04.2-CHAPTER 4 THE FLIGHT part2-iv

CHAPTER 4 THE FLIGHT  part2

Of course the Neverland had beenmake-believe in those days, but it was real now, and there were nonight-lights, and it was getting darker every moment, and where was Nana? Theyhad been flying apart, but they huddled close to Peter now. His careless mannerhad gone at last, his eyes were sparkling, and a tingle went through them everytime they touched his body. They were now over the fearsome island, flying solow that sometimes a tree grazed their feet. Nothing horrid was visible in theair, yet their progress had become slow and laboured, exactly as if they werepushing their way through hostile forces. Sometimes they hung in the air untilPeter had beaten on it with his fists.

"They don't want us to land,"he explained.

"Who are they?" Wendywhispered, shuddering.

But he could not or would not say.Tinker Bell had been asleep on his shoulder, but now he wakened her and senther on in front.

Sometimes he poised himself in the air,listening intently, with his hand to his ear, and again he would stare downwith eyes so bright that they seemed to bore two holes to earth. Having donethese things, he went on again.

His courage was almost appalling."Would you like an adventure now," he said casually to John, "orwould you like to have your tea first?" Wendy said "teafirst" quickly, and Michael pressed her hand in gratitude, but the braverJohn hesitated.

"What kind of adventure?" heasked cautiously.

"There's a pirate asleep in thepampas just beneath us," Peter told him. "If you like, we'll go downand kill him." "I don't see him," John said after a longpause.

"Ido." "Suppose," John said, a little huskily, "he wereto wake up." Peter spoke indignantly， "You don't think I wouldkill him while he was sleeping! I would wake him first, and then kill him.That's the way I always do." "I say! Do you killmany?" "Tons." John said "How ripping," butdecided to have tea first. He asked if there were many pirates on the islandjust now, and Peter said he had never known so many.

"Who is captainnow?" "Hook," answered Peter, and his face became verystern as he said that hated word.

"Jas. Hook?" 

"Ay." Then indeed Michaelbegan to cry, and even John could speak in gulps only, for they knew Hook'sreputation.

"He was Blackbeard's bo'sun,"John whispered huskily. "He is the worst of them all. He is the only manof whom Barbecue was afraid." "That's him," said Peter.

"What is he like? Is hebig?" "He is not so big as he was." "How do youmean?" "I cut off a bit of him." "You!" "Yes,me," said Peter sharply.

"I wasn't meaning to bedisrespectful." "Oh, all right." "But, I say,what bit?" "His right hand." "Then he can't fightnow?" "Oh, can't he just!" "Left-hander?” He has an ironhook instead of a right hand, and he claws with it.” "Claws!" "Isay, John," said Peter.

"Yes." "Say, 'Ay,ay, sir.'" "Ay, ay, sir." "There is onething," Peter continued, "that every boy who serves under me has topromise, and so must you." John paled.

"It is this, if we meet Hook inopen fight, you must leave him to me." "I promise," Johnsaid loyally.

For the moment they were feeling lesseerie, because Tink was flying with them, and in her light they could distinguisheach other. Unfortunately she could not fly so slowly as they, and so she hadto go round and round them in a circle in which they moved as in a halo. Wendyquite liked it, until Peter pointed out the drawbacks.

"She tells me," he said,"that the pirates sighted us before the darkness came, and got Long Tomout." "The big gun?" "Yes. And of course theymust see her light, and if they guess we are near it they are sure to letfly." "Wendy!" "John!" "Michael!" "Tellher to go away at once, Peter," the three cried simultaneously, but herefused.

"She thinks we have lost the way,"he replied stiffly, "and she is rather frightened. You don't think I wouldsend her away all by herself when she is frightened!" For a momentthe circle of light was broken, and something gave Peter a loving little pinch.

"Then tell her," Wendy begged,"to put out her light." "She can't put it out. That isabout the only thing fairies can't do. It just goes out of itself when shefalls asleep, same as the stars." "Then tell her to sleep atonce," John almost ordered.

"She can't sleep except when she'ssleepy. It is the only other thing fairies can't do." "Seems tome," growled John, "these are the only two things worthdoing." Here he got a pinch, but not a loving one.

"If only one of us had apocket," Peter said, "we could carry her in it." However,they had set off in such a hurry that there was not a pocket between the fourof them.

He had a happy idea. John's hat! Tinkagreed to travel by hat if it was carried in the hand. John carried it, thoughshe had hoped to be carried by Peter. Presently Wendy took the hat, becauseJohn said it struck against his knee as he flew; and this, as we shall see, ledto mischief, for Tinker Bell hated to be under an obligation to Wendy.

In the black topper the light wascompletely hidden, and they flew on in silence. It was the stillest silencethey had ever known, broken once by a distant lapping, which Peter explainedwas the wild beasts drinking at the ford, and again by a rasping sound thatmight have been the branches of trees rubbing together, but he said it was theIndians sharpening their knives.

Even these noises ceased. To Michael theloneliness was dreadful. "If only something would make a sound!" hecried.

As if in answer to his request, the airwas rent by the most tremendous crash he had ever heard. The pirates had firedLong Tom at them.

The roar of it echoed through themountains, and the echoes seemed to cry savagely, "Where are they, whereare they, where are they?" Thus sharply did the terrified three learnthe difference between an island of make-believe and the same island come true.

When at last the heavens were steadyagain, John and Michael found themselves alone in the darkness. John wastreading the air mechanically, and Michael without knowing how to float wasfloating.

"Are you shot?" John whisperedtremulously.

"I haven't tried (myself out)yet," Michael whispered back.

We know now that no one had been hit.Peter, however, had been carried by the wind of the shot far out to sea, whileWendy was blown upwards with no companion but Tinker Bell.

It would have been well for Wendy if atthat moment she had dropped the hat.

I don't know whether the idea camesuddenly to Tink, or whether she had planned it on the way, but she at oncepopped out of the hat and began to lure Wendy to her destruction.

Tink was not all bad; or, rather, shewas all bad just now, but, on the other hand, sometimes she was all good.Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small theyunfortunately have room for one feeling only at a time. They are, however,allowed to change, only it must be a complete change. At present she was fullof jealousy of Wendy. What she said in her lovely tinkle Wendy could not ofcourse understand, and I believe some of it was bad words, but it sounded kind,and she flew back and forward, plainly meaning "Follow me, and all will bewell." What else could poor Wendy do? She called to Peter and Johnand Michael, and got only mocking echoes in reply. She did not yet know thatTink hated her with the fierce hatred of a very women. And so, bewildered, andnow staggering in her flight, she followed Tink to her doom.