ecided, 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.

Chapter Three

The Ork

The eyes that regarded them, as the creature stood dripping before
them, were bright and mild in expression, and the queer addition to
their party made no attempt to attack them and seemed quite as
surprised by the meeting as they were.

"I wonder," whispered Trot, "what it is."

"Who, me?" exclaimed the creature in a shrill, high-pitched voice.
"Why, I'm an Ork."

"Oh!" said the girl. "But what is an Ork?"

"I am," he repeated, a little proudly, as he shook the water from his
funny wings; "and if ever an Ork was glad to be out of the water and on
dry land again, you can be mighty sure that I'm that especial,
individual Ork!"

"Have you been in the water long?" inquired Cap'n Bill, thinking it
only polite to show an interest in the strange creature.

"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 dragg