Cap'n Bill]
CHAPTER 1
The Great Whirlpool
"Seems to me," said Cap'n Bill, as he sat beside Trot under the bigacacia tree, looking out over the blue ocean, "seems to me, Trot, as howthe more we know, the more we find we don't know."
"I can't quite make that out, Cap'n Bill," answered the little girl in aserious voice, after a moment's thought, during which her eyes followedthose of the old sailor-man across the glassy surface of the sea. "Seemsto me that all we learn is jus' so much gained."
"I know; it looks that way at first sight," said the sailor, nodding hishead; "but those as knows the least have a habit of thinkin' they knowall there is to know, while them as knows the most admits what a turr'blebig world this is. It's the knowing ones that realize one lifetime ain'tlong enough to git more'n a few dips o' the oars of knowledge."
Trot didn't answer. She was a very little girl, with big, solemn eyes andan earnest, simple manner. Cap'n Bill had been her faithful companion foryears and had taught her almost everything she knew.
He was a wonderful man, this Cap'n Bill. Not so very old, although hishair was grizzled--what there was of it. Most of his head was bald asan egg and as shiny as oilcloth, and this made his big ears stick outin a funny way. His eyes had a gentle look and were pale blue in color,and his round face was rugged and bronzed. Cap'n Bill's left leg wasmissing, from the knee down, and that was why the sailor no longer sailedthe seas. The wooden leg he wore was good enough to stump around with onland, or even to take Trot out for a row or a sail on the ocean, but whenit came to "runnin' up aloft" or performing active duties on shipboard,the old sailor was not equal to the task. The loss of his leg had ruinedhis career and the old sailor found comfort in devoting himself to theeducation and companionship of the little girl.
The old sailor devoted himself to the Education of thelittle girl.]
The accident to Cap'n Bill's leg had happened at about the time Trot wasborn, and ever since that he had lived with Trot's mother as "a starboarder," having enough money saved up to pay for his weekly "keep." Heloved the baby and often held her on his lap; her first ride was on Cap'nBill's shoulders, for she had no baby-carriage; and when she began totoddle around, the child and the sailor became close comrades and enjoyedmany strange adventures together. It is said the fairies had been presentat Trot's birth and had marked her forehead with their invisible mysticsigns, so that she was able to see and do many wonderful things.
The acacia tree was on top of a high bluff, but a path ran down the bankin a zigzag way to the water's edge, where Cap'n Bill's boat was mooredto a rock by means of a stout cable. It had been a hot, sultry afternoon,with scarcely a breath of air stirring, so Cap'n Bill and Trot had beenquietly sitting beneath the shade of the tree, waiting for the sun to getlow enough for them to take a row.
They had decided to visit one of the great caves which the waves hadwashed out of the rocky coast during many years of steady effort. Thecaves were a source of continual delight to both the girl and thesailor, who loved to explore their awesome depths.
"I b'lieve, Cap'n," remarked Trot, at last, "that it's time for us tostart."
The old man cast a shrewd glance at the sky, the sea and the motionlessboat. Then he shook his head.
"Mebbe it's time, Trot," he answered, "but I don't jes' like the looks o'things this afternoon."
"What's wrong?" she asked wonderingly.
"Can't say as to that. Things is too quiet to suit me, that's all. Nobreeze, not a ripple a-top the water, nary a gull a-flyin' anywhere, an'the end o' the hottest day o' the year. I ain't no weather-prophet, Trot,but any sailor would know the signs is ominous."
"There's nothing wrong that I can see," said Trot. "If there was a cloudin the sky even as big as my thumb, we might worry about it; but--look,Cap'n!--the sky is as clear as can be."
He looked again and nodded.
"P'r'aps we can make the cave, all right," he agreed, not wishing todisappoint her. "It's only a little way out, an' we'll be on the watch;so come along, Trot."
Together they descended the winding path to the beach. It was no troublefor the girl to keep her footing on the steep way, but Cap'n Bill,because of his wooden leg, had to hold on to rocks and roots now andthen to save himself from tumbling. On a level path he was as spry asanyone, but to climb up hill or down required some care.
They reached the boat safely and while Trot was untying the rope Cap'nBill reached into a crevice of the rock and drew out several tallowcandles and a box of wax matches, which he thrust into the capaciouspockets of his "sou'wester." This sou'wester was a short coat of oilskinwhich the old sailor wore on all occasions--when he wore a coat atall--and the pockets always contained a variety of objects, useful andornamental, which made even Trot wonder where they all came from and whyCap'n Bill should treasure them. The jackknives--a big one and a littleone--the bits of cord, the fishhooks, the nails: these were handy tohave on certain occasions. But bits of shell, and tin boxes with unknowncontents, buttons, pincers, bottles of curious stones and the like,seemed quite unnecessary to carry around. That was Cap'n Bill's business,however, and now that he added the candles and the matches to hiscollection Trot made no comment, for she knew these last were to lighttheir way through the caves.
The sailor always rowed the boat, for he handled the oars with strengthand skill. Trot sat in the stern and steered. The place where theyembarked was a little bight or circular bay, and the boat cut across amuch larger bay toward a distant headland where the caves were located,right at the water's edge. They were nearly a mile from shore and abouthalf-way across the bay when Trot suddenly sat up straight and exclaimed:"What's that, Cap'n?"
He stopped rowing and turned half around to look.
"That, Trot," he slowly replied, "looks to me mighty like a whirlpool."
"What makes it, Cap'n?"
"A whirl in the air makes the whirl in the water. I was afraid as we'dmeet with trouble, Trot. Things didn't look right. The air was too still."
"It's coming closer," said the girl.
The old man grabbed the oars and began rowing with all his strength.
"'Tain't comin' closer to us, Trot," he gasped; "it's we that are comin'closer to the whirlpool. The thing is drawin' us to it like a magnet!"
Trot's sun-bronzed face was a little paler as she grasped the tillerfirmly and tried to steer the boat away; but she said not a word toindicate fear.
The swirl of the water as they came nearer made a roaring sound thatwas fearful to listen to. So fierce and powerful was the whirlpool thatit drew the surface of the sea into the form of a great basin, slantingdownward toward the center, where a big hole had been made in theocean--a hole with walls of water that were kept in place by the rapidwhirling of the air.
The boat in which Trot and Cap'n Bill were riding was just on the outeredge of this saucer-like slant, and the old sailor knew very well thatunless he could quickly force the little craft away from the rushingcurrent they would soon be drawn into the great black hole that yawned inthe middle. So he exerted all his might and pulled as he had never pulledbefore. He pulled so hard that the left oar snapped in two and sent Cap'nBill sprawling upon the bottom of the boat.
He scrambled up quickly enough and glanced over the side. Then he lookedat Trot, who sat quite still, with a serious, far-away look in her sweeteyes. The boat was now speeding swiftly of its own accord, followingthe line of the circular basin round and round and gradually drawingnearer to the great hole in the center. Any further effort to escape thewhirlpool was useless, and realizing this fact Cap'n Bill turned towardTrot and put an arm around her, as if to shield her from the awful fatebefore them. He did not try to speak, because the roar of the waterswould have drowned the sound of his voice.
These two faithful comrades had faced dangers before, but nothing toequal that which now faced them. Yet Cap'n Bill, noting the look inTrot's eyes and remembering how often she had been protected by unseenpowers, did not quite give way to despair.
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The great hole in the dark water--now growing nearer and nearer--lookedvery terrifying; but they were both brave enough to face it and await theresult of the adventure.
The Scarecrow of Oz Page 3