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"
You can carry us now, all right," said he.
The birds strutted around with pride, highly pleased with their immense size.
"
I don't see, though," said Trot doubtfully, "how we're going to ride on their
backs without falling off."
"
We're not going to ride on their backs," answered Cap'n Bill. "I'm going to
make swings for us to ride in."
He then asked the Bumpy Man for some rope, but the man had no rope. He
had, however, an old suit of gray clothes which he gladly presented to Cap'n
Bill, who cut the cloth into strips and twisted it so that it was almost as strong
as rope. With this material he attached to each bird a swing that dangled
below its feet, and Button-Bright made a trial flight in one of them to prove
that it was safe and comfortable. When all this had been arranged one of the
birds asked:
"
"
Where do you wish us to take you?"
Why, just follow the Ork," said Cap'n Bill. "He will be our leader, and
wherever the Ork flies you are to fly, and wherever the Ork lands you are to
land. Is that satisfactory?"
The birds declared it was quite satisfactory, so Cap'n Bill took counsel with
the Ork.
"
On our way here," said that peculiar creature, "I noticed a broad, sandy
desert at the left of me, on which was no living thing."
"
"
Then we'd better keep away from it," replied the sailor.
Not so," insisted the Ork. "I have found, on my travels, that the most pleasant
countries often lie in the midst of deserts; so I think it would be wise for us to
fly over this desert and discover what lies beyond it. For in the direction we
came from lies the ocean, as we well know, and beyond here is this strange
Land of Mo, which we do not care to explore. On one side, as we can see from
this mountain, is a broad expanse of plain, and on the other the desert. For
my part, I vote for the desert."
"
"
What do you say, Trot?" inquired Cap'n Bill.
It's all the same to me," she replied.
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