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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," said she, staring at the glowing seaweed fire and speaking slowly,

that we can catch all the fish we need; how 'bout the drinking-water, Cap'n?"

He moved uneasily but did not reply. Both of them were thinking about the

dark hole, but while Trot had little fear of it the old man could not overcome

his dislike to enter the place. He knew that Trot was right, though. To remain

in the cavern, where they now were, could only result in slow but sure death.

It was nighttime up on the earth's surface, so the little girl became drowsy and

soon fell asleep. After a time the old sailor slumbered on the sands beside her.

It was very still and nothing disturbed them for hours. When at last they

awoke the cavern was light again.

They had divided one of the biscuits and were munching it for breakfast when

they were startled by a sudden splash in the pool. Looking toward it they saw

emerging from the water the most curious creature either of them had ever

beheld. It wasn't a fish, Trot decided, nor was it a beast. It had wings, though,

and queer wings they were: shaped like an inverted 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 no feathers whatever except a crest of

wavy plumes of a scarlet color on the very top of its head. The strange

creature must have weighed as much as Cap'n Bill, and as it floundered and

struggled to get out of the water to the sandy beach it was so big and unusual

that both Trot and her companion stared at it in wonder--in wonder that was

not unmixed with fear.

The Scarecrow of Oz