www.freeclassicebooks.com

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. "Here's three candles gone a'ready, an' only three

more left us, yet the tunnel's the same as it was when we started. An' how

long it's goin' to keep up, no one knows."

Couldn't we walk without a light?" asked Trot. "The way seems safe enough."

It does right now," was the reply, "but we can't tell when we are likely to come

to another gulf, or somethin' jes' as dangerous. In that case we'd be killed

afore we knew it."

Suppose I go ahead?" suggested the Ork. "I don't fear a fall, you know, and if

anything happens I'll call out and warn you."

That's a good idea," declared Trot, and Cap'n Bill thought so, too. So the Ork

started off ahead, quite in the dark, and hand in band the two followed him.

When they had walked in this way for a good long time the Ork halted and

demanded food. Cap'n Bill had not mentioned food because there was so little

left--only three biscuits and a lump of cheese about as big as his two fingers--

but he gave the Ork half of a biscuit, sighing as he did so. The creature didn't

care for the cheese, so the sailor divided it between himself and Trot. They

lighted a candle and sat down in the tunnel while they ate.

My feet hurt me," grumbled the Ork. "I'm not used to walking and this rocky

passage is so uneven and lumpy that it hurts me to walk upon it."

"Can't you fly along?" asked Trot.

No; the roof is too low," said the Ork.

After the meal they resumed their journey, which Trot began to fear would

never end. When Cap'n Bill noticed how tired the little girl was, he paused and

lighted a match and looked at his big silver watch.

Why, it's night!" he exclaimed. "We've tramped all day, an' still we're in this

awful passage, which mebbe goes straight through the middle of the world, an'

mebbe is a circle--in which case we can keep walkin' till doomsday. Not

The Scarecrow of Oz