him to Starkey, who flung him to
Bill Jukes, who flung him to Noodler, and so he was tossed from one to
another till he fell at the feet of the black pirate. All the boys were
plucked from their trees in this ruthless manner; and several of them
were in the air at a time, like bales of goods flung from hand to hand.

[Illustration: FLUNG LIKE BALES]

A different treatment was accorded to Wendy, who came last. With
ironical politeness Hook raised his hat to her, and, offering her his
arm, escorted her to the spot where the others were being gagged. He
did it with such an air, he was so frightfully _distingue_, that she was
too fascinated to cry out. She was only a little girl.

Perhaps it is tell-tale to divulge that for a moment Hook entranced her,
and we tell on her only because her slip led to strange results. Had she
haughtily unhanded him (and we should have loved to write it of her),
she would have been hurled through the air like the others, and then
Hook would probably not have been present at the tying of the children;
and had he not been at the tying he would not have discovered Slightly's
secret, and without the secret he could not presently have made his foul
attempt on Peter's life.

They were tied to prevent their flying away, doubled up with their knees
close to their ears; and for the trussing of them the black pirate had
cut a rope into nine equal pieces. All went well until Slightly's turn
came, when he was found to be like those irritating parcels that use up
all the string in going round and leave no tags with which to tie a
knot. The pirates kicked him in their rage, just as you kick the parcel
(though in fairness you should kick the string); and strange to say it
was Hook who told them to belay their violence. His lip was curled with
malicious triumph. While his dogs were merely sweating because every
time they tried to pack the unhappy lad tight in one part he bulged out
in another, Hook's master mind had gone far beneath Slightly's surface,
probing not for effects but for causes; and his exultation showed that
he had found them. Slightly, white to the gills, knew that Hook had
surprised his secret, which was this, that no boy so blown out could use
a tree wherein an average man need stick. Poor Slightly, most wretched
of all the children now, for he was in a panic about Peter, bitterly
regretted what he had done. Madly addicted to the drinking of water when
he was hot, he had swelled in consequ