the scarecrow of oz-第5部分

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



he　sat　with　his　wooden　leg　sticking　straight　out



sidewise。







〃If　you　start　to　fall；　clasp　your　arms　around　my



neck；〃　advised　the　creature。







〃If　I　start　to　fall；　it's　good　night　an'　pleasant



dreams；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill。







〃All　ready？〃　asked　the　Ork。







〃Start　the　buzz…tail；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill；　with　a



tremble　in　his　voice。　But　the　Ork　flew　away　so　gently



that　the　old　man　never　even　tottered　in　his　seat。　Trot



watched　the　light　of　Cap'n　Bill's　candle　till　it



disappeared　in　the　far　distance。　She　didn't　like　to　be



left　alone　on　this　dangerous　ledge；　with　a　lake　of



black　water　hundreds　of　feet　below　her；　but　she　was　a



brave　little　girl　and　waited　patiently　for　the　return



of　the　Ork。　It　came　even　sooner　than　she　had　expected



and　the　creature　said　to　her：







〃Your　friend　is　safe　in　the　tunnel。　Now；　then；　get



aboard　and　I'll　carry　you　to　him　in　a　jiffy。〃







I'm　sure　not　many　little　girls　would　have　cared　to



take　that　awful　ride　through　the　huge　black　cavern　on



the　back　of　a　skinny　Ork。　Trot　didn't　care　for　it；



herself；　but　it　just　had　to　be　done　and　so　she　did　it



as　courageously　as　possible。　Her　heart　beat　fast　and



she　was　so　nervous　she　could　scarcely　hold　the　candle



in　her　fingers　as　the　Ork　sped　swiftly　through　the



darkness。







It　seemed　like　a　long　ride　to　her；　yet　in　reality　the



Ork　covered　the　distance　in　a　wonderfully　brief　period



of　time　and　soon　Trot　stood　safely　beside　Cap'n　Bill　on



the　level　floor　of　a　big　arched　tunnel。　The　sailor…man



was　very　glad　to　greet　his　little　comrade　again　and



both　were　grateful　to　the　Ork　for　his　assistance。







〃I　dunno　where　this　tunnel　leads　to；〃　remarked　Cap'n



Bill；　〃but　it　surely　looks　more　promisin'　than　that



other　hole　we　crept　through。〃







〃When　the　Ork　is　rested；〃　said　Trot；　〃we'll　travel　on



and　see　what　happens。〃







〃Rested！〃　cried　the　Ork；　as　scornfully　as　his　shrill



voice　would　allow。　〃That　bit　of　flying　didn't　tire　me



at　all。　I'm　used　to　flying　days　at　a　time；　without　ever



once　stopping。〃







〃Then　let's　move　on；〃　proposed　Cap'n　Bill。　He　still



held　in　his　hand　one　lighted　candle；　so　Trot　blew　out



the　other　flame　and　placed　her　candle　in　the　sailor's



big　pocket。　She　knew　it　was　not　wise　to　burn　two



candles　at　once。







The　tunnel　was　straight　and　smooth　and　very　easy　to



walk　through；　so　they　made　good　progress。　Trot　thought



that　the　tunnel　began　about　two　miles　from　the　cavern



where　they　had　been　cast　by　the　whirlpool；　but　now　it



was　impossible　to　guess　the　miles　traveled；　for　they



walked　steadily　for　hours　and　hours　without　any　change



in　their　surroundings。







Finally　Cap'n　Bill　stopped　to　rest。







〃There's　somethin'　queer　about　this　'ere　tunnel；　I'm



certain；〃　he　declared；　wagging　his　head　dolefully。



〃Here's　three　candles　gone　a'ready；　an'　only　three　more



left　us；　yet　the　tunnel's　the　same　as　it　was　when　we



started。　An'　how　long　it's　goin'　to　keep　up；　no　one



knows。〃







〃Couldn't　we　walk　without　a　light？〃　asked　Trot。　〃The



way　seems　safe　enough。〃







〃It　does　right　now；〃　was　the　reply；　〃but　we　can't



tell　when　we　are　likely　to　come　to　another　gulf；　or



somethin'　jes'　as　dangerous。　In　that　case　we'd　be



killed　afore　we　knew　it。〃







〃Suppose　I　go　ahead？〃　suggested　the　Ork。　　〃I　don't



fear　a　fall；　you　know；　and　if　anything　happens　I'll



call　out　and　warn　you。〃







〃That's　a　good　idea；〃　declared　Trot；　and　Cap'n　Bill



thought　so；　too。　So　the　Ork　started　off　ahead；　quite　in



the　dark；　and　hand　in　band　the　two　followed　him。







When　they　had　walked　in　this　way　for　a　good　long　time



the　Ork　halted　and　demanded　food。　Cap'n　Bill　had　not



mentioned　food　because　there　was　so　little　left　　only



three　biscuits　and　a　lump　of　cheese　about　as　big　as　his



two　fingers　　but　he　gave　the　Ork　half　of　a　biscuit；



sighing　as　he　did　so。　The　creature　didn't　care　for　the



cheese；　so　the　sailor　divided　it　between　himself　and



Trot。　They　lighted　a　candle　and　sat　down　in　the　tunnel



while　they　ate。







〃My　feet　hurt　me；〃　grumbled　the　Ork。　　〃I'm　not　used



to　walking　and　this　rocky　passage　is　so　uneven　and



lumpy　that　it　hurts　me　to　walk　upon　it。〃







〃Can't　you　fly　along？〃　asked　Trot。







〃No；　the　roof　is　too　low；〃　said　the　Ork。







After　the　meal　they　resumed　their　journey；　which　Trot



began　to　fear　would　never　end。　When　Cap'n　Bill　noticed



how　tired　the　little　girl　was；　he　paused　and　lighted　a



match　and　looked　at　his　big　silver　watch。







〃Why；　it's　night！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃We've　tramped　all



day；　an'　still　we're　in　this　awful　passage；　which　mebbe



goes　straight　through　the　middle　of　the　world；　an'



mebbe　is　a　circle　　in　which　case　we　can　keep　walkin'



till　doomsday。　Not　knowin'　what's　before　us　so　well　as



we　know　what's　behind　us；　I　propose　we　make　a　stop；



now；　an'　try　to　sleep　till　mornin'。〃







〃That　will　suit　me；〃　asserted　the　Ork；　with　a　groan。



〃My　feet　are　hurting　me　dreadfully　and　for　the　last　few



miles　I've　been　limping　with　pain。〃







〃My　foot　hurts；　too；〃　said　the　sailor；　looking　for　a



smooth　place　on　the　rocky　floor　to　sit　down。







〃Your　foot！〃　cried　the　Ork。　〃why；　you've　only　one　to



hurt　you；　while　I　have　four。　So　I　suffer　four　times　as



much　as　you　possibly　can。　Here；　hold　the　candle　while　I



look　at　the　bottoms　of　my　claws。　I　declare；〃　he　said；



examining　them　by　the　flickering　light；　〃there　are



bunches　of　pain　all　over　them！〃







〃P'r'aps；〃　said　Trot；　who　was　very　glad　to　sit　down



beside　her　companions；　〃you've　got　corns。〃







〃Corns？　Nonsense！　Orks　never　have　corns；〃　protested



the　creature；　rubbing　its　sore　feet　tenderly。







〃Then　mebbe　they're　…　they're　…　What　do　you　call　'em；



Cap'n　Bill？　Something　'bout　the　Pilgrim's　Progress；　you



know。〃







〃Bunions；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill。







〃Oh；　yes；　mebbe　you've　got　bunions。〃







〃It　is　possible；〃　moaned　the　Ork。　　〃But　whatever　they



are；　another　day　of　such　walking　on　them　would　drive　me



crazy。〃







〃I'm　sure　they'll　feel　better　by　mornin'；〃　said　Cap'n



Bill；　encouragingly。　〃Go　to　sleep　an'　try　to　forget



your　sore　feet。〃







The　Ork　cast　a　reproachful　look　at　the　sailor…man；



who　didn't　see　it。　Then　the　creature　asked　plaintively：



〃Do　we　eat　now；　or　do　we　starve？〃







〃There's　only　half　a　biscuit　left　for　you；〃　answered



Cap'n　Bill。　〃No　one　knows　how　long　we'll　have　to　stay



in　this　dark　tunnel；　where　there's　nothing　whatever　to



eat；　so　I　advise　you　to　save　that　morsel　o'　food　till



later。〃







〃Give　it　me　now！〃　demanded　the　Ork。　〃If　I'm　going　to



starve；　I'll　do　it　all　at　once　　not　by　degrees。〃







Cap'n　Bill　produced　the　biscuit　and　the　creature　ate



it　in　a　trice。　Trot　was　rather　hungry　and　whispered　to



Cap'n　Bill　that　she'd　take　part　of　her　share；　but　the



old　man　secretly　broke　his　own　half…biscuit　in　two；



saving　Trot's　share　for　a　time　of　greater　need。







He　was　beginning　to　be　worried　over　the　little　girl's



plight　and　long　after　she　was　asleep　and　the　Ork　was



snoring　in　a　rather　disagreeable　manner；　Cap'n　Bill　sat



with　his　back　to　a　rock　and　smoked　his　pipe　and　tried



to　think　of　some　way　to　escape　from　this　seemingly



endless　tunnel。　But　after　a　time　he　also　slept；　for



hobbling　on　a　wooden　leg　all　day　was　tiresome；　and



there　in　the　dark　slumbered　the　three　adventurers　for



many　hours；　until　the　Ork　roused　itself　and　kicked　the



old　sailor　with　one　foot。







〃It　must　be　another　day；〃　said　he。



















Chapter　Four







Daylight　at　Last











Cap'n　Bill　rubbed　his　eyes；　lit　a　match　and　consulted



his　watch。







〃Nine　o'clock。　　Yes；　I　guess　it's　another　day；　sure



enough。　Shall　we　go　on？〃　he　asked。







〃Of　course；〃　replied　the　Ork。　〃Unless　this　tunnel



is　different　from　everything　else　in　the　world；　and



has　no　end；　we'll　find　a　way　out　of　it　sooner　or　later。〃







The　sailor　gently　wakened　Trot。　She　felt　much　rested



by　her　long　sleep　and　sprang　to　her　feet　eagerly。







〃Let's　start；　Cap'n；〃　was　all　she　said。







They　resumed　the　journey　and　had　only　taken　a



few　steps　when　the　Ork　cried　〃Wow！〃　and　made　a



great　fluttering　of　its　wings　and　whirling　of　its　tail。



The　others；　who　were　following　a　short　distance



behind；　stopped　abruptly。







〃What's　the　matter？〃　asked　Cap'n　Bill。







〃Give　us　a　light；〃　was　the　reply。　〃I　think　we've　come



to　the　end　of　the　tunnel。〃　Then；　while　Cap'n　Bill



lighted　a　candle；　the　creature　added：　〃If　that　is　true；



we　needn't　have　wakened　so　soon；　for　we　were　almost　at



the　end　of　this　place　when　we　went　to　sleep。〃







The　sailor…man　and　Trot　came　forward　with　a　light。　A



wall　of　rock　really　faced　the　tunnel；　but　now　they　saw



that　the　opening　made　a　sharp　turn　to　the　left。　So　they



followed　on；　by　a　narrower　passage；　and　then　made



another　sharp　turn　this　time　to　the　right。







〃Blow　out　the　light；　Cap'n；〃　said　the　Ork；　in　a



pleased　voice。　〃We've　struck　daylight。〃







Daylight　at　last！　A　shaft　of　mellow　light　fell　almost



at　their　feet　as　Trot　and　the　sailor　turned　the　corner



of　the　passage；　but　it　came　from　above；　and　raising



their　eyes