the scarecrow of oz-第4章

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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　school　I　decided　to　fly



out　into　the　world　and　try　to　get　a　glimpse　of　the



creatures　called　Men。　So　I　left　home　without　saying



good…bye；　an　act　I　shall　always　regret。　Adventures　were



many；　I　found。　I　sighted　men　several　times；　but　have



never　before　been　so　close　to　them　as　now。　Also　I　had



to　fight　my　way　through　the　air；　for　I　met　gigantic



birds；　with　fluffy　feathers　all　over　them；　which



attacked　me　fiercely。　Besides；　it　kept　me　busy　escaping



from　floating　airships。　In　my　rambling　I　had　lost　all



track　of　distance　or　direction；　so　that　when　I　wanted



to　go　home　I　had　no　idea　where　my　country　was　located。



I've　now　been　trying　to　find　it　for　several　months　and



it　was　during　one　of　my　flights　over　the　ocean　that　I



met　the　whirlpool　and　became　its　victim。〃







Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill　listened　to　this　recital　with



much　interest；　and　from　the　friendly　tone　and　harmless



appearance　of　the　Ork　they　judged　he　was　not　likely　to



prove　so　disagreeable　a　companion　as　at　first　they　had



feared　he　might　be。







The　Ork　sat　upon　its　haunches　much　as　a　cat　does；　but



used　the　finger…like　claws　of　its　front　legs　almost　as



cleverly　as　if　they　were　hands。　Perhaps　the　most



curious　thing　about　the　creature　was　its　tail；　or　what



ought　to　have　been　its　tail。　This　queer　arrangement　of



skin；　bones　and　muscle　was　shaped　like　the　propellers



used　on　boats　and　airships；　having　fan…like　surfaces



and　being　pivoted　to　its　body。　Cap'n　Bill　knew



something　of　mechanics；　and　observing　the　propeller…



like　tail　of　the　Ork　he　said：







〃I　s'pose　you're　a　pretty　swift　flyer？〃







〃Yes；　indeed；　the　Orks　are　admitted　to　be　Kings　of



the　Air。〃







〃Your　wings　don't　seem　to　amount　to　much；〃　remarked



Trot。







〃Well；　they　are　not　very　big；〃　admitted　the　Or