the scarecrow of oz-第6部分

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



their　eyes　they　found　they　were　at　the　bottom　of　a



deep；　rocky　well；　with　the　top　far；　far　above　their



heads。　And　here　the　passage　ended。







For　a　while　they　gazed　in　silence；　at　least　two　of



them　being　filled　with　dismay　at　the　sight。　But　the　Ork



merely　whistled　softly　and　said　cheerfully：







〃That　was　the　toughest　journey　I　ever　had　the



misfortune　to　undertake；　and　I'm　glad　it's　over。　Yet；



unless　I　can　manage　to　fly　to　the　top　of　this　pit；　we



are　entombed　here　forever。〃







〃Do　you　think　there　is　room　enough　for　you　to　fly



in？〃　asked　the　little　girl　anxiously；　and　Cap'n　Bill



added：







〃It's　a　straight…up　shaft；　so　I　don't　see　how　you'll



ever　manage　it。〃







〃Were　I　an　ordinary　bird　　one　of　those　horrid



feathered　things　　I　wouldn't　even　make　the　attempt　to



fly　out；〃　said　the　Ork。　　〃But　my　mechanical　propeller



tail　can　accomplish　wonders；　and　whenever　you're　ready



I'll　show　you　a　trick　that　is　worth　while。〃







〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Trot；　〃do　you　intend　to　take　us　up；



too？〃







〃Why　not？〃







〃I　thought；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill；　〃as　you'd　go　first；　an'



then　send　somebody　to　help　us　by　lettin'　down　a　rope。〃







〃Ropes　are　dangerous；〃　replied　the　Ork；　〃and　I　might



not　be　able　to　find　one　to　reach　all　this　distance。



Besides；　it　stands　to　reason　that　if　I　can　get　out



myself　I　can　also　carry　you　two　with　me。〃







〃Well；　I'm　not　afraid；〃　said　Trot；　who　longed　to　be



on　the　earth's　surface　again。







〃S'pose　we　fall？〃　suggested　Cap'n　Bill；　doubtfully。







〃Why；　in　that　case　we　would　all　fall　together；〃



returned　the　Ork。　〃Get　aboard；　little　girl；　sit　across



my　shoulders　and　put　both　your　arms　around　my　neck。〃







Trot　obeyed　and　when　she　was　seated　on　the　Ork；



Cap'n　Bill　inquired：







〃How　'bout　me；　Mr。　Ork？〃







〃Why；　I　think　you'd　best　grab　hold　of　my　rear



legs　and　let　me　carry　you　up　in　that　manner；〃　was



the　reply。







Cap'n　Bill　looked　way　up　at　the　top　of　the　well；　and



then　he　looked　at　the　Ork's　slender；　skinny　legs　and



heaved　a　deep　sigh。







〃It's　goin'　to　be　some　dangle；　I　guess；　but　if　you



don't　waste　too　much　time　on　the　way　up；　I　may　be　able



to　hang　on；〃　said　he。







〃All　ready；　then！〃　cried　the　Ork；　and　at　once　his



whirling　tail　began　to　revolve。　Trot　felt　herself



rising　into　the　air；　when　the　creature's　legs　left　the



ground　Cap'n　Bill　grasped　two　of　them　firmly　and　held



on　for　dear　life。　　The　Ork's　body　was　tipped　straight



upward；　and　Trot　had　to　embrace　the　neck　very　tightly



to　keep　from　sliding　off。　Even　in　this　position　the　Ork



had　trouble　in　escaping　the　rough　sides　of　the　well。



Several　times　it　exclaimed　〃Wow！〃　as　it　bumped　its



back；　or　a　wing　hit　against　some　jagged　projection；　but



the　tail　kept　whirling　with　remarkable　swiftness　and



the　daylight　grew　brighter　and　brighter。　It　was；



indeed；　a　long　journey　from　the　bottom　to　the　top；　yet



almost　before　Trot　realized　they　had　come　so　far；　they



popped　out　of　the　hole　into　the　clear　air　and　sunshine



and　a　moment　later　the　Ork　alighted　gently　upon　the



ground。







The　release　was　so　sudden　that　even　with　the



creature's　care　for　its　passengers　Cap'n　Bill　struck



the　earth　with　a　shock　that　sent　him　rolling　heel　over



head；　but　by　the　time　Trot　had　slid　down　from　her　seat



the　old　sailor…man　was　sitting　up　and　looking　around



him　with　much　satisfaction。







〃It's　sort　o'　pretty　here；〃　said　he。







〃Earth　is　a　beautiful　place！〃　cried　Trot。







〃I　wonder　where　on　earth　we　are？〃　pondered　the　Ork；



turning　first　one　bright　eye　and　then　the　other　to　this



side　and　that。　Trees　there　were；　in　plenty；　and　shrubs



and　flowers　and　green　turf。　But　there　were　no　houses；



there　were　no　paths；　there　was　no　sign　of　civilization



whatever。







〃Just　before　I　settled　down　on　the　ground　I　thought　I



caught　a　view　of　the　ocean；〃　said　the　Ork。　〃Let's　see



if　I　was　right。〃　Then　he　flew　to　a　little　hill；　near



by；　and　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill　followed　him　more　slowly。



When　they　stood　on　the　top　of　the　hill　they　could　see



the　blue　waves　of　the　ocean　in　front　of　them；　to　the



right　of　them；　and　at　the　left　of　them。　Behind　the



hill　was　a　forest　that　shut　out　the　view。







〃I　hope　it　ain't　an　island；　Trot；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill



gravely。







〃If　it　is；　I　s'pose　we're　prisoners；〃　she　replied。







〃Ezzackly　so；　Trot。〃







〃But；　'even　so；　it's　better　than　those　terr'ble



underground　tunnels　and　caverns；〃　declared　the　girl。









〃You　are　right；　little　one；〃　agreed　the　Ork。



〃Anything　above　ground　is　better　than　the　best　that



lies　under　ground。　So　let's　not　quarrel　with　our　fate



but　be　thankful　we've　escaped。〃







〃We　are；　indeed！〃　she　replied。　〃But　I　wonder　if



we　can　find　something　to　eat　in　this　place？〃







〃Let's　explore　an'　find　out；〃　proposed　Cap'n　Bill。



〃Those　trees　over　at　the　left　look　like　cherry…trees。〃







On　the　way　to　them　the　explorers　had　to　walk



through　a　tangle　of　vines　and　Cap'n　Bill；　who　went



first；　stumbled　and　pitched　forward　on　his　face。







〃Why；　it's　a　melon！〃　cried　Trot　delightedly；　as



she　saw　what　had　caused　the　sailor　to　fall。







Cap'n　Bill　rose　to　his　foot；　for　he　was　not　at　all



hurt；　and　examined　the　melon。　Then　he　took　his　big



jackknife　from　his　pocket　and　cut　the　melon　open。　It



was　quite　ripe　and　looked　delicious；　but　the　old　man



tasted　it　before　he　permitted　Trot　to　eat　any。　Deciding



it　was　good　he　gave　her　a　big　slice　and　then　offered



the　Ork　some。　The　creature　looked　at　the　fruit　somewhat



disdainfully；　at　first；　but　once　he　had　tasted　its



flavor　he　ate　of　it　as　heartily　as　did　the　others。



Among　the　vines　they　discovered　many　other　melons；　and



Trot　said　gratefully：　〃Well；　there's　no　danger　of　our



starving；　even　if　this　is　an　island。〃







〃Melons；〃　remarked　Cap'n　Bill；　〃are　both　food　an'



water。　We　couldn't　have　struck　anything　better。〃







Farther　on　they　came　to　the　cherry　trees；　where　they



obtained　some　of　the　fruit；　and　at　the　edge　of　the



little　forest　were　wild　plums。　The　forest　itself



consisted　entirely　of　nut　trees　　walnuts；　filberts；



almonds　and　chestnuts　　so　there　would　be　plenty　of



wholesome　food　for　them　while　they　remained　there。







Cap'n　Bill　and　Trot　decided　to　walk　through　the



forest；　to　discover　what　was　on　the　other　side　of　it；



but　the　Ork's　feet　were　still　so　sore　and　〃lumpy〃　from



walking　on　the　rocks　that　the　creature　said　he



preferred　to　fly　over　the　tree…tops　and　meet　them　on



the　other　side。　The　forest　was　not　large；　so　by　walking



briskly　for　fifteen　minutes　they　reached　its　farthest



edge　and　saw　before　them　the　shore　of　the　ocean。







〃It's　an　island；　all　right；〃　said　Trot；　with　a　sigh。







〃Yes；　and　a　pretty　island；　too；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill；



trying　to　conceal　his　disappointment　on　Trot's　account。



〃I　guess；　partner；　if　the　wuss　comes　to　the　wuss；　I



could　build　a　raft　　or　even　a　boat　　from　those



trees；　so's　we　could　sail　away　in　it。〃







The　little　girl　brightened　at　this　suggestion。



〃I　don't　see　the　Ork　anywhere；〃　she　remarked；　looking



around。　Then　her　eyes　lighted　upon　something　and　she



exclaimed：　〃Oh；　Cap'n　Bill！　Isn't　that　a　house；　over



there　to　the　left？〃







Cap'n　Bill；　looking　closely；　saw　a　shed…like　structure



built　at　one　edge　of　the　forest。







〃Seems　like　it；　Trot。　Not　that　I'd　call　it　much　of　a



house；　but　it's　a　buildin'；　all　right。　Let's　go　over



an'　see　if　it's　occypied。〃



















Chapter　Five







The　Little　Old　Man　of　the　Island











A　few　steps　brought　them　to　the　shed；　which　was　merely



a　roof　of　boughs　built　over　a　square　space；　with　some



branches　of　trees　fastened　to　the　sides　to　keep　off　the



wind。　The　front　was　quite　open　and　faced　the　sea；　and　as



our　friends　came　nearer　they　observed　a　little　man；　with



a　long　pointed　beard；　sitting　motionless　on　a　stool　and



staring　thoughtfully　out　over　the　water。







〃Get　out　of　the　way；　please；〃　he　called　in　a　fretful



voice。　〃Can't　you　see　you　are　obstructing　my　view？〃







〃Good　morning；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill；　politely。







〃It　isn't　a　good　morning！〃　snapped　the　little　man。



〃I've　seen　plenty　of　mornings　better　than　this。　　Do



you　call　it　a　good　morning　when　I'm　pestered　with



such　a　crowd　as　you？〃







Trot　was　astonished　to　hear　such　words　from　a



stranger　whom　they　had　greeted　quite　properly；　and



Cap'n　Bill　grew　red　at　the　little　man's　rudeness。　But



the　sailor　said；　in　a　quiet　tone　of　voice：







〃Are　you　the　only　one　as　lives　on　this　'ere　island？〃







〃Your　grammar's　bad；〃　was　the　reply。　〃But　this　is　my



own　exclusive　island；　and　I'll　thank　you　to　get　off　it　as



soon　as　possible。〃







〃We'd　like　to　do　that；〃　said　Trot；　and　then　she　and



Cap'n　Bill　turned　away　and　walked　down　to　the　shore；　to



see　if　any　other　land　was　in　sight。







The　little　man　rose　and　followed　them；　although　both



were　now　too　provoked　to　pay　any　attention　to　him。







Nothin'　in　sight；　partner；〃　reported　Cap'n　Bill；



shading　his　eyes　with　his　hand；　〃so　we'll　have　to



stay　here　for　a　time；　anyhow。　It　isn't　a　bad　place；



Trot；　by　any　means。〃