第8章

"Yes, indeed; I'm strong enough to carry a dozen of you, if you could find a place to sit," was the reply;"but there's only room between my wings for one at a time, so I'll have to make two trips.""All right; I'll go first," decided Cap'n Bill.

He lit another candle for Trot to hold while they were gone and to light the Ork on his return to her, 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.