all agreed that this was best, and soon,
in the fast gathering dusk that Jim was swung about
and was breasting the rather sluggish current. To the credit
(04:18):
of the outdoor girls, Bead said that even in this
nerve wrecking emergency, they did not altogether lose heart and courage.
Of course, there was that first instinctive fear, and something
like a gasping for breath, as when one plunges into
cold water, but the reaction came and the girls were
themselves once more brave and self reliant. I only hope
(04:44):
we don't pass the stream up which we went to
have our lunch, spoke Molly. As they went on, she
and the others were peering from side to side in
the gloom. Oh, I'm sure we can find that, declared Betty.
There is a big dead cypress tree with a lot
of moss on it just at the turn. We must
watch for that. There were one or two false alarms
(05:07):
before they saw it, but finally they were all sure
of the turn, and Betty made it. Oh are you
going all the way back to where we ate? Asked Grace.
As Betty guided her craft into the branch stream. I
think so, answered the little captain. It will not take
much longer, and we may find Tom there. If we do,
(05:29):
all our troubles will be over. I think we had
better go up. But it's getting dark so fast, objected Grace.
Then a little more dark won't make much difference, returned
Molly with a shrug. Go on, Betty. The gem hugged
their way up Alligator Brook, as the girls had named it. Eagerly.
(05:51):
They looked for some sign of their missing escort, and
listened for any sound that would indicate he was coming
to meet them. But the forest was silent, night was
settling down, and birds and beasts were seeking their resting places.
They reached the place where the boat had been tied
and could see where they had eaten their lunch over
(06:13):
in the gloom. There fluttered the paper Betty had fastened
to a tree to indicate to Tom the fact that
his charges had left. He hasn't been here, said Molly
in a low voice. No, there's the packet of lunch,
went on Grace, pointing to it. We may need it ourselves.
Betty said nothing, but in the semi darkness, her chumps
(06:35):
could see the worried look on her face. Suddenly there
was a crashing through the underbrush, announcing the approach of
some one. Here he comes, exclaimed Amy. Let's call, suggested Grace.
Wait a minute, advised Betty. The figure of a young
man came into view. He looked about him nervously, turning
(06:57):
his head from side to side like a timid bird.
That isn't Tom, said Molly low as her voice was
the youth heard. He fairly leaped forward, and Betty, as
she had a better glimpse of him, spoke, it's the loon,
the one who saved our boat for us. End of
(07:18):
Chapter twenty read by Nancy Cochrane, Gergen Gilbert, Arizona, December three,
two thousand twenty one.
Dot Org The Outdoor Girls in Florida by Laura Lee Hope.
The loon onward chugged the gem, and the sudden acceleration
in the heartbeats of the girls seemed to keep time
with the staccato exhaust of the motor. Lost faltered grace
and night coming on Ago Dane. Oh you too, cried Molly.
(00:24):
I wish I were a boy, Why, asked Betty, as
she guided her craft to the center of the stream,
For there were not so much under the overhanging trees
with their festoons of moss. Why, Molly, dear? Then I
could use slangs such as oh, well, what's the use?
(00:45):
I don't suppose it would do any good. But are
you sure we are lost? Asked Amy. What makes you
say so, Betty? Because this place doesn't look at all
like any part of the river we came down before
the truck. Was that we let Tom steer, and we
didn't notice the course very much as we should have
(01:05):
done on coming in a new channel. But I'm sure
we are lost. It isn't a very pleasant thing to
be sure about, said Molly grimly, but we may as
well face the worst. Grace. Lets you and I look
to our stock of provisions. What for, asked Grace, who
had found a few stray pieces of candy in a
(01:26):
box and was contentedly eating them. Well, if we're lost,
that doesn't mean we're not going to eat. And if
we have enough for supper and breakfast, breakfast, cried Grace.
Are we going to be here for breakfast and stay
out all night? Added Amy? There may be no help
(01:48):
for it, said Betty as calmly as she could. We
have slept aboard before this, and we can do it again.
But you're not going to give up without trying to
give back to the grove, are you, you? Asked Molly, who,
after the first shock, was her own brave self again,
as was Betty. Of course I'm going to try, replied Betty,
(02:11):
But that doesn't mean we'll get there. Often, after you're lost,
trying to find your way back again only makes you
lost the more, especially with night coming on. But what
are we going to do? Queried Grace blankly. She had
ceased eating candy. Now, Well, it's very evident that we're
(02:31):
not going the right way, went on Betty. The farther
we go, the more sure I am that we were
never on this part of the stream before, so I
think we had better turn back, and if necessary, start
over again from where we had lunch. We may be
able to see the right turn by starting over once more.
(02:52):
Then we will be all right. Once I am started
on the right track, I think I can follow it.
We have a compass, and I know in a general
way which direction we came, though I was not as
careful as I should have been. But it will be
very dark, objected Amy. It is getting darker all the while.
(03:13):
That will be the worst of it, admitted Betty frankly.
And if we find we can't go on, we shall
have to tie up for the night. We might do worse,
but anchor far enough from shore so that nothing can
get us. Pleaded Grace. No alligators, I mean, don't worry.
(03:33):
They won't come aboard, declared Betty. These rivers are split
up into a lot of side brooks by use and
such things, said Molly. Tom mentioned that, and he said
that often one could wander about in them, being close
to the right route all the while, and yet not
know a thing about it. Cheerful prospect, remarked Grace. Oh,
(03:58):
I'm sure we'll get on the right street, sometimes, spoke
Mollie cheerfully. What do you say, had we not better
turn back? They all agreed that this was best, and soon,
in the fast gathering dusk that Jim was swung about
and was breasting the rather sluggish current. To the credit
(04:18):
of the outdoor girls, Bead said that even in this
nerve wrecking emergency, they did not altogether lose heart and courage.
Of course, there was that first instinctive fear, and something
like a gasping for breath, as when one plunges into
cold water, but the reaction came and the girls were
themselves once more brave and self reliant. I only hope
(04:44):
we don't pass the stream up which we went to
have our lunch, spoke Molly. As they went on, she
and the others were peering from side to side in
the gloom. Oh, I'm sure we can find that, declared Betty.
There is a big dead cypress tree with a lot
of moss on it just at the turn. We must
watch for that. There were one or two false alarms
(05:07):
before they saw it, but finally they were all sure
of the turn, and Betty made it. Oh are you
going all the way back to where we ate? Asked Grace.
As Betty guided her craft into the branch stream. I
think so, answered the little captain. It will not take
much longer, and we may find Tom there. If we do,
(05:29):
all our troubles will be over. I think we had
better go up. But it's getting dark so fast, objected Grace.
Then a little more dark won't make much difference, returned
Molly with a shrug. Go on, Betty. The gem hugged
their way up Alligator Brook, as the girls had named it. Eagerly.
(05:51):
They looked for some sign of their missing escort, and
listened for any sound that would indicate he was coming
to meet them. But the forest was silent, night was
settling down, and birds and beasts were seeking their resting places.
They reached the place where the boat had been tied
and could see where they had eaten their lunch over
(06:13):
in the gloom. There fluttered the paper Betty had fastened
to a tree to indicate to Tom the fact that
his charges had left. He hasn't been here, said Molly
in a low voice. No, there's the packet of lunch,
went on Grace, pointing to it. We may need it ourselves.
Betty said nothing, but in the semi darkness, her chumps
(06:35):
could see the worried look on her face. Suddenly there
was a crashing through the underbrush, announcing the approach of
some one. Here he comes, exclaimed Amy. Let's call, suggested Grace.
Wait a minute, advised Betty. The figure of a young
man came into view. He looked about him nervously, turning
(06:57):
his head from side to side like a timid bird.
That isn't Tom, said Molly low as her voice was
the youth heard. He fairly leaped forward, and Betty, as
she had a better glimpse of him, spoke, it's the loon,
the one who saved our boat for us. End of
(07:18):
Chapter twenty read by Nancy Cochrane, Gergen Gilbert, Arizona, December three,
two thousand twenty one.
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