“Then you surely must take it,” said Mrs. Berry; “the girls will love riding on that great, queer boat through the wild forests where they can see alligators and snakes and turtles and orange groves and Indian battle fields and everything, right close at hand. When we get home I’ll show you the folders.”
“Do they have really truly alligators growing outside a fence?” asked Mary Jane, her eyes big with wonder.
“Do they?” answered Mrs. Berry vigorously; “you just wait and see! Alligators along the banks and in the water and right near the boat.”
“Ugh!” exclaimed Mary Jane, as a sudden thought struck her; “are there any here?”
“I hope not,” said Mrs. Berry with a shiver; “no, girls, I was just joking,” she added as she saw the three girls glance fearfully at the water; “alligators like jungles and heavy vegetation. They would never come up so near a road—you may be sure of that.”
“Listen!” exclaimed Alice suddenly; “wasn’t that thunder farther away?”
The driver loosened the front curtain and peered out. Yes, the storm was going away, that was plain to see. The thunder was getting fainter every minute, the lightning was only a glow and the rain had nearly stopped.
“I do believe it’s going away as quickly as it came,” said Aunt Sue hopefully. “What time is it now anyway?”
“Five o’clock,” replied Mrs. Merrill; “how’s the tide, driver?”
“Going down,” he answered; “see? It’s below the running board a-ready. I guess I’ll see if I can start her up.” He pressed the button on his starter and the wheels of the auto began to spin but the car didn’t move an inch. “Just as I was afraid!” he muttered; “stuck in the mud. I’ll wade to shore and walk down the road till I come to a house where I can get help to pull us out. I reckon you’ll all be safe enough.” He pulled off his shoes and socks, waded to shore and set off up the road. By this time the rain had stopped and the sun was breaking through the clouds, so sitting in a car out in the water seemed much less dismal.