The Scarecrow of Oz

rn Under

th the motion, when suddenly the boat made a leap and dived headlong into the murky depths of the hole. Whirling like tops, but still clingin

er, 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 Bil

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

emed 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 l

ing adventure under water. At her side Cap'n Bill was sputtering and coughing, trying to get rid of the water he had swallowed. B

opped the face of Cap'n Bill and cleared the water from his eyes and ears. Presently the old man sat

y Jones's locker that time, did we? Though why we di

ied. "We're safe enough, I gues

f his wooden leg and arms and head, and finding he had brought all of his

we are, Trot?" h

n. P'r'aps in on

the distance we went down; an' you'll notice there ain't any outside entrance to this cavern whatever. It's a re

oughtfully ove

"we will crawl up there and s

s were in a tight tin box, so in a few moments the old sailor was smoking contentedly. Trot knew it helped him to think when he was in any difficulty. Also,

she began to feel much like her old self again. By and by they got upon their feet and crept up the incline to the scattered boulders abov

with interest, "he

night inside it," r

explore it, and see where it goes, 'cause it's th

eyed the ho

it may be a way into a far worse place than this. I

she made her way back to the sands again, and Cap'n Bill followed her. As t

have we got, Ca

an' a hunk o' cheese," he re

her head

alive 'bout three days

ap'n Bill, but his voice was

starve in time," continued the girl,

id the sailor-man, gravely. "We don't know what's insid

o find that out,

wo or three small crabs began scurrying away over the sands and the old sailor caught them and put one on his hook and the others in his pocket. Coming back to the pool he swung the hook over his shoulder and circled it around his head

l or they would not bite the crab bait. But Cap'n Bill was an old fisherman and not easily discouraged. When the c

sleep. During the next two hours her clothing dried completely, as did that of the old

to find that the Cap'n had landed a silver-scaled fish weighing about two pounds. This cheered her considerably and she hu

speedily burned down to a glowing bed of ashes. Then they laid the wrapped fish on the ashes, covered it with more seaweed, and allowed this to catch fire and burn to embers. After feeding t

ked and both Trot and Cap'n Bill ate of it freely. It had a slight f

e was a great quantity of seaweed in the place, so after they had eaten their fis

ewing the cap handed it to Trot. She took but one swallow of the water althoug

fire and speaking slowly, "that we can catch all th

little fear of it the old man could not overcome his dislike to enter the place. He knew that Trot was

l asleep. After a time the old sailor slumbered on the sands beside her. It was very stil

chopping-bowl and covered with tough skin instead of feathers. It had four legs-much like the legs of a stork, only double the number-and its head was shaped a good deal like that of a poll parrot, with a beak that curved downward in front and upward at the edges, and was half bill and half mouth. But to call it a bird was out of the question, because it had