ing good-bye, an act I shall always regret. Adventures were many, I
found. I sighted men several times, but have never before been so close
to them as now. Also I had to fight my way through the air, for I met
gigantic birds, with fluffy feathers all over them, which attacked me
fiercely. Besides, it kept me busy escaping from floating airships. In
my rambling I had lost all track of distance or direction, so that when
I wanted to go home I had no idea where my country was located. I've
now been trying to find it for several months and it was during one of
my flights over the ocean that I met the whirlpool and became its
victim."

Trot and Cap'n Bill listened to this recital with much interest, and
from the friendly tone and harmless appearance of the Ork they judged
he was not likely to prove so disagreeable a companion as at first they
had feared he might be.

The Ork sat upon its haunches much as a cat does, but used the
finger-like claws of its front legs almost as cleverly as if they were
hands. Perhaps the most curious thing about the creature was its tail,
or what ought to have been its tail. This queer arrangement of skin,
bones and muscle was shaped like the propellers used on boats and
airships, having fan-like surfaces and being pivoted to its body. Cap'n
Bill knew something of mechanics, and observing the propeller-like tail
of the Ork he said:

"I s'pose you're a pretty swift flyer?"

"Yes, indeed; the Orks are admitted to be Kings of the Air."

"Your wings don't seem to amount to much," remarked Trot.

"Well, they are not very big," admitted the Ork, waving the four hollow
skins gently to and fro, "but they serve to support my body in the air
while I speed along by means of my tail. Still, taken altogether, I'm
very handsomely formed, don't you think?"

Trot did not like to reply, but Cap'n Bill nodded gravely. "For an
Ork," said he, "you're a wonder. I've never seen one afore, but I can
imagine you're as good as any."

That seemed to please the creature and it began walking around the
cavern, making its way easily up the slope. While it was gone, Trot and
Cap'n Bill each took another sip from the water-flask, to wash down
their breakfast.

"Why, here's a hole--an exit--an outlet!" exclaimed the Ork from above.

"We know," said Trot. "We found it last night."

"Well, then, let's be off," continued the Ork, after sticking its head
into the black hole and sniffing once or twice. "The air seems f