the scarecrow of oz-第6节

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〃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　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　plen