Produced by Greg Weeks, Jason Isbell, Cori Samuel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net The Moving Picture Girls Under the Palms OR Lost in the Wilds of Florida BY LAURA LEE HOPE AUTHOR OF "THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS," "THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT OAK FARM," "THE BOBBSEY TWINS SERIES," "THE OUTDOOR GIRLS SERIES," ETC. _ILLUSTRATED_ THE WORLD SYNDICATE PUBLISHING CO. CLEVELAND NEW YORK Made in U.S.A. Copyright, 1914, by GROSSET & DUNLAP PRESS OF THE COMMERCIAL BOOKBINDING CO. CLEVELAND CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I Overboard 1 II To the Rescue 11 III A Disquieting Item 18 IV Fire on Board 28 V Disabled 37 VI By Wireless 46 VII In Port 54 VIII St. Augustine 63 IX In the Dungeon 70 X The Motor Races 80 XI On to Lake Kissimmee 88 XII A Warning 96 XIII Out in the Boat 104 XIV Under the Palms 113 XV In Peril 119 XVI A Strange Attack 129 XVII Out of a Tree 139 XVIII The Animated Logs 147 XIX Into the Wilds 157 XX Lost 164 XXI The Long Night 172 XXII Ashore 180 XXIII The Palm Hut 186 XXIV The Lost Are Found 195 XXV Out of the Wilds 203 CHAPTER I OVERBOARD "All ready now! In position, everyone!" Half a score of actors and actresses moved quickly to their appointed places, while overhead, and at the sides of them hissed powerful electric lights, and in front of them stood a moving picture camera, ready to be operated by a pleasant-faced young man. "Ready?" came in questioning tones from Mr. Pertell, the stage director, as he looked sharply from one to the other. A tall, well-built man, with iron-gray hair, nodded, but did not speak. "Let her go, Russ!" Mr. Pertell exclaimed. "Vait! Vait a minute!" called one of the actors, with a pronounced German accent. "Well, what's the matter now, Mr. Switzer?" asked the director, with a touch of impatience. "I haf forgotten der imbortant babers dot I haf to offer mine enemy in dis play. I must have der babers." "Gracious, I should say so!" said the manager. "Where's Pop Snooks?" and he looked around for the property man, who had to produce on short notice anything from a ten-ton safe to a hairpin. "Hi, Pop!" called Mr. Pertell. "Make up a bundle of important, legal-looking papers, with seals on. Mr. Switzer has to use 'em in this play. I forgot to tell you." "Have 'em for you right away!" cried the property man, and a little later Mr. Switzer had his "babers." "I guess we're all right now. Start up, Russ," ordered the stage director, who was also the manager of the troupe.