English
FeelingthatPeterwasonhiswayback,theNeverlandhadagainwokeintolife.Weoughttousethepluperfectandsaywakened,butwokeisbetterandwasalwaysusedbyPeter.
Inhisabsencethingsareusuallyquietontheisland.
Thefairiestakeanhourlongerinthemorning,thebeastsattendtotheiryoung,theredskinsfeedheavilyforsixdaysandnights,andwhenpiratesandlostboysmeettheymerelybitetheirthumbsateachother.
ButwiththecomingofPeter,whohateslethargy,theyareunderwayagain:ifyouputyoureartothegroundnow,youwouldhearthewholeislandseethingwithlife.
Onthiseveningthechiefforcesoftheislandweredisposedasfollows.
ThelostboyswereoutlookingforPeter,thepirateswereoutlookingforthelostboys,theredskinswereoutlookingforthepirates,andthebeastswereoutlookingfortheredskins.
Theyweregoingroundandroundtheisland,buttheydidnotmeetbecauseallweregoingatthesamerate.
Allwantedbloodexcepttheboys,wholikeditasarule,butto-nightwereouttogreettheircaptain.
Theboysontheislandvary,ofcourse,innumbers,accordingastheygetkilledandsoon;andwhentheyseemtobegrowingup,whichisagainsttherules,Peterthinsthemout;butatthistimethereweresixofthem,countingthetwinsastwo.
Letuspretendtoliehereamongthesugar-caneandwatchthemastheystealbyinsinglefile,eachwithhishandonhisdagger.
TheyareforbiddenbyPetertolookintheleastlikehim,andtheyweartheskinsofthebearsslainbythemselves,inwhichtheyaresoroundandfurrythatwhentheyfalltheyroll.
Theyhavethereforebecomeverysure-footed.
ThefirsttopassisTootles,nottheleastbravebutthemostunfortunateofallthatgallantband.
Hehadbeeninfeweradventuresthananyofthem,becausethebigthingsconstantlyhappenedjustwhenhehadsteppedroundthecorner;allwouldbequiet,hewouldtaketheopportunityofgoingofftogatherafewsticksforfirewood,andthenwhenhereturnedtheotherswouldbesweepinguptheblood.
Thisill-luckhadgivenagentlemelancholytohiscountenance,butinsteadofsouringhisnaturehadsweetenedit,sothathewasquitethehumblestoftheboys.
PoorkindTootles,thereisdangerintheairforyouto-night.
Takecarelestanadventureisnowofferedyou,which,ifaccepted,willplungeyouindeepestwoe.
Tootles,thefairyTink,whoisbentonmischiefthisnightislookingforatool[fordoinghermischief],andshethinksyouarethemosteasilytrickedoftheboys.'WareTinkerBell.
Wouldthathecouldhearus,butwearenotreallyontheisland,andhepassesby,bitinghisknuckles.
NextcomesNibs,thegayanddebonair,followedbySlightly,whocutswhistlesoutofthetreesanddancesecstaticallytohisowntunes.
Slightlyisthemostconceitedoftheboys.
Hethinksheremembersthedaysbeforehewaslost,withtheirmannersandcustoms,andthishasgivenhisnoseanoffensivetilt.
Curlyisfourth;heisapickle,[apersonwhogetsinpickles-predicaments]andsooftenhashehadtodeliveruphispersonwhenPetersaidsternly,"Standforththeonewhodidthisthing,"thatnowatthecommandhestandsforthautomaticallywhetherhehasdoneitornot.
LastcometheTwins,whocannotbedescribedbecauseweshouldbesuretobedescribingthewrongone.
Peterneverquiteknewwhattwinswere,andhisbandwerenotallowedtoknowanythinghedidnotknow,sothesetwowerealwaysvagueaboutthemselves,anddidtheirbesttogivesatisfactionbykeepingclosetogetherinanapologeticsortofway.
Theboysvanishinthegloom,andafterapause,butnotalongpause,forthingsgobrisklyontheisland,comethepiratesontheirtrack.
Wehearthembeforetheyareseen,anditisalwaysthesamedreadfulsong:
"Avastbelay,yoho,heaveto,
A-piratingwego,
Andifwe'repartedbyashot
We'resuretomeetbelow!"
Amorevillainous-lookinglotneverhunginarowonExecutiondock.
Here,alittleinadvance,everandagainwithhisheadtothegroundlistening,hisgreatarmsbare,piecesofeightinhisearsasornaments,isthehandsomeItalianCecco,whocuthisnameinlettersofbloodonthebackofthegovernoroftheprisonatGao.
ThatgiganticblackbehindhimhashadmanynamessincehedroppedtheonewithwhichduskymothersstillterrifytheirchildrenonthebanksoftheGuadjo-mo.
HereisBillJukes,everyinchofhimtattooed,thesameBillJukeswhogotsixdozenontheWALRUSfromFlintbeforehewoulddropthebagofmoidores[Portuguesegoldpieces];andCookson,saidtobeBlackMurphy'sbrother(butthiswasneverproved),andGentlemanStarkey,onceanusherinapublicschoolandstilldaintyinhiswaysofkilling;andSkylights(Morgan'sSkylights);andtheIrishbo'sunSmee,anoddlygenialmanwhostabbed,sotospeak,withoutoffence,andwastheonlyNon-conformistinHook'screw;andNoodler,whosehandswerefixedonbackwards;andRobt.
MullinsandAlfMasonandmanyanotherruffianlongknownandfearedontheSpanishMain.
Inthemidstofthem,theblackestandlargestinthatdarksetting,reclinedJamesHook,orashewrotehimself,Jas.
Hook,ofwhomitissaidhewastheonlymanthattheSea-Cookfeared.
Helayathiseaseinaroughchariotdrawnandpropelledbyhismen,andinsteadofarighthandhehadtheironhookwithwhicheverandanonheencouragedthemtoincreasetheirpace.
Asdogsthisterriblemantreatedandaddressedthem,andasdogstheyobeyedhim.
Inpersonhewascadaverous[deadlooking]andblackavized[darkfaced],andhishairwasdressedinlongcurls,whichatalittledistancelookedlikeblackcandles,andgaveasingularlythreateningexpressiontohishandsomecountenance.
Hiseyeswereoftheblueoftheforget-me-not,andofaprofoundmelancholy,savewhenhewasplunginghishookintoyou,atwhichtimetworedspotsappearedinthemandlitthemuphorribly.
Inmanner,somethingofthegrandseigneurstillclungtohim,sothatheevenrippedyouupwithanair,andIhavebeentoldthathewasaRACONTEUR[storyteller]ofrepute.
Hewasnevermoresinisterthanwhenhewasmostpolite,whichisprobablythetruesttestofbreeding;andtheeleganceofhisdiction,evenwhenhewasswearing,nolessthanthedistinctionofhisdemeanour,showedhimoneofadifferentcastfromhiscrew.
Amanofindomitablecourage,itwassaidthattheonlythingheshiedatwasthesightofhisownblood,whichwasthickandofanunusualcolour.
IndresshesomewhatapedtheattireassociatedwiththenameofCharlesII,havinghearditsaidinsomeearlierperiodofhiscareerthatheboreastrangeresemblancetotheill-fatedStuarts;andinhismouthhehadaholderofhisowncontrivancewhichenabledhimtosmoketwocigarsatonce.
Butundoubtedlythegrimmestpartofhimwashisironclaw.
Letusnowkillapirate,toshowHook'smethod.Skylightswilldo.
Astheypass,Skylightslurchesclumsilyagainsthim,rufflinghislacecollar;thehookshootsforth,thereisatearingsoundandonescreech,thenthebodyiskickedaside,andthepiratespasson.
Hehasnoteventakenthecigarsfromhismouth.
SuchistheterriblemanagainstwhomPeterPanispitted.Whichwillwin?
Onthetrailofthepirates,stealingnoiselesslydownthewar-path,whichisnotvisibletoinexperiencedeyes,cometheredskins,everyoneofthemwithhiseyespeeled.
Theycarrytomahawksandknives,andtheirnakedbodiesgleamwithpaintandoil.
Strungaroundthemarescalps,ofboysaswellasofpirates,forthesearethePiccaninnytribe,andnottobeconfusedwiththesofter-heartedDelawaresortheHurons.
Inthevan,onallfours,isGreatBigLittlePanther,abraveofsomanyscalpsthatinhispresentpositiontheysomewhatimpedehisprogress.
Bringinguptherear,theplaceofgreatestdanger,comesTigerLily,proudlyerect,aprincessinherownright.
SheisthemostbeautifulofduskyDianas[Diana=goddessofthewoods]andthebelleofthePiccaninnies,coquettish[flirting],coldandamorous[loving]byturns;thereisnotabravewhowouldnothavethewaywardthingtowife,butshestavesoffthealtarwithahatchet.
Observehowtheypassoverfallentwigswithoutmakingtheslightestnoise.
Theonlysoundtobeheardistheirsomewhatheavybreathing.
Thefactisthattheyareallalittlefatjustnowaftertheheavygorging,butintimetheywillworkthisoff.
Forthemoment,however,itconstitutestheirchiefdanger.
Theredskinsdisappearastheyhavecomelikeshadows,andsoontheirplaceistakenbythebeasts,agreatandmotleyprocession:lions,tigers,bears,andtheinnumerablesmallersavagethingsthatfleefromthem,foreverykindofbeast,and,moreparticularly,alltheman-eaters,livecheekbyjowlonthefavouredisland.
Theirtonguesarehangingout,theyarehungryto-night.
Whentheyhavepassed,comesthelastfigureofall,agiganticcrocodile.Weshallseeforwhomsheislookingpresently.
Thecrocodilepasses,butsoontheboysappearagain,fortheprocessionmustcontinueindefinitelyuntiloneofthepartiesstopsorchangesitspace.Thenquicklytheywillbeontopofeachother.
Allarekeepingasharplook-outinfront,butnonesuspectsthatthedangermaybecreepingupfrombehind.Thisshowshowrealtheislandwas.
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