English
Smee,muchimpressed,gazedatthebirdasthenestwasbornepast,butthemoresuspiciousStarkeysaid,"Ifsheisamother,perhapssheishangingaboutheretohelpPeter."
Hookwinced."Ay,"hesaid,"thatisthefearthathauntsme."
HewasrousedfromthisdejectionbySmee'seagervoice.
"Captain,"saidSmee,"couldwenotkidnaptheseboys'motherandmakeherourmother?"
"Itisaprincelyscheme,"criedHook,andatonceittookpracticalshapeinhisgreatbrain.
"Wewillseizethechildrenandcarrythemtotheboat:theboyswewillmakewalktheplank,andWendyshallbeourmother."
AgainWendyforgotherself.
"Never!"shecried,andbobbed.
"Whatwasthat?"
Buttheycouldseenothing.Theythoughtitmusthavebeenaleafinthewind."Doyouagree,mybullies?"askedHook.
"Thereismyhandonit,"theybothsaid.
"Andthereismyhook.Swear."
Theyallswore.Bythistimetheywereontherock,andsuddenlyHookrememberedTigerLily.
"Whereistheredskin?"hedemandedabruptly.
Hehadaplayfulhumouratmoments,andtheythoughtthiswasoneofthemoments.
"Thatisallright,captain,"Smeeansweredcomplacently;"welethergo."
"Lethergo!"criedHook.
"'Twasyourownorders,"thebo'sunfaltered.
"Youcalledoverthewatertoustolethergo,"saidStarkey.
"Brimstoneandgall,"thunderedHook,"whatcozening[cheating]isgoingonhere!"
Hisfacehadgoneblackwithrage,buthesawthattheybelievedtheirwords,andhewasstartled.
"Lads,"hesaid,shakingalittle,"Igavenosuchorder."
"Itispassingqueer,"Smeesaid,andtheyallfidgeteduncomfortably.Hookraisedhisvoice,buttherewasaquiverinit.
"Spiritthathauntsthisdarklagoonto-night,"hecried,"dosthearme?"
OfcoursePetershouldhavekeptquiet,butofcoursehedidnot.HeimmediatelyansweredinHook'svoice:
"Odds,bobs,hammerandtongs,Ihearyou."
InthatsuprememomentHookdidnotblanch,evenatthegills,butSmeeandStarkeyclungtoeachotherinterror.
"Whoareyou,stranger?Speak!"Hookdemanded.
"IamJamesHook,"repliedthevoice,"captainoftheJOLLYROGER."
"Youarenot;youarenot,"Hookcriedhoarsely.
"Brimstoneandgall,"thevoiceretorted,"saythatagain,andI'llcastanchorinyou."
Hooktriedamoreingratiatingmanner."IfyouareHook,"hesaidalmosthumbly,"cometellme,whoamI?"
"Acodfish,"repliedthevoice,"onlyacodfish."
"Acodfish!"Hookechoedblankly,anditwasthen,butnottillthen,thathisproudspiritbroke.Hesawhismendrawbackfromhim.
"Havewebeencaptainedallthistimebyacodfish!"theymuttered."Itisloweringtoourpride."
Theywerehisdogssnappingathim,but,tragicfigurethoughhehadbecome,hescarcelyheededthem.
Againstsuchfearfulevidenceitwasnottheirbeliefinhimthatheneeded,itwashisown.Hefelthisegoslippingfromhim.
"Don'tdesertme,bully,"hewhisperedhoarselytoit.
Inhisdarknaturetherewasatouchofthefeminine,asinallthegreatpirates,anditsometimesgavehimintuitions.Suddenlyhetriedtheguessinggame.
"Hook,"hecalled,"haveyouanothervoice?"
NowPetercouldneverresistagame,andheansweredblithelyinhisownvoice,"Ihave."
"Andanothername?"
"Ay,ay."
"Vegetable?"askedHook.
"No."
"Mineral?"
"No."
"Animal?"
"Yes."
"Man?"
"No!"Thisanswerrangoutscornfully.
"Boy?"
"Yes."
"Ordinaryboy?"
"No!"
"Wonderfulboy?"
ToWendy'spaintheanswerthatrangoutthistimewas"Yes."
"AreyouinEngland?"
"No."
"Areyouhere?"
"Yes."
Hookwascompletelypuzzled."Youaskhimsomequestions,"hesaidtotheothers,wipinghisdampbrow.
Smeereflected."Ican'tthinkofathing,"hesaidregretfully.
"Can'tguess,can'tguess!"crowedPeter."Doyougiveitup?"
Ofcourseinhispridehewascarryingthegametoofar,andthemiscreants[villains]sawtheirchance.
"Yes,yes,"theyansweredeagerly.
"Well,then,"hecried,"IamPeterPan."
Pan!
InamomentHookwashimselfagain,andSmeeandStarkeywerehisfaithfulhenchmen.
"Nowwehavehim,"Hookshouted."Intothewater,Smee.Starkey,mindtheboat.Takehimdeadoralive!"
Heleapedashespoke,andsimultaneouslycamethegayvoiceofPeter.
"Areyouready,boys?"
"Ay,ay,"fromvariouspartsofthelagoon.
"Thenlamintothepirates."
Thefightwasshortandsharp.FirsttodrawbloodwasJohn,whogallantlyclimbedintotheboatandheldStarkey.
Therewasfiercestruggle,inwhichthecutlasswastornfromthepirate'sgrasp.
HewriggledoverboardandJohnleaptafterhim.Thedinghydriftedaway.
Hereandthereaheadbobbedupinthewater,andtherewasaflashofsteelfollowedbyacryorawhoop.
Intheconfusionsomestruckattheirownside.
ThecorkscrewofSmeegotTootlesinthefourthrib,buthewashimselfpinked[nicked]inturnbyCurly.
FartherfromtherockStarkeywaspressingSlightlyandthetwinshard.
WhereallthistimewasPeter?Hewasseekingbiggergame.
Theotherswereallbraveboys,andtheymustnotbeblamedforbackingfromthepiratecaptain.Hisironclawmadeacircleofdeadwaterroundhim,fromwhichtheyfledlikeaffrightedfishes.
Buttherewasonewhodidnotfearhim:therewasonepreparedtoenterthatcircle.
Strangely,itwasnotinthewaterthattheymet.
Hookrosetotherocktobreathe,andatthesamemomentPeterscaleditontheoppositeside.
Therockwasslipperyasaball,andtheyhadtocrawlratherthanclimb.Neitherknewthattheotherwascoming.
Eachfeelingforagripmettheother'sarm:insurprisetheyraisedtheirheads;theirfaceswerealmosttouching;sotheymet.
Someofthegreatestheroeshaveconfessedthatjustbeforetheyfellto[begancombat]theyhadasinking[feelinginthestomach].
HaditbeensowithPeteratthatmomentIwouldadmitit.
Afterall,hewastheonlymanthattheSea-Cookhadfeared.
ButPeterhadnosinking,hehadonefeelingonly,gladness;andhegnashedhisprettyteethwithjoy.
QuickasthoughthesnatchedaknifefromHook'sbeltandwasabouttodriveithome,whenhesawthathewashigheruptherockthathisfoe.Itwouldnothavebeenfightingfair.
Hegavethepirateahandtohelphimup.
ItwasthenthatHookbithim.
NotthepainofthisbutitsunfairnesswaswhatdazedPeter.Itmadehimquitehelpless.Hecouldonlystare,horrified.
Everychildisaffectedthusthefirsttimeheistreatedunfairly.
Allhethinkshehasarighttowhenhecomestoyoutobeyoursisfairness.
Afteryouhavebeenunfairtohimhewillloveyouagain,butwillneverafterwardsbequitethesameboy.
Nooneevergetsoverthefirstunfairness;nooneexceptPeter.
Heoftenmetit,buthealwaysforgotit.
Isupposethatwastherealdifferencebetweenhimandalltherest.
Sowhenhemetitnowitwaslikethefirsttime;andhecouldjuststare,helpless.Twicetheironhandclawedhim.
AfewmomentsafterwardstheotherboyssawHookinthewaterstrikingwildlyfortheship;noelationonthepestilentfacenow,onlywhitefear,forthecrocodilewasindoggedpursuitofhim.
Onordinaryoccasionstheboyswouldhaveswumalongsidecheering;butnowtheywereuneasy,fortheyhadlostbothPeterandWendy,andwerescouringthelagoonforthem,callingthembyname.
Theyfoundthedinghyandwenthomeinit,shouting"Peter,Wendy"astheywent,butnoanswercamesavemockinglaughterfromthemermaids.
"Theymustbeswimmingbackorflying,"theboysconcluded.
Theywerenotveryanxious,becausetheyhadsuchfaithinPeter.
Theychuckled,boylike,becausetheywouldbelateforbed;anditwasallmotherWendy'sfault!
Whentheirvoicesdiedawaytherecamecoldsilenceoverthelagoon,andthenafeeblecry.
"Help,help!"
Twosmallfigureswerebeatingagainsttherock;thegirlhadfaintedandlayontheboy'sarm.
WithalasteffortPeterpulledheruptherockandthenlaydownbesideher.
Evenashealsofaintedhesawthatthewaterwasrising.
Heknewthattheywouldsoonbedrowned,buthecoulddonomore.
AstheylaysidebysideamermaidcaughtWendybythefeet,andbeganpullinghersoftlyintothewater.
Peter,feelingherslipfromhim,wokewithastart,andwasjustintimetodrawherback.Buthehadtotellherthetruth.
"Weareontherock,Wendy,"hesaid,"butitisgrowingsmaller.Soonthewaterwillbeoverit."
Shedidnotunderstandevennow.
"Wemustgo,"shesaid,almostbrightly.
"Yes,"heansweredfaintly.
"Shallweswimorfly,Peter?"
Hehadtotellher.
"Doyouthinkyoucouldswimorflyasfarastheisland,Wendy,withoutmyhelp?"
Shehadtoadmitthatshewastootired.
Hemoaned.
"Whatisit?"sheasked,anxiousabouthimatonce.
"Ican'thelpyou,Wendy.Hookwoundedme.Icanneitherflynorswim."
"Doyoumeanweshallbothbedrowned?"
"Lookhowthewaterisrising."
Theyputtheirhandsovertheireyestoshutoutthesight.
Theythoughttheywouldsoonbenomore.
AstheysatthussomethingbrushedagainstPeteraslightasakiss,andstayedthere,asifsayingtimidly,"CanIbeofanyuse?"
Itwasthetailofakite,whichMichaelhadmadesomedaysbefore.Ithadtornitselfoutofhishandandfloatedaway.
"Michael'skite,"Petersaidwithoutinterest,butnextmomenthehadseizedthetail,andwaspullingthekitetowardhim.
"ItliftedMichaelofftheground,"hecried;"whyshoulditnotcarryyou?"
"Bothofus!"
"Itcan'tlifttwo;MichaelandCurlytried."
"Letusdrawlots,"Wendysaidbravely.
"Andyoualady;never."Alreadyhehadtiedthetailroundher.
Sheclungtohim;sherefusedtogowithouthim;butwitha"Good-bye,Wendy,"hepushedherfromtherock;andinafewminutesshewasborneoutofhissight.Peterwasaloneonthelagoon.
Therockwasverysmallnow;soonitwouldbesubmerged.
Paleraysoflighttiptoedacrossthewaters;andbyandbytherewastobeheardasoundatoncethemostmusicalandthemostmelancholyintheworld:themermaidscallingtothemoon.
Peterwasnotquitelikeotherboys;buthewasafraidatlast.
Atremourranthroughhim,likeashudderpassingoverthesea;butontheseaoneshudderfollowsanothertilltherearehundredsofthem,andPeterfeltjusttheone.
Nextmomenthewasstandingerectontherockagain,withthatsmileonhisfaceandadrumbeatingwithinhim.
Itwassaying,"Todiewillbeanawfullybigadventure."
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