Chapter XIV. THE PIRATE SHIP · page 21 2101“And I refuse,” cried Michael.102“Rule Britannia!” squeaked Curly.103The infuriated pirates buffeted them in the mouth; and Hook roared out, “That seals your doom.104Bring up their mother.105Get the plank ready.”106They were only boys, and they went white as they saw Jukes and Cecco preparing the fatal plank.107But they tried to look brave when Wendy was brought up.108No words of mine can tell you how Wendy despised those pirates.109To the boys there was at least some glamour in the pirate calling; but all that she saw was that the ship had not been tidied for years.110There was not a porthole on the grimy glass of which you might not have written with your finger “Dirty pig”; and she had already written it on several.111But as the boys gathered round her she had no thought, of course, save for them.112“So, my beauty,” said Hook, as if he spoke in syrup, “you are to see your children walk the plank.”113Fine gentlemen though he was, the intensity of his communings had soiled his ruff, and suddenly he knew that she was gazing at it.114With a hasty gesture he tried to hide it, but he was too late.115“Are they to die?” asked Wendy, with a look of such frightful contempt that he nearly fainted.116“They are,” he snarled.117“Silence all,” he called gloatingly, “for a mother’s last words to her children.”118At this moment Wendy was grand.119“These are my last words, dear boys,” she said firmly.120“I feel that I have a message to you from your real mothers, and it is this: ‘We hope our sons will die like English gentlemen.’”121Even the pirates were awed, and Tootles cried out hysterically, “I am going to do what my mother hopes.122What are you to do, Nibs?”123“What my mother hopes.124What are you to do, Twin?”125“What my mother hopes.126John, what are—”127But Hook had found his voice again.128“Tie her up!” he shouted.129It was Smee who tied her to the mast.130“See here, honey,” he whispered, “I’ll save you if you promise to be my mother.”131But not even for Smee would she make such a promise.132“I would almost rather have no children at all,” she said disdainfully.133It is sad to know that not a boy was looking at her as Smee tied her to the mast; the eyes of all were on the plank: that last little walk they were about to take.134They were no longer able to hope that they would walk it manfully, for the capacity to think had gone from them; they could stare and shiver only.135Hook smiled on them with his teeth closed, and took a step toward Wendy.136His intention was to turn her face so that she should see the boys walking the plank one by one.137But he never reached her, he never heard the cry of anguish he hoped to wring from her.138He heard something else instead.139It was the terrible tick-tick of the crocodile.140They all heard it—pirates, boys, Wendy; and immediately every head was blown in one direction; not to the water whence the sound proceeded, but toward Hook.141All knew that what was about to happen concerned him alone, and that from being actors they were suddenly become spectators.142Very frightful was it to see the change that came over him.143It was as if he had been clipped at every joint.144He fell in a little heap.145The sound came steadily nearer; and in advance of it came this ghastly thought, “The crocodile is about to board the ship!”146Even the iron claw hung inactive; as if knowing that it was no intrinsic part of what the attacking force wanted.147Left so fearfully alone, any other man would have lain with his eyes shut where he fell: but the gigantic brain of Hook was still working, and under its guidance he crawled on the knees along the deck as far from the sound as he could go.148The pirates respectfully cleared a passage for him, and it was only when he brought up against the bulwarks that he spoke.149“Hide me!” he cried hoarsely.checked by a teacher150They gathered round him, all eyes averted from the thing that was coming aboard.151They had no thought of fighting it.152It was Fate.153Only when Hook was hidden from them did curiosity loosen the limbs of the boys so that they could rush to the ship’s side to see the crocodile climbing it.154Then they got the strangest surprise of the Night of Nights; for it was no crocodile that was coming to their aid.155It was Peter.156He signed to them not to give vent to any cry of admiration that might rouse suspicion.157Then he went on ticking.1 2← previousChapter XIII. DO YOU BELIEVE IN FAIRIES?next →Chapter XV. “HOOK OR ME THIS TIME”↑ back to Peter PanThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg16/15/page/2/