CHAPTER 4
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 goon?' he asked.
"Of course," replied the Ork. "Unless this tunnel is different fromeverything else in the world, and has no end, we'll find a way out of itsooner or later."
The sailor gently wakened Trot. She felt much rested by her long sleepand 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 Orkcried "Wow!" and made a great fluttering of its wings and whirling ofits tail. The others, who were following a short distance behind, stoppedabruptly.
"What's the matter?" asked Cap'n Bill.
"Give us a light," was the reply. "I think we've come to the end of thetunnel." Then, while Cap'n Bill lighted a candle, the creature added: "Ifthat is true, we needn't have wakened so soon, for we were almost at theend of this place when we went to sleep."
The sailor-man and Trot came forward with a light. A wall of rock reallyfaced the tunnel, but now they saw that the opening made a sharp turnto the left. So they followed on, by a narrower passage, and then madeanother sharp turn--this time to the right.
"Blow out the light, Cap'n," said the Ork, in a pleased voice. "We'vestruck daylight."
Daylight at last! A shaft of mellow light fell almost at their feet asTrot and the sailor turned the corner of the passage, but it came fromabove, and raising their eyes they found they were at the bottom of adeep, rocky well, with the top far, far above their heads. And here thepassage ended.
For a while they gazed in silence, at least two of them being filledwith dismay at the sight. But the Ork merely whistled softly and saidcheerfully:
"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 ofthis pit, we are entombed here forever."
"Do you think there is room enough for you to fly in?" asked the littlegirl 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--Iwouldn't even make the attempt to fly out," said the Ork. "But mymechanical propeller tail can accomplish wonders, and whenever you'reready 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 somebodyto help us by lettin' down a rope."
"Ropes are dangerous," replied the Ork, "and I might not be able to findone to reach all this distance. Besides, it stands to reason that if Ican 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'ssurface again.
"S'pose we fall?'' suggested Cap'n Bill, doubtfully.
"Why, in that case we would all fall together," returned the Ork. "Getaboard, little girl; sit across my shoulders and put both your armsaround 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 youup in that manner," was the reply.
Cap'n Bill looked way up at the top of the well, and then he looked atthe 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 muchtime 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 beganto revolve. Trot felt herself rising into the air; when the creature'slegs left the ground Cap'n Bill grasped two of them firmly and heldon for dear life. The Ork's body was tipped straight upward, and Trothad to embrace the neck very tightly to keep from sliding off. Even inthis position the Ork had trouble in escaping the rough sides of thewell. Several times it exclaimed "Wow!" as it bumped its back, or a winghit against some jagged projection; but the tail kept whirling withremarkable swiftness and the daylight grew brighter and brighter. It was,indeed, a long journey from the bottom to the top, yet almost before Trotrealized they had come so far, they popped out of the hole into the clearair and sunshine and a moment later the Ork alighted gently upon theground.
The release was so sudden that even with the creature's care for itspassengers Cap'n Bill struck the earth with a shock that sent him rollingheel over head; but by the time Trot had slid down from her seat the oldsailor-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 onebright eye and then the other to this side and that. Trees there were, inplenty, 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 ofthe ocean," said the Ork. "Let's see if I was right." Then he flew to alittle 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 ofthe ocean in front of them, to the right of them, and at the left ofthem. 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 andcaverns," declared the girl.
"You are right, little one," agreed the Ork. "Anything above ground isbetter than the best that lies under ground. So let's not quarrel withour fate but be thankful we've escaped."
"We are, indeed!" she replied. "But I wonder if we can find something toeat in this place?"
"Let's explore an' find out," proposed Cap'n Bill. "Those trees over atthe left look like cherry-trees."
On the way to them the explorers had to walk through a tangle of vinesand 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 causedthe sailor to fall.
Cap'n Bill rose to his foot, for he was not at all hurt, and examined themelon. Then he took his big jackknife from his pocket and cut the melonopen. It was quite ripe and looked delicious; but the old man tastedit before he permitted Trot to eat any. Deciding it was good he gaveher a big slice and then offered the Ork some. The creature looked atthe fruit somewhat disdainfully, at first, but once he had tasted itsflavor he ate of it as heartily as did the others. Among the vines theydiscovered many other melons, and Trot said gratefully: "Well, there's nodanger of our starving, even if this _is_ an island."
"Melons," remarked Cap'n Bill, "are both food an' water. We couldn't havestruck anything better."
Farther on they came to the cherry-trees, where they obtained some of thefruit, and at the edge of the little forest were wild plums. The forestitself consisted entirely of nut trees--walnuts, filberts, almonds andchestnuts--so there would be plenty of wholesome food for them while theyremained there.
Cap'n Bill and Trot decided to walk through the forest, to discover whatwas 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 tofly over the tree-tops and meet them on the other side. The forest wasnot large, so by walking briskly for fifteen minutes they reached itsfarthest 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 hisdisappointment on Trot's account. "I guess, partner, if the wuss comes tothe wuss, I could build a raft--or even a boat--from those trees, so'swe could sail away in it."
The little girl brightened at this suggestio
n.
"I don't see the Ork anywhere," she remarked, looking around. Then hereyes lighted upon something and she exclaimed: "Oh, Cap'n Bill! Isn'tthat a house, over there to the left?"
Cap'n Bill, looking closely, saw a shed-like structure built at one edgeof the forest.
"Seems like it, Trot. Not that I'd call it much of a house, but it's abuildin', all right. Let's go over an' see if it's occypied."
The Scarecrow of Oz Page 6
