the scarecrow of oz-第3章

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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。







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