the scarecrow of oz-第5章

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Trot。







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



waving　the　four　hollow　skins　gently　to　and　fro；　〃but



they　serve　to　support　my　body　in　the　air　while　I　speed



along　by　means　of　my　tail。　Still；　taken　altogether；　I'm



very　handsomely　formed；　don't　you　think？〃







Trot　did　not　like　to　reply；　but　Cap'n　Bill　nodded



gravely。　〃For　an　Ork；〃　said　he；　〃you're　a　wonder。



I've　never　seen　one　afore；　but　I　can　imagine　you're



as　good　as　any。〃







That　seemed　to　please　the　creature　and　it　began



walking　around　the　cavern；　making　its　way　easily



up　the　slope。　while　it　was　gone；　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill



each　took　another　sip　from　the　water…flask；　to　wash



down　their　breakfast。







〃Why；　here's　a　hole　　an　exit　　an　outlet！〃



exclaimed　the　Ork　from　above。







〃We　know；〃　said　Trot。　〃We　found　it　last　night。〃







〃Well；　then；　let's　be　off；〃　continued　the　Ork；　after



sticking　its　head　into　the　black　hole　and　sniffing　once



or　twice。　〃The　air　seems　fresh　and　sweet；　and　it　can't



lead　us　to　any　worse　place　than　this。〃







The　girl　and　the　sailor…man　got　up　and　climbed　to　the



side　of　the　Ork。







〃We'd　about　decided　to　explore　this　hole　before　you



came；〃　explained　Cap'n　Bill；　〃but　it's　a　dangerous



place　to　navigate　in　the　dark；　so　wait　till　I　light　a



candle。〃







〃What　is　a　candle？〃　inquired　the　Ork。







〃You'll　see　in　a　minute；〃　said　Trot。







The　old　sailor　drew　one　of　the　candles　from　his



right…side　pocket　and　the　tin　matchbox　from　his　left…



side　pocket。　When　he　lighted　the　match　the　Ork　gave　a



startled　jump　and　eyed　the　flame　suspiciously；　but



Cap'n　Bill　proceeded　to　light　the　candle　and　the　action



interested　the　Ork　very　much。







〃Light；〃　it　said；　somewhat　nervously；　〃is　valuable　in



a　hole　of　this　sort。　The　candle　is　not　dangerous；　I



hope？〃







〃Sometimes　it　burns　your　fingers；〃　answered　Trot；



〃but　that's　about　the　worst　it　can　do　　'cept　to　blow



out　when　you　don't　want　it　to。〃







Cap'n　Bill　shielded　the　flame　with　his　hand　and



crept　into　the　hole。　It　wasn't　any　too　big　for　a　grown



man；　but　after　he　had　crawled　a　few　feet　it　grew



larger。　　Trot　came　close　behind　him　and　then　the



Ork　followed。







〃Seems　like　a　reg'lar　tunnel；〃　muttered　the　sailor…



man；　who　was　creeping　along　awkwardly　because　of　his



wooden　leg。　The　rocks；　too；　hurt　his　knees。







For　nearly　half　an　hour　the　three　moved　slowly　along



the　tunnel；　which　made　many　twists　and　turns　and



sometimes　slanted　downward　and　sometimes　upward。



Finally　Cap'n　Bill　stopped　short；　with　an　exclamation



of　disappointment；　and　held　the　flickering　candle　far



ahead　to　light　the　scene。







〃What's　wrong？〃　demanded　Trot；　who　could　see　nothing



because　the　sailor's　form　completely　filled　the　hole。







〃Why；　we've　come　to　the　end　of　our　travels；　I　guess；〃



he　replied。







〃Is　the　hole　blocked？〃　inquired　the　Ork。







〃No；　it's　wuss　nor　that；〃　replied　Cap'n　Bill　sadly。



〃I'm　on　the　edge　of　a　precipice。　Wait　a　minute　an'　I'll



move　along　and　let　you　see　for　yourselves。　Be　careful；



Trot；　not　to　fall。〃







Then　he　crept　forward　a　little　and　moved　to　one　side；



holding　the　candle　so　that　the　girl　could　see　to　follow



him。　The　Ork　came　next　and　now　all　three　knelt　on　a



narrow　ledge　of　rock　which　dropped　straight　away　and



left　a　huge　black　space　which　the　tiny　flame　of　the



candle　could　not　illuminate。







〃H…m！〃　said　the　Ork；　peering　over　the　edge；　〃this



doesn't　look　very　promising；　I'll　admit。　But　let　me



take　your　candle；　and　I'll　fly　down　and　see　what's



below　us。〃







〃Aren't　you　afraid？〃　asked　Trot。







〃Certainly　I'm　afraid；〃　responded　the　Ork。　〃But



if　we　intend　to　escape　we　can't　stay　on　this　shelf



forever。　So；　as　I　notice　you　poor　creatures　cannot　fly；



it　is　my　duty　to　explore　the　place　for　you。〃







Cap'n　Bill　handed　the　Ork　the　candle；　which　had　now



burned　to　about　half　its　length。　The　Ork　took　it　in　one



claw　rather　cautiously　and　then　tipped　its　body　forward



and　slipped　over　the　edge。　They　heard　a　queer　buzzing



sound；　as　the　tail　revolved；　and　a　brisk　flapping　of



the　peculiar　wings；　but　they　were　more　interested　just



then　in　following　with　their　eyes　the　tiny　speck　of



light　which　marked　the　location　of　the　candle。　This



light　first　made　a　great　circle；　then　dropped　slowly



downward　and　suddenly　was　extinguished；　leaving



everything　before　them　black　as　ink。







〃Hi；　there！　How　did　that　happen？〃　cried　the　Ork。







〃It　blew　out；　I　guess；〃　shouted　Cap'n　Bill。　〃Fetch　it



here。〃







〃I　can't　see　where　you　are；〃　said　the　Ork。







So　Cap'n　Bill　got　out　another　candle　and　lighted　it；



and　its　flame　enabled　the　Ork　to　fly　back　to　them。



It　alighted　on　the　edge　and　held　out　the　bit　of　candle。







〃What　made　it　stop　burning？〃　asked　the　creature。







The　wind；〃　said　Trot。　〃You　must　be　more　careful；　this



time。〃







〃What's　the　place　like？〃　inquired　Cap'n　Bill。







〃I　don't　know；　yet；　but　there　must　be　a　bottom　to　it；



so　I'll　try　to　find　it。〃







With　this　the　Ork　started　out　again　and　this　time



sank　downward　more　slowly。　Down；　down；　down　it　went；



till　the　candle　was　a　mere　spark；　and　then　it　headed



away　to　the　left　and　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill　lost　all　sight



of　it。







In　a　few　minutes；　however；　they　saw　the　spark　of



light　again；　and　as　the　sailor　still　held　the　second



lighted　candle　the　Ork　made　straight　toward　them。　It



was　only　a　few　yards　distant　when　suddenly　it　dropped



the　candle　with　a　cry　of　pain　and　next　moment　alighted；



fluttering　wildly；　upon　the　rocky　ledge。







〃What's　the　matter？〃　asked　Trot。







It　bit　me！〃　wailed　the　Ork。　〃I　don't　like　your



candles。　The　thing　began　to　disappear　slowly　as　soon　as



I　took　it　in　my　claw；　and　it　grew　smaller　and　smaller



until　just　now　it　turned　and　bit　me　　a　most



unfriendly　thing　to　do。　Oh　　oh！　Ouch；　what　a　bite！〃







〃That's　the　nature　of　candles；　I'm　sorry　to　say；〃



explained　Cap'n　Bill；　with　a　grin。　〃You　have　to　handle



'em　mighty　keerful。　But　tell　us；　what　did　you　find　down



there？〃







〃I　found　a　way　to　continue　our　journey；〃　said　the



Ork；　nursing　tenderly　the　claw　which　had　been　burned。



〃Just　below　us　is　a　great　lake　of　black　water；　which



looked　so　cold　and　wicked　that　it　made　me　shudder；



but　away　at　the　left　there's　a　big　tunnel；　which　we



can　easily　walk　through。　I　don't　know　where　it　leads



to；　of　course；　but　we　must　follow　it　and　find　out。〃



〃why；　we　can't　get　to　it；〃　protested　the　little　girl。



〃We　can't　fly；　as　you　do；　you　must　remember。〃







〃No；　that's　true；〃　replied　the　Ork　musingly。　〃Your



bodies　are　built　very　poorly；　it　seems　to　me；　since　all



you　can　do　is　crawl　upon　the　earth's　surface。　But　you



may　ride　upon　my　back；　and　in　that　way　I　can　promise



you　a　safe　journey　to　the　tunnel。〃







〃Are　you　strong　enough　to　carry　us？〃　asked　Cap'n



Bill；　doubtfully。







〃Yes；　indeed；　I'm　strong　enough　to　carry　a　dozen　of



you；　if　you　could　find　a　place　to　sit；〃　was　the　reply；



〃but　there's　only　room　between　my　wings　for　one　at　a



time；　so　I'll　have　to　make　two　trips。〃







〃All　right；　I'll　go　first；〃　decided　Cap'n　Bill。







He　lit　another　candle　for　Trot　to　hold　while　they



were　gone　and　to　light　the　Ork　on　his　return　to　her；



and　then　the　old　sailor　got　upon　the　Ork's　back；　where



he　sat　with　his　wooden　leg　sticking　stra