the scarecrow of oz- 第3部分

to。〃







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







Instead　of　replying；　Cap'n　Bill　began　searching　in



his　pockets。　He　soon　drew　out　a　little　package　of　fish…



hooks　and　a　long　line。　Trot　watched　him　join　them



together。　Then　he　crept　a　little　way　up　the　slope　and



turned　over　a　big　rock。　Two　or　three　small　crabs　began



scurrying　away　over　the　sands　and　the　old　sailor　caught



them　and　put　one　on　his　hook　and　the　others　in　his



pocket。　Coming　back　to　the　pool　he　swung　the　hook　over



his　shoulder　and　circled　it　around　his　head　and　cast　it



nearly　into　the　center　of　the　water；　where　he　allowed



it　to　sink　gradually；　paying　out　the　line　as　far　as　it



would　go。　When　the　end　was　reached；　he　began　drawing　it



in　again；　until　the　crab　bait　was　floating　on　the



surface。







Trot　watched　him　cast　the　line　a　second　time；　and　a



third。　She　decided　that　either　there　were　no　fishes　in



the　pool　or　they　would　not　bite　the　crab　bait。　But



Cap'n　Bill　was　an　old　fisherman　and　not　easily



discouraged。　When　the　crab　got　away　he　put　another　on



the　hook。　When　the　crabs　were　all　gone　he　climbed　up



the　rocks　and　found　some　more。







Meantime　Trot　tired　of　watching　him　and　lay　down　upon



the　sands；　where　she　fell　fast　asleep。　During　the　next



two　hours　her　clothing　dried　completely；　as　did　that　of



the　old　sailor。　They　were　both　so　used　to　salt　water



that　there　was　no　danger　of　taking　cold。







Finally　the　little　girl　was　wakened　by　a　splash



beside　her　and　a　grunt　of　satisfaction　from　Cap'n　Bill。



She　opened　her　eyes　to　find　that　the　Cap'n　had　landed　a



silver…scaled　fish　weighing　about　two　pounds。　This



cheered　her　considerably　and　she　hurried　to　scrape



together　a　heap　of　seaweed；　while　Cap'n　Bill　cut　up　the



fish　with　his　jackknife　and　got　it　ready　for　cooking。







They　had　cooked　fish　with　seaweed　before。　Cap'n　Bill



wrapped　his　fish　in　some　of　the　weed　and　dipped　it　in



the　water　to　dampen　it。　Then　he　lighted　a　match　and　set



fire　to　Trot's　heap；　which　speedily　burned　down　to　a



glowing　bed　of　ashes。　Then　they　laid　the　wrapped　fish



on　the　ashes；　covered　it　with　more　seaweed；　and　allowed



this　to　catch　fire　and　burn　to　embers。　After　feeding



the　fire　with　seaweed　for　some　time；　the　sailor　finally



decided　that　their　supper　was　ready；　so　he　scattered



the　ashes　and　drew　out　the　bits　of　fish；　still　encased



in　their　smoking　wrappings。







When　these　wrappings　were　removed；　the　fish　was　found



thoroughly　cooked　and　both　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill　ate　of



it　freely。　It　had　a　slight　flavor　of　seaweed　and　would



have　been　better　with　a　sprinkling　of　salt。







The　soft　glow　which　until　now　had　lighted　the　cavern；



began　to　grow　dim；　but　there　was　a　great　quantity　of



seaweed　in　the　place；　so　after　they　had　eaten　their



fish　they　kept　the　fire　alive　for　a　time　by　giving　it　a



handful　of　fuel　now　and　then。







From　an　inner　pocket　the　sailor　drew　a　small　flask　of



battered　metal　and　unscrewing　the　cap　handed　it　to



Trot。　　She　took　but　one　swallow　of　the　water　although



she　wanted　more；　and　she　noticed　that　Cap'n　Bill　merely



wet　his　lips　with　it。







〃S'pose；〃　said　she；　staring　at　the　glowing　seaweed



fire　and　speaking　slowly；　〃that　we　can　catch　all　the



fish　we　need；　how　'bout　the　drinking…water；　Cap'n？〃







He　moved　uneasily　but　did　not　reply。　Both　of　them



were　thinking　about　the　dark　hole；　but　while　Trot　had



little　fear　of　it　the　old　man　could　not　overcome　his



dislike　to　enter　the　place。　He　knew　that　Trot　was



right；　though。　To　remain　in　the　cavern；　where　they　now



were；　could　only　result　in　slow　but　sure　death。







It　was　nighttime　up　on　the　earth's　surface；　so　the



little　girl　became　drowsy　and　soon　fell　asleep。　After　a



time　the　old　sailor　slumbered　on　the　sands　beside　her。



It　was　very　still　and　nothing　disturbed　them　for　hours。



When　at　last　they　awoke　the　cavern　was　light　again。







They　had　divided　one　of　the　biscuits　and　were



munching　it　for　breakfast　when　they　were　startled　by　a



sudden　splash　in　the　pool。　Looking　toward　it　they　saw



emerging　from　the　water　the　most　curious　creature



either　of　them　had　ever　beheld。　It　wasn't　a　fish；　Trot



decided；　nor　was　it　a　beast。　It　had　wings；　though；　and



queer　wings　they　were：　shaped　like　an　inverted



chopping…bowl　and　covered　with　tough　skin　instead　of



feathers。　It　had　four　legs　　much　like　the　legs　of　a



stork；　only　double　the　number　　and　its　head　was



shaped　a　good　deal　like　that　of　a　poll　parrot；　with　a



beak　that　curved　downward　in　front　and　upward　at　the



edges；　and　was　half　bill　and　half　mouth。　But　to　call　it



a　bird　was　out　of　the　question；　because　it　had　no



feathers　whatever　except　a　crest　of　wavy　plumes　of　a



scarlet　color　on　the　very　top　of　its　head。　The　strange



creature　must　have　weighed　as　much　as　Cap'n　Bill；　and



as　it　floundered　and　struggled　to　get　out　of　the　water



to　the　sandy　beach　it　was　so　big　and　unusual　that　both



Trot　and　her　companion　stared　at　it　in　wonder　　in



wonder　that　was　not　unmixed　with　fear。



















Chapter　Three







The　Ork











The　eyes　that　regarded　them；　as　the　creature　stood



dripping　before　them；　were　bright　and　mild　in



expression；　and　the　queer　addition　to　their　party　made



no　attempt　to　attack　them　and　seemed　quite　as　surprised



by　the　meeting　as　they　were。







〃I　wonder；〃　whispered　Trot；　〃what　it　is。〃







〃Who；　me？〃　exclaimed　the　creature　in　a　shrill；　high…



pitched　voice。　〃Why；　I'm　an　Ork。〃







〃Oh！〃　said　the　girl。　〃But　what　is　an　Ork？〃







〃I　am；〃　he　repeated；　a　little　proudly；　as　he　shook



the　water　from　his　funny　wings；　〃and　if　ever　an　Ork　was



glad　to　be　out　of　the　water　and　on　dry　land　again；　you



can　be　mighty　sure　that　I'm　that　especial；　individual



Ork！〃







〃Have　you　been　in　the　water　long？〃　inquired　Cap'n



Bill；　thinking　it　only　polite　to　show　an　interest　in



the　strange　creature。







〃why；　this　last　ducking　was　about　ten　minutes；　I



believe；　and　that's　about　nine　minutes　and　sixty



seconds　too　long　for　comfort；〃　was　the　reply。　〃But　last



night　I　was　in　an　awful　pickle；　I　assure　you。　The



whirlpool　caught　me；　and　〃







〃Oh；　were　you　in　the　whirlpool；　too？〃　asked　Trot



eagerly







He　gave　her　a　glance　that　was　somewhat　reproachful。







〃I　believe　I　was　mentioning　the　fact；　young　lady；



when　your　desire　to　talk　interrupted　me；〃　said　the　Ork。



〃I　am　not　usually　careless　in　my　actions；　but　that



whirlpool　was　so　busy　yesterday　that　I　thought　I'd　see



what　mischief　it　was　up　to。　So　I　flew　a　little　too　near



it　and　the　suction　of　the　air　drew　me　down　into　the



depths　of　the　ocean。　Water　and　I　are　natural　enemies；



and　it　would　have　conquered　me　this　time　had　not　a　bevy



of　pretty　mermaids　come　to　my　assistance　and　dragged　me



away　from　the　whirling　water　and　far　up　into　a　cavern；



where　they　deserted　me。〃







〃Why；　that's　about　the　same　thing　that　happened　to



us；〃　cried　Trot。　〃Was　your　cavern　like　this　one？〃







〃I　haven't　examined　this　one　yet；〃　answered　the　Ork；



〃but　if　they　happen　to　be　alike　I　shudder　at　our　fate；



for　the　other　one　was　a　prison；　with　no　outlet　except



by　means　of　the　water。　　I　stayed　there　all　night；



however；　and　this　morning　I　plunged　into　the　pool；　as



far　down　as　I　could　go；　and　then　swam　as　hard　and　as



far　as　I　could。　The　rocks　scraped　my　back；　now　and



then；　and　I　barely　escaped　the　clutches　of　an　ugly　sea…



monster；　but　by　and　by　I　came　to　the　surface　to　catch



my　breath；　and　found　myself　here。　That's　the　whole



story；　and　as　I　see　you　have　something　to　eat　I　entreat



you　to　give　me　a　share　of　it。　The　truth　is；　I'm　half



starved。〃







With　these　words　the　Ork　squatted　down　beside　them。



Very　reluctantly　Cap'n　Bill　drew　another　biscuit　from



his　pocket　and　held　it　out。　The　Ork　promptly　seized　it



in　one　of　its　front　claws　and　began　to　nibble　the



biscuit　in　much　the　same　manner　a　parrot　might　have



done。







〃We　haven't　much　grub；〃　said　the　sailor…man；　〃but



we're　willin'　to　share　it　with　a　comrade　in　distress。〃







〃That's　right；〃　returned　the　Ork；　cocking　its　head



sidewise　in　a　cheerful　manner；　and　then　for　a　few



minutes　there　was　silence　while　they　all　ate　of　the



biscuits。　After　a　while　Trot　said：







〃I've　never　seen　or　heard　of　an　Ork　before。　Are　there



many　of　you？〃







〃We　are　rather　few　and　exclusive；　I　believe；〃　was　the



reply。　〃In　the　country　where　I　was　born　we　are　the



absolute　rulers　of　all　living　things；　from　ants　to



elephants。〃







〃What　country　is　that？〃　asked　Cap'n　Bill。







〃Orkland。〃







〃Where　does　it　lie？〃







〃I　don't　know；　exactly。　You　see；　I　have　a　restless



nature；　for　some　reason；　while　all　the　rest　of　my　race



are　quiet　and　contented　Orks　and　seldom　stray　far　from



home。　From　childhood　days　I　loved　to　fly　long　distances



away；　although　father　often　warned　me　that　I　would　get



into　trouble　by　so　doing。







〃'It's　a　big　world；　Flipper；　my　son；'　he　would　say；



'and　I've　heard　that　in　parts　of　it　live　queer　two…



legged　creatures　called　Men；　who　war　upon　all　other



living　things　and　would　have　little　respect　for　even　an



Ork。'







〃This　naturally　aroused　my　curiosity　and　after　I　had



completed　my　education　and　left　sc