登陆注册
5147900000005

第5章

"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," 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.

同类推荐
  • 金针诗格

    金针诗格

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 书法辑要

    书法辑要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 高上太霄琅书琼文帝章经

    高上太霄琅书琼文帝章经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 洞玄灵宝自然九天生神章经

    洞玄灵宝自然九天生神章经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Dark Night's Work

    A Dark Night's Work

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 一个人的故乡

    一个人的故乡

    散文集《一个人的故乡》不仅为我们讲述了一系列关于故乡的话题,贯穿着作者全部的故乡情结和人生际遇,还让我们领略了关于故乡那份悠远的情感、那份炽热的情怀、那份纯情的寄托。
  • John Halifax

    John Halifax

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 魔君的宠后武则挪

    魔君的宠后武则挪

    她是武则大帝得宠的小女儿,可是活了100多岁,还只能在地上挪动他是六界令人闻风丧胆的魔君,却身染怪癖不能人事一千年中,他们第一次相见。他手握魔剑,她手提拨浪鼓,“哥哥,你好美。”结果她被他一掌挥出,掉了两颗门牙。三千年后,他们再次相逢。她惊艳了他的眼,“做我的皇后!”这次轮到她小手一挥,却没让他伏地不起。被拐十年后,他兽性大发要诛仙灭人只为换她回头。她剃仙骨入轮回只为不复遇见他轮回路长,做人为兽他统统照收不误。“女人,纵使你像毛毛虫挪动千年,也须在我身边。”“挪动作甚?魔君矫情了。”…
  • 重生影后:虐死渣总裁

    重生影后:虐死渣总裁

    程晴之喜欢了殷墨十年,从十六岁到二十六岁,所有的青春年华都给了他,原以为能和金主修成正果,可白月光只要一通电话就能从她身边将这个男人夺走,这十年不过是一场惊天笑话。而她却还要为此赔上性命。
  • 穿越末世:第一女配

    穿越末世:第一女配

    游戏大神夏悠光竟然被游戏玩死,惨死之后才知道自己原来只是个是炮灰。好不容易和世界意识——未央做了交易得以重生,她发誓再也不要当配角!穿越到了末世发生的六年前。游戏里的技能和空间她全都有!因为她可是要成为站在女主背后的女人!夏悠光:等等,似乎哪里不对啊?未央:没不对,因为你,还是炮灰女配!辅助女主方是王道!什么?夏悠光的内心是崩溃的,说好的女主女配撕X到老呢,为什么不按常理出牌!为了不被炮灰,还是紧紧抱紧女主大腿吧骚年!
  • 请以爱渡平生

    请以爱渡平生

    初见南霆,他芝兰玉树,校服加身。我仰着头,将他奉为一生的神。只是这一生还没过完,我便差点死在了他手里。
  • 暴富

    暴富

    主人公“木棍”是一家停产国企的留守人员,因收入微薄而承受着方方面面的压力。终于,为生活所迫,他选择离开了单位,下海到了私企。原本想私企人际关系简单,没想到却是潭小水深,让他在其中深陷矛盾旋涡。
  • 家诫要言

    家诫要言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 长发公主

    长发公主

    当受害者变成施暴者,如何停止血腥的循环?《长发公主》是“玫瑰红”超级神探凯茜·露丝系列作品,开辟了英国罪案侦察小说的新方向。
  • 松下幸之助创业之道

    松下幸之助创业之道

    《松下幸之助创业之道》介绍了松下不断奋斗的成功历程,它向我们展示了一个成功企业家的风采。他非凡的经营才能和卓越的经营艺术令每一个企业家为之神往。欲成就一番真正惊天动地的大事业,必然九波十折,千辛万苦,这是千古不易的铁则。成功的甘霖,是由艰苦奋斗的汗水酿成。也唯其如此,成功的愉悦才是世界之最。