The Scarecrow of Oz | Page 7

night inside it," remarked Cap'n Bill.
Just the same," answered the girl, "we ought to explore it, and see
where it goes, 'cause it's the only poss'ble way we can get out of this
place."
Cap'n Bill eyed the hole doubtfully
"It may be a way out o' here, Trot," he said, "but it may be a way into a
far worse place than this. I'm not sure but our best plan is to stay right
here."
Trot wasn't sure, either, when she thought of it in that light. After
awhile she made her way back to the sands again, and Cap'n Bill
followed her. As they sat down, the child looked thoughtfully at the
sailor's bulging pockets.
"How much food have we got, Cap'n?" she asked.
"Half a dozen ship's biscuits an' a hunk o' cheese," he replied. "Want
some now, Trot?"
She shook her head, saying:
"That ought to keep us alive 'bout three days if we're careful of it."
"Longer'n that, Trot," said Cap'n Bill, but his voice was a little troubled

and unsteady.
"But if we stay here we're bound to starve in time," continued the girl,
"while if we go into the dark hole --"
"Some things are more hard to face than starvation," said the
sailor-man, gravely. "We don't know what's inside that dark hole: Trot,
nor where it might lead us to."
"There's a way to find that out," she persisted.
Instead of replying, Cap'n Bill began searching in his pockets. He soon
drew out a little package of fish- hooks and a long line. Trot watched
him join them together. Then he crept a little way up the slope and
turned over a big rock. Two 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 and cast it nearly
into the center of the water, where he allowed it to sink gradually,
paying out the line as far as it would go. When the end was reached, he
began drawing it in again, until the crab bait was floating on the
surface.
Trot watched him cast the line a second time, and a third. She decided
that either there were no fishes in the pool or they would not bite the
crab bait. But Cap'n Bill was an old fisherman and not easily
discouraged. When the crab got away he put another on the hook.
When the crabs were all gone he climbed up the rocks and found some
more.
Meantime Trot tired of watching him and lay down upon the sands,
where she fell fast asleep. During the next two hours her clothing dried
completely, as did that of the old sailor. They were both so used to salt
water that there was no danger of taking cold.
Finally the little girl was wakened by a splash beside her and a grunt of
satisfaction from Cap'n Bill. She opened her eyes to find that the Cap'n
had landed a silver-scaled fish weighing about two pounds. This

cheered her considerably and she hurried to scrape together a heap of
seaweed, while Cap'n Bill cut up the fish with his jackknife and got it
ready for cooking.
They had cooked fish with seaweed before. Cap'n Bill wrapped his fish
in some of the weed and dipped it in the water to dampen it. Then he
lighted a match and set fire to Trot's heap, which 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 the fire with seaweed for some time, the sailor
finally decided that their supper was ready, so he scattered the ashes
and drew out the bits of fish, still encased in their smoking wrappings.
When these wrappings were removed, the fish was found thoroughly
cooked and both Trot and Cap'n Bill ate of it freely. It had a slight
flavor of seaweed and would have been better with a sprinkling of salt.
The soft glow which until now had lighted the cavern, began to grow
dim, but there was a great quantity of seaweed in the place, so after
they had eaten their fish they kept the fire alive for a time by giving it a
handful of fuel now and then.
From an inner pocket the sailor drew a small flask of battered metal and
unscrewing the cap handed it to Trot. She took but one swallow of the
water although she wanted more, and she noticed that Cap'n Bill merely
wet his lips with it.
"S'pose,"