The Scarecrow of Oz | Page 9

I entreat you to give me a share of it. The truth is,
I'm half starved."
With these words the Ork squatted down beside them. Very reluctantly
Cap'n Bill drew another biscuit from his pocket and held it out. The
Ork promptly seized it in one of its front claws and began to nibble the
biscuit in much the same manner a parrot might have done.
"We haven't much grub," said the sailor-man, "but we're willin' to share
it with a comrade in distress."
"That's right," returned the Ork, cocking its head sidewise in a cheerful
manner, and then for a few minutes there was silence while they all ate
of the biscuits. After a while Trot said:
"I've never seen or heard of an Ork before. Are there many of you?"
"We are rather few and exclusive, I believe," was the reply. "In the
country where I was born we are the absolute rulers of all living things,
from ants to elephants."
"What country is that?" asked Cap'n Bill.
"Orkland."
"Where does it lie?"
"I don't know, exactly. You see, I have a restless nature, for some
reason, while all the rest of my race are quiet and contented Orks and
seldom stray far from home. From childhood days I loved to fly long
distances away, although father often warned me that I would get into
trouble by so doing.
"'It's a big world, Flipper, my son,' he would say, 'and I've heard that in
parts of it live queer two- legged creatures called Men, who war upon
all other living things and would have little respect for even an Ork.'
"This naturally aroused my curiosity and after I had completed my
education and left school I decided to fly out into the world and try to

get a glimpse of the creatures called Men. So I left home without
saying good-bye, an act I shall always regret. Adventures were many, I
found. I sighted men several times, but have never before been so close
to them as now. Also I had to fight my way through the air, for I met
gigantic birds, with fluffy feathers all over them, which attacked me
fiercely. Besides, it kept me busy escaping from floating airships. In
my rambling I had lost all track of distance or direction, so that when I
wanted to go home I had no idea where my country was located. I've
now been trying to find it for several months and it was during one of
my flights over the ocean that I met the whirlpool and became its
victim."
Trot and Cap'n Bill listened to this recital with much interest, and from
the friendly tone and harmless appearance of the Ork they judged he
was not likely to prove so disagreeable a companion as at first they had
feared he might be.
The Ork sat upon its haunches much as a cat does, but used the
finger-like claws of its front legs almost as cleverly as if they were
hands. Perhaps the most curious thing about the creature was its tail, or
what ought to have been its tail. This queer arrangement of skin, bones
and muscle was shaped like the propellers used on boats and airships,
having fan-like surfaces and being pivoted to its body. Cap'n Bill knew
something of mechanics, and observing the propeller- like tail of the
Ork he said:
"I s'pose you're a pretty swift flyer?"
"Yes, indeed; the Orks are admitted to be Kings of the Air."
"Your wings don't seem to amount to much," remarked Trot.
"Well, they are not very big," admitted the Ork, waving the four hollow
skins gently to and fro, "but they serve to support my body in the air
while I speed along by means of my tail. Still, taken altogether, I'm
very handsomely formed, don't you think?"
Trot did not like to reply, but Cap'n Bill nodded gravely. "For an Ork,"

said he, "you're a wonder. I've never seen one afore, but I can imagine
you're as good as any."
That seemed to please the creature and it began walking around the
cavern, making its way easily up the slope. while it was gone, Trot and
Cap'n Bill each took another sip from the water-flask, to wash down
their breakfast.
"Why, here's a hole -- an exit -- an outlet!" exclaimed the Ork from
above.
"We know," said Trot. "We found it last night."
"Well, then, let's be off," continued the Ork, after sticking its head into
the black hole and sniffing once or twice. "The air seems fresh and
sweet, and it can't lead us to any worse place than this."
The girl and the sailor-man got up and climbed to the side of the Ork.
"We'd about decided to explore this hole before you