The moon sank below the trees again. It grew very dark, and somehow they dozed off again--fitfully. Then a pale light suffused the east, filtering faintly through the trees. It grew brighter. "Morning," announced Russ, with a luxurious stretch. "It's morning." "The end of the long night," whispered Ruth. "How glad--how very glad I am." "Let's all go ashore and have breakfast--that is, whatever we have left for breakfast," proposed Alice. "It will do us all good to run about a bit." And soon they were all ashore, using stiffened muscles gingerly at first, and then with increasing confidence. The sun was blazing hot overhead. "And now to find our mislaid steamer!" cried Russ, gaily. CHAPTER XXIII THE PALM HUT Breakfast, on the shore of the sluggish and swamp-like stream where the big rowboat was moored, was a meagre meal, indeed. For after a moment of consideration it was decided not to use up all the food that remained. "We may need some for luncheon," explained Russ, who seemed to have taken command of the little party. "We may not be able to reach the steamer by noon." "Do you think we'll _ever_ be able to reach it, old man?" asked Paul, in a low voice. "Oh, sure. We've just _got_ to find it!" whispered the young operator, with a quick glance at the girls. "That's so," agreed Paul. But he knew, as well as did Russ, that it would be no easy matter. And so the "rations" were divided into two parts, though with all there would not have been enough for one substantial meal. Fortunately, however, the coffee was plentiful. The cook, when told to put up a lunch for the picnic party that was to figure in the moving pictures, had been very liberal, otherwise there would have been no food left now. And in the matter of coffee enough had been put in to make several large pots full. As for water, some had been brought along, but, luckily, after this was exhausted Russ managed to find a spring on shore, not far from where the boat was moored. "We'll have to take a chance on it," he said. "Anyhow, boiling the water for coffee will kill all the germs in it." "And we can't be too particular," agreed Mrs. Maguire. The embers of the camp fire kindled in the night were blown into flame, and soon a genial blaze was leaping upward under the big trees. The refugees gathered about it and ate the scanty meal, drinking several cups of coffee. "That will keep us up, and help to ward off fevers which may lurk in these swamps," said Paul. The girls had freshened themselves by washing at the side of the brook which flowed from the spring, and then having arranged their hair, with the aid of their side combs, and a pocket mirror Alice carried, they looked, as Paul said, "as sweet as magnolia blossoms." "Oh, magnolias!" cried Ruth. "If we could only find our _Magnolia_--the steamer!" "Oh, we'll find her," said Russ, easily--more easily than he felt. "We look like wrecks beside the girls," declared Paul, as he ran his hand over his unshaven chin.