"why, this last ducking was about ten minutes, I
believe, and that's about nine minutes and sixty
seconds too long for comfort," was the reply. "But last
night I was in an awful pickle, I assure you. The
whirlpool caught me, and --"

"Oh, were you in the whirlpool, too?" asked Trot
eagerly

He gave her a glance that was somewhat reproachful.

"I believe I was mentioning the fact, young lady,
when your desire to talk interrupted me," said the Ork.
"I am not usually careless in my actions, but that
whirlpool was so busy yesterday that I thought I'd see
what mischief it was up to. So I flew a little too near
it and the suction of the air drew me down into the
depths of the ocean. Water and I are natural enemies,
and it would have conquered me this time had not a bevy
of pretty mermaids come to my assistance and dragged me
away from the whirling water and far up into a cavern,
where they deserted me."

"Why, that's about the same thing that happened to
us," cried Trot. "Was your cavern like this one?"

"I haven't examined this one yet," answered the Ork;
"but if they happen to be alike I shudder at our fate,
for the other one was a prison, with no outlet except
by means of the water. I stayed there all night,