the scarecrow of oz-第2章

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not　wishing　to　disappoint　her。　　〃It's　only　a　little　way



out；　an'　we'll　be　on　the　watch；　so　come　along；　Trot。〃







Together　they　descended　the　winding　path　to　the



beach。　It　was　no　trouble　for　the　girl　to　keep　her



footing　on　the　steep　way；　but　Cap'n　Bill；　because　of



his　wooden　leg；　had　to　hold　on　to　rocks　and　roots　now



and　then　to　save　himself　from　tumbling。　On　a　level　path



he　was　as　spry　as　anyone；　but　to　climb　up　hill　or　down



required　some　care。







They　reached　the　boat　safely　and　while　Trot　was



untying　the　rope　Cap'n　Bill　reached　into　a　crevice　of



the　rock　and　drew　out　several　tallow　candles　and　a　box



of　wax　matches；　which　he　thrust　into　the　capacious



pockets　of　his　〃sou'wester。〃　　This　sou'wester　was　a



short　coat　of　oilskin　which　the　old　sailor　wore　on　all



occasions　　when　he　wore　a　coat　at　all　　and　the



pockets　always　contained　a　variety　of　objects；　useful



and　ornamental；　which　made　even　Trot　wonder　where　they



all　came　from　and　why　Cap'n　Bill　should　treasure　them。



The　jackknives　　a　big　one　and　a　little　one　　the　bits



of　cord；　the　fishhooks；　the　nails：　these　were　handy　to



have　on　certain　occasions。　But　bits　of　shell；　and　tin



boxes　with　unknown　contents；　buttons；　pincers；　bottles



of　curious　stones　and　the　like；　seemed　quite



unnecessary　to　carry　around。　That　was　Cap'n　Bill's



business；　however；　and　now　that　he　added　the　candles



and　the　matches　to　his　collection　Trot　made　no　comment；



for　she　knew　these　last　were　to　light　their　way　through



the　caves。　The　sailor　always　rowed　the　boat；　for　he



handled　the　oars　with　strength　and　skill。　Trot　sat　in



the　stern　and　steered。　The　place　where　they　embarked



was　a　little　bight　or　circular　bay；　and　the　boat　cut



across　a　much　larger　bay　toward　a　distant　headland



where　the　caves　were　located；　right　at　the　water's



edge。　They　were　nearly　a　mile　from　shore　and　about



halfway　across　the　bay　when　Trot　suddenly　sat　up



straight　and　exclaimed：　〃What's　that；　Cap'n？〃







He　stopped　rowing　and　turned　half　around　to　look。







〃That；　Trot；〃　he　slowly　replied；　〃looks　to　me　mighty



like　a　whirlpool。〃







〃What　makes　it；　Cap'n？〃







〃A　whirl　in　the　air　makes　the　whirl　in　the　water。　I



was　afraid　as　we'd　meet　with　trouble；　Trot。　Things



didn't　look　right。　The　air　was　too　still。〃







〃It's　coming　closer；〃　said　the　girl。







The　old　man　grabbed　the　oars　and　began　rowing　with



all　his　strength。







〃'Tain't　comin'　closer　to　us；　Trot；〃　he　gasped；　〃it's



we　that　are　comin'　closer　to　the　whirlpool。　The　thing



is　drawin'　us　to　it　like　a　magnet！〃







Trot's　sun…bronzed　face　was　a　little　paler　as　she



grasped　the　tiller　firmly　and　tried　to　steer　the　boat



away；　but　she　said　not　a　word　to　indicate　fear。







The　swirl　of　the　water　as　they　came　nearer　made　a



roaring　sound　that　was　fearful　to　listen　to。　So　fierce



and　powerful　was　the　whirlpool　that　it　drew　the　surface



of　the　sea　into　the　form　of　a　great　basin；　slanting



downward　toward　the　center；　where　a　big　hole　had　been



made　in　the　ocean　　a　hole　with　walls　of　water　that



were　kept　in　place　by　the　rapid　whirling　of　the　air。







The　boat　in　which　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill　were　riding　was



just　on　the　outer　edge　of　this　saucer…like　slant；　and



the　old　sailor　knew　very　well　that　unless　he　could



quickly　force　the　little　craft　away　from　the　rushing



current　they　would　soon　be　drawn　into　the　great　black



hole　that　yawned　in　the　middle。　So　he　exerted　all　his



might　and　pulled　as　he　had　never　pulled　before。　He



pulled　so　hard　that　the　left　oar　snapped　in　two　and



sent　Cap'n　Bill　sprawling　upon　the　bottom　of　the　boat。







He　scrambled　up　quickly　enough　and　glanced　over　the



side。　Then　he　looked　at　Trot；　who　sat　quite　still；　with



a　serious；　far…away　look　in　her　sweet　eyes。　The　boat



was　now　speeding　swiftly　of　its　own　accord；　following



the　line　of　the　circular　basin　round　and　round　and



gradually　drawing　nearer　to　the　great　hole　in　the



center。　Any　further　effort　to　escape　the　whirlpool　was



useless；　and　realizing　this　fact　Cap'n　Bill　turned



toward　Trot　and　put　an　arm　around　her；　as　if　to　shield



her　from　the　awful　fate　before　them。　　He　did　not　try　to



speak；　because　the　roar　of　the　waters　would　have



drowned　the　sound　of　his　voice。







These　two　faithful　comrades　had　faced　dangers　before；



but　nothing　to　equal　that　which　now　faced　them。　Yet



Cap'n　Bill；　noting　the　look　in　Trot's　eyes　and



remembering　how　often　she　had　been　protected　by　unseen



powers；　did　not　quite　give　way　to　despair。







The　great　hole　in　the　dark　water　　now　growing



nearer　and　nearer　　looked　very　terrifying；　but　they



were　both　brave　enough　to　face　it　and　await　the　result



of　the　adventure。



















Chapter　Two







The　Cavern　Under　the　Sea















The　circles　were　so　much　smaller　at　the　bottom　of　the



basin；　and　the　boat　moved　so　much　more　swiftly；　that



Trot　was　beginning　to　get　dizzy　with　the　motion；　when



suddenly　the　boat　made　a　leap　and　dived　headlong　into



the　murky　depths　of　the　hole。　Whirling　like　tops；　but



still　clinging　together；　the　sailor　and　the　girl　were



separated　from　their　boat　and　plunged　down　　down　



down　　into　the　farthermost　recesses　of　the　great



ocean。







At　first　their　fall　was　swift　as　an　arrow；　but



presently　they　seemed　to　be　going　more　moderately　and



Trot　was　almost　sure　that　unseen　arms　were　about　her；



supporting　her　and　protecting　her。　She　could　see



nothing；　because　the　water　filled　her　eyes　and　blurred



her　vision；　but　she　clung　fast　to　Cap'n　Bill's



sou'wester；　while　other　arms　clung　fast　to　her；　and　so



they　gradually　sank　down　and　down　until　a　full　stop　was



made；　when　they　began　to　ascend　again。







But　it　seemed　to　Trot　that　they　were　not　rising



straight　to　the　surface　from　where　they　had　come。　The



water　was　no　longer　whirling　them　and　they　seemed　to　be



drawn　in　a　slanting　direction　through　still；　cool　ocean



depths。　And　then　　in　much　quicker　time　than　I　have



told　it　　up　they　popped　to　the　surface　and　were　cast



at　full　length　upon　a　sandy　beach；　where　they　lay



choking　and　gasping　for　breath　and　wondering　what　had



happened　to　them。







Trot　was　the　first　to　recover。　Disengaging　herself



from　Cap'n　Bill's　wet　embrace　and　sitting　up；　she



rubbed　the　water　from　her　eyes　and　then　looked　around



her。　　A　soft；　bluish…green　glow　lighted　the　place；



which　seemed　to　be　a　sort　of　cavern；　for　above　and　on



either　side　of　her　were　rugged　rocks。　They　had　been



cast　upon　a　beach　of　clear　sand；　which　slanted　upward



from　the　pool　of　water　at　their　feet　　a　pool　which



doubtless　led　into　the　big　ocean　that　fed　it。　Above　the



reach　of　the　waves　of　the　pool　were　more　rocks；　and



still　more　and　more；　into　the　dim　windings　and　recesses



of　which　the　glowing　light　from　the　water　did　not



penetrate。







The　place　looked　grim　and　lonely；　but　Trot　was



thankful　that　she　was　still　alive　and　had　suffered　no



severe　injury　during　her　trying　adventure　under　water。



At　her　side　Cap'n　Bill　was　sputtering　and　coughing；



trying　to　get　rid　of　the　water　he　had　swallowed。　Both



of　them　were　soaked　through；　yet　the　cavern　was　warm



and　comfortable　and　a　wetting　did　not　dismay　the　little



girl　in　the　least。







She　crawled　up　the　slant　of　sand　and　gathered　in　her



hand　a　bunch　of　dried　seaweed；　with　which　she　mopped



the　face　of　Cap'n　Bill　and　cleared　the　water　from　his



eyes　and　ears。　Pre