the scarecrow of oz- 第2部分

halfway　across　the　bay　when　Trot　suddenly　sat　up



straight　and　exclaimed：　〃What's　that；　Cap'n？〃







He　stopped　rowing　and　turned　half　around　to　look。







〃That；　Trot；〃　he　slowly　replied；　〃looks　to　me　mighty



like　a　whirlpool。〃







〃What　makes　it；　Cap'n？〃







〃A　whirl　in　the　air　makes　the　whirl　in　the　water。　I



was　afraid　as　we'd　meet　with　trouble；　Trot。　Things



didn't　look　right。　The　air　was　too　still。〃







〃It's　coming　closer；〃　said　the　girl。







The　old　man　grabbed　the　oars　and　began　rowing　with



all　his　strength。







〃'Tain't　comin'　closer　to　us；　Trot；〃　he　gasped；　〃it's



we　that　are　comin'　closer　to　the　whirlpool。　The　thing



is　drawin'　us　to　it　like　a　magnet！〃







Trot's　sun…bronzed　face　was　a　little　paler　as　she



grasped　the　tiller　firmly　and　tried　to　steer　the　boat



away；　but　she　said　not　a　word　to　indicate　fear。







The　swirl　of　the　water　as　they　came　nearer　made　a



roaring　sound　that　was　fearful　to　listen　to。　So　fierce



and　powerful　was　the　whirlpool　that　it　drew　the　surface



of　the　sea　into　the　form　of　a　great　basin；　slanting



downward　toward　the　center；　where　a　big　hole　had　been



made　in　the　ocean　　a　hole　with　walls　of　water　that



were　kept　in　place　by　the　rapid　whirling　of　the　air。







The　boat　in　which　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill　were　riding　was



just　on　the　outer　edge　of　this　saucer…like　slant；　and



the　old　sailor　knew　very　well　that　unless　he　could



quickly　force　the　little　craft　away　from　the　rushing



current　they　would　soon　be　drawn　into　the　great　black



hole　that　yawned　in　the　middle。　So　he　exerted　all　his



might　and　pulled　as　he　had　never　pulled　before。　He



pulled　so　hard　that　the　left　oar　snapped　in　two　and



sent　Cap'n　Bill　sprawling　upon　the　bottom　of　the　boat。







He　scrambled　up　quickly　enough　and　glanced　over　the



side。　Then　he　looked　at　Trot；　who　sat　quite　still；　with



a　serious；　far…away　look　in　her　sweet　eyes。　The　boat



was　now　speeding　swiftly　of　its　own　accord；　following



the　line　of　the　circular　basin　round　and　round　and



gradually　drawing　nearer　to　the　great　hole　in　the



center。　Any　further　effort　to　escape　the　whirlpool　was



useless；　and　realizing　this　fact　Cap'n　Bill　turned



toward　Trot　and　put　an　arm　around　her；　as　if　to　shield



her　from　the　awful　fate　before　them。　　He　did　not　try　to



speak；　because　the　roar　of　the　waters　would　have



drowned　the　sound　of　his　voice。







These　two　faithful　comrades　had　faced　dangers　before；



but　nothing　to　equal　that　which　now　faced　them。　Yet



Cap'n　Bill；　noting　the　look　in　Trot's　eyes　and



remembering　how　often　she　had　been　protected　by　unseen



powers；　did　not　quite　give　way　to　despair。







The　great　hole　in　the　dark　water　　now　growing



nearer　and　nearer　　looked　very　terrifying；　but　they



were　both　brave　enough　to　face　it　and　await　the　result



of　the　adventure。



















Chapter　Two







The　Cavern　Under　the　Sea















The　circles　were　so　much　smaller　at　the　bottom　of　the



basin；　and　the　boat　moved　so　much　more　swiftly；　that



Trot　was　beginning　to　get　dizzy　with　the　motion；　when



suddenly　the　boat　made　a　leap　and　dived　headlong　into



the　murky　depths　of　the　hole。　Whirling　like　tops；　but



still　clinging　together；　the　sailor　and　the　girl　were



separated　from　their　boat　and　plunged　down　　down　



down　　into　the　farthermost　recesses　of　the　great



ocean。







At　first　their　fall　was　swift　as　an　arrow；　but



presently　they　seemed　to　be　going　more　moderately　and



Trot　was　almost　sure　that　unseen　arms　were　about　her；



supporting　her　and　protecting　her。　She　could　see



nothing；　because　the　water　filled　her　eyes　and　blurred



her　vision；　but　she　clung　fast　to　Cap'n　Bill's



sou'wester；　while　other　arms　clung　fast　to　her；　and　so



they　gradually　sank　down　and　down　until　a　full　stop　was



made；　when　they　began　to　ascend　again。







But　it　seemed　to　Trot　that　they　were　not　rising



straight　to　the　surface　from　where　they　had　come。　The



water　was　no　longer　whirling　them　and　they　seemed　to　be



drawn　in　a　slanting　direction　through　still；　cool　ocean



depths。　And　then　　in　much　quicker　time　than　I　have



told　it　　up　they　popped　to　the　surface　and　were　cast



at　full　length　upon　a　sandy　beach；　where　they　lay



choking　and　gasping　for　breath　and　wondering　what　had



happened　to　them。







Trot　was　the　first　to　recover。　Disengaging　herself



from　Cap'n　Bill's　wet　embrace　and　sitting　up；　she



rubbed　the　water　from　her　eyes　and　then　looked　around



her。　　A　soft；　bluish…green　glow　lighted　the　place；



which　seemed　to　be　a　sort　of　cavern；　for　above　and　on



either　side　of　her　were　rugged　rocks。　They　had　been



cast　upon　a　beach　of　clear　sand；　which　slanted　upward



from　the　pool　of　water　at　their　feet　　a　pool　which



doubtless　led　into　the　big　ocean　that　fed　it。　Above　the



reach　of　the　waves　of　the　pool　were　more　rocks；　and



still　more　and　more；　into　the　dim　windings　and　recesses



of　which　the　glowing　light　from　the　water　did　not



penetrate。







The　place　looked　grim　and　lonely；　but　Trot　was



thankful　that　she　was　still　alive　and　had　suffered　no



severe　injury　during　her　trying　adventure　under　water。



At　her　side　Cap'n　Bill　was　sputtering　and　coughing；



trying　to　get　rid　of　the　water　he　had　swallowed。　Both



of　them　were　soaked　through；　yet　the　cavern　was　warm



and　comfortable　and　a　wetting　did　not　dismay　the　little



girl　in　the　least。







She　crawled　up　the　slant　of　sand　and　gathered　in　her



hand　a　bunch　of　dried　seaweed；　with　which　she　mopped



the　face　of　Cap'n　Bill　and　cleared　the　water　from　his



eyes　and　ears。　Presently　the　old　man　sat　up　and　stared



at　her　intently。　Then　he　nodded　his　bald　head　three



times　and　said　in　a　gurgling　voice：







〃Mighty　good；　Trot；　mighty　good！　We　didn't　reach　Davy



Jones's　locker　that　time；　did　we？　Though　why　we　didn't；



an'　why　we're　here；　is　more'n　I　kin　make　out。〃







〃Take　it　easy；　Cap'n；〃　she　replied。　〃We're　safe



enough；　I　guess；　at　least　for　the　time　being。〃







He　squeezed　the　water　out　of　the　bottoms　of　his　loose



trousers　and　felt　of　his　wooden　leg　and　arms　and　head；



and　finding　he　had　brought　all　of　his　person　with　him



he　gathered　courage　to　examine　closely　their



surroundings。







〃Where　d'ye　think　we　are；　Trot？。〃　he　presently　asked。







〃Can't　say；　Cap'n。　P'r'aps　in　one　of　our　caves。〃







He　shook　his　head。　〃No；〃　said　he；　〃I　don't　think



that；　at　all。　　The　distance　we　came　up　didn't　seem　half



as　far　as　the　distance　we　went　down；　an'　you'll　notice



there　ain't　any　outside　entrance　to　this　cavern



whatever。　It's　a　reg'lar　dome　over　this　pool　o'　water；



and　unless　there's　some　passage　at　the　back；　up　yonder；



we're　fast　pris'ners。〃







Trot　looked　thoughtfully　over　her　shoulder。







〃When　we're　rested；〃　she　said；　〃we　will　crawl　up



there　and　see　if　there's　a　way　to　get　out。〃







Cap'n　Bill　reached　in　the　pocket　of　his　oilskin　coat



and　took　out　his　pipe。　It　was　still　dry；　for　he　kept　it



in　an　oilskin　pouch　with　his　tobacco。　His　matches　were



in　a　tight　tin　box；　so　in　a　few　moments　the　old　sailor



was　smoking　contentedly。　Trot　knew　it　helped　him　to



think　when　he　was　in　any　difficulty。　Also；　the　pipe　did



much　to　restore　the　old　sailor's　composure；　after　his



long　ducking　and　his　terrible　fright　　a　fright　that



was　more　on　Trot's　account　than　his　own。







The　sand　was　dry　where　they　sat；　and　soaked　up　the



water　that　dripped　from　their　clothing。　When　Trot　had



squeezed　the　wet　out　of　her　hair　she　began　to　feel　much



like　her　old　self　again。　By　and　by　they　got　upon　their



feet　and　crept　up　the　incline　to　the　scattered　boulders



above。　Some　of　these　were　of　huge　size；　but　by　passing



between　some　and　around　others；　they　were　able　to　reach



the　extreme　rear　of　the　cavern。







〃Yes；〃　said　Trot；　with　interest；　〃here's　a　round



hole。〃







〃And　it's　black　as　night　inside　it；〃　remarked　Cap'n



Bill。







Just　the　same；〃　answered　the　girl；　〃we　ought　to



explore　it；　and　see　where　it　goes；　'cause　it's　the　only



poss'ble　way　we　can　get　out　of　this　place。〃







Cap'n　Bill　eyed　the　hole　doubtfully







〃It　may　be　a　way　out　o'　here；　Trot；〃　he　said；　〃but　it



may　be　a　way　into　a　far　worse　place　than　this。　I'm　not



sure　but　our　best　plan　is　to　stay　right　here。〃







Trot　wasn't　sure；　either；　when　she　thought　of　it　in



that　light。　After　awhile　she　made　her　way　back　to　the



sands　again；　and　Cap'n　Bill　followed　her。　As　they　sat



down；　the　child　looked　thoughtfully　at　the　sailor's



bulging　pockets。







〃How　much　food　have　we　got；　Cap'n？〃　she　asked。







〃Half　a　dozen　ship's　biscuits　an'　a　hunk　o'　cheese；〃



he　replied。　〃Want　some　now；　Trot？〃







She　shook　her　head；　saying：







〃That　ought　to　keep　us　alive　'bout　three　days　if



we're　careful　of　it。〃







〃Longer'n　that；　Trot；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill；　but　his　voice



was　a　little　troubled　and　unsteady。







〃But　if　we　stay　here　we're　bound　to　starve　in　time；〃



continued　the　girl；　〃while　if　we　go　into　the　dark　hole



〃







〃Some　things　are　more　hard　to　face　than　starvation；〃



said　the　sailor…man；　gravely。　〃We　don't　know　what's



inside　that　dark　hole：　Trot；　nor　where　it　might　lead　us



to。〃







〃There's　a　way　to　find　that　out；〃　she　persisted。







Inst