the scarecrow of oz-第16章

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in　Cap'n　Bill's　knowledge　of　how　to　twist　and　fasten　a



rope　so　it　would　hold。







That　was　a　remarkably　big　desert。　There　was　nothing　to



relieve　the　monotony　of　view　and　every　minute　seemed　an



hour　and　every　hour　a　day。　Disagreeable　fumes　and　gases



rose　from　the　sands；　which　would　have　been　deadly　to　the



travelers　had　they　not　been　so　high　in　the　air。　As　it



was；　Trot　was　beginning　to　feel　sick；　when　a　breath　of



fresher　air　filled　her　nostrils　and　on　looking　ahead　she



saw　a　great　cloud　of　pink…tinted　mist。　Even　while　she



wondered　what　it　could　be；　the　Ork　plunged　boldly　into



the　mist　and　the　other　birds　followed。　She　could　see



nothing　for　a　time；　nor　could　the　bird　which　carried　her



see　where　the　Ork　had　gone；　but　it　kept　flying　as



sturdily　as　ever　and　in　a　few　moments　the　mist　was　passed



and　the　girl　saw　a　most　beautiful　landscape　spread　out



below　her；　extending　as　far　as　her　eye　could　reach。







She　saw　bits　of　forest；　verdure　clothed　hills；　fields



of　waving　grain；　fountains；　rivers　and　lakes；　and



throughout　the　scene　were　scattered　groups　of　pretty



houses　and　a　few　grand　castles　and　palaces。







Over　all　this　delightful　landscape　　which　from　Trot's



high　perch　seemed　like　a　magnificent　painted　picture　



was　a　rosy　glow　such　as　we　sometimes　see　in　the　west　at



sunset。　In　this　case；　however；　it　was　not　in　the　west



only；　but　everywhere。







No　wonder　the　Ork　paused　to　circle　slowly　over　this



lovely　country。　The　other　birds　followed　his　action；　all



eyeing　the　place　with　equal　delight。　Then；　as　with　one



accord；　the　four　formed　a　group　and　slowly　sailed



downward。　This　brought　them　to　that　part　of　the　newly…



discovered　land　which　bordered　on　the　desert's　edge；　but



it　was　just　as　pretty　here　as　anywhere；　so　the　Ork　and



the　birds　alighted　and　the　three　passengers　at　once　got



out　of　their　swings。







〃Oh；　Cap'n　Bill；　isn't　this　fine　an'　dandy？〃　exclaimed



Trot　rapturously。　〃How　lucky　we　were　to　discover　this



beautiful　country！〃







〃The　country　seems　rather　high　class；　I'll　admit；



Trot；〃　replied　the　old　sailor…man；　looking　around　him；



〃but　we　don't　know；　as　yet；　what　its　people　are　like。〃







〃No　one　could　live　in　such　a　country　without　being



happy　and　good　　I'm　sure　of　that；〃　she　said　earnestly。



〃Don't　you　think　so；　Button…Bright？〃







〃I'm　not　thinking；　just　now；〃　answered　the　little　boy。



〃It　tires　me　to　think；　and　I　never　seem　to　gain　anything



by　it。　When　we　see　the　people　who　live　here　we　will　know



what　they　are　like；　and　no　'mount　of　thinking　will　make



them　any　different。〃







〃That's　true　enough；〃　said　the　Ork。　〃But　now　I　want　to



make　a　proposal。　While　you　are　getting　acquainted　with



this　new　country；　which　looks　as　if　it　contains



everything　to　make　one　happy；　I　would　like　to　fly　along　…



…　all　by　myself　　and　see　if　I　can　find　my　home　on　the



other　side　of　the　great　desert。　If　I　do；　I　will　stay



there；　of　course。　But　if　I　fail　to　find　Orkland　I　will



return　to　you　in　a　week；　to　see　if　I　can　do　anything　more



to　assist　you。〃







They　were　sorry　to　lose　their　queer　companion；　but



could　offer　no　objection　to　the　plan；　so　the　Ork　bade



them　good…bye　and　rising　swiftly　in　the　air；　he　flew　over



the　country　and　was　soon　lost　to　view　in　the　distance。







The　three　birds　which　had　carried　our　friends　now



begged　permission　to　return　by　the　way　they　had　come；　to



their　own　homes；　saying　they　were　anxious　to　show　their



families　how　big　they　had　become。　So　Cap'n　Bill　and　Trot



and　Button…Bright　all　thanked　them　gratefully　for　their



assistance　and　soon　the　birds　began　their　long　flight



toward　the　Land　of　Mo。　Being　now　left　to　themselves　in



this　strange　land；　the　three　comrades　selected　a　pretty



pathway　and　began　walking　along　it。　They　believed　this



path　would　lead　them　to　a　splendid　castle　which　they



espied　in　the　distance；　the　turrets　of　which　towered　far



above　the　tops　of　the　trees　which　surrounded　it。　It　did



not　seem　very　far　away；　so　they　sauntered　on　slowly；



admiring　the　beautiful　ferns　and　flowers　that　lined　the



pathway　and　listening　to　the　singing　of　the　birds　and　the



soft　chirping　of　the　grasshoppers。







Presently　the　path　wound　over　a　little　hill。　In　a



valley　that　lay　beyond　the　hill　was　a　tiny　cottage



surrounded　by　flower　beds　and　fruit　trees。　On　the　shady



porch　of　the　cottage　they　saw；　as　they　approached；　a



pleasant　faced　woman　sitting　amidst　a　group　of　children；



to　whom　she　was　telling　stories。　The　children　quickly



discovered　the　strangers　and　ran　toward　them　with



exclamations　of　astonishment；　so　that　Trot　and　her



friends　became　the　center　of　a　curious　group；　all



chattering　excitedly。　Cap'n　Bill's　wooden　leg　seemed　to



arouse　the　wonder　of　the　children；　as　they　could　not



understand　why　he　had　not　two　meat　legs。　This　attention



seemed　to　please　the　old　sailor；　who　patted　the　heads　of



the　children　kindly　and　then；　raising　his　hat　to　the



woman；　he　inquired：







〃Can　you　tell　us；　madam；　just　what　country　this　is？〃







She　stared　hard　at　all　three　of　the　strangers　as　she



replied　briefly：　〃Jinxland。〃







〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Cap'n　Bill；　with　a　puzzled　look。　〃And



where　is　Jinxland；　please？〃







〃In　the　Quadling　Country；〃　said　she。







〃What！〃　cried　Trot；　in　sudden　excitement。　〃Do　you　mean



to　say　this　is　the　Quadling　Country　of　the　Land　of　Oz？〃







〃To　be　sure　I　do；〃　the　woman　answered。　〃Every　bit　of



land　that　is　surrounded　by　the　great　desert　is　the　Land



of　Oz；　as　you　ought　to　know　as　well　as　I　do；　but　I'm



sorry　to　say　that　Jinxland　is　separated　from　the　rest　of



the　Quadling　Country　by　that　row　of　high　mountains　you



see　yonder；　which　have　such　steep　sides　that　no　one　can



cross　them。　So　we　live　here　all　by　ourselves；　and　are



ruled　by　our　own　King；　instead　of　by　Ozma　of　Oz。〃







〃I've　been　to　the　Land　of　Oz　before；〃　said　Button…



Bright；　〃but　I've　never　been　here。〃







〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　Jinxland　before？〃　asked　Trot。







〃No；〃　said　Button…Bright。







〃It　is　on　the　Map　of　Oz；　though；〃　asserted　the　woman；



〃and　it's　a　fine　country；　I　assure　you。　If　only；〃　she



added；　and　then　paused　to　look　around　her　with　a



frightened　expression。　〃If　only　〃　here　she　stopped



again；　as　if　not　daring　to　go　on　with　her　speech。







〃If　only　what；　ma'am？〃　asked　Cap'n　Bill。







The　woman　sent　the　children　into　the　house。　Then　she



came　closer　to　the　strangers　and　whispered：　〃If　only　we



had　a　different　King；　we　would　be　very　happy　and



contented。〃







〃What's　the　matter　with　your　King？〃　asked　Trot；



curiously。　But　the　woman　seemed　frightened　to　have　said



so　much。　She　retreated　to　her　porch；　merely　saying：







〃The　King　punishes　severely　any　treason　on　the　part　of



his　subjects。〃







〃What's　treason？〃　asked　Button…Bright。







〃In　this　case；〃　replied　Cap'n　Bill；　〃treason　seems　to



consist　of　knockin'　the　King；　but　I　guess　we　know　his



disposition　now　as　well　as　if　the　lady　had　said　more。〃







〃I　wonder；〃　said　Trot；　going　up　to　the　woman；　〃if　you



could　spare　us　something　to　eat。　We　haven't　had　anything



but　popcorn　and　lemonade　for　a　long　time。〃







〃Bless　your　heart！　Of　course　I　can　spare　you　some



food；〃　the　woman　answered；　and　entering　her　cottage　she



soon　returned　with　a　tray　loaded　with　sandwiches；　cakes



and　cheese。　One　of　the　children　drew　a　bucket　of　clear；



cold　water　from　a　spring　and　the　three　wanderers　ate



hearti