arm: in surprise they raised their heads; their faces
were almost touching; so they met.

Some of the greatest heroes have confessed that just before they fell to
[began combat] they had a sinking [feeling in the stomach]. Had it been
so with Peter at that moment I would admit it. After all, he was the
only man that the Sea-Cook had feared. But Peter had no sinking, he had
one feeling only, gladness; and he gnashed his pretty teeth with joy.
Quick as thought he snatched a knife from Hook's belt and was about to
drive it home, when he saw that he was higher up the rock that his foe.
It would not have been fighting fair. He gave the pirate a hand to help
him up.

It was then that Hook bit him.

Not the pain of this but its unfairness was what dazed Peter. It made
him quite helpless. He could only stare, horrified. Every child is
affected thus the first time he is treated unfairly. All he thinks he
has a right to when he comes to you to be yours is fairness. After
you have been unfair to him he will love you again, but will never
afterwards be quite the same boy. No one ever gets over the first
unfairness; no one except Peter. He often met it, but he always forgot
it. I suppose that was the real difference between him and all the rest.

So when he met it now it was like the first time; and he could just
stare, helpless. Twice the iron hand clawed him.

A few moments afterwards the other boys saw Hook in the water striking
wildly for the ship; no elation on the pestilent face now, only white
fear, for the crocodile was in dogged pursuit of him. On ordinary
occasions the boys would have swum alongside cheering; but now they were
uneasy, for they had lost both Peter and Wendy, and were scouring the
lagoon for them, calling them by name. They found the dinghy and went
home in it, shouting "Peter, Wendy" as they went, but no answer came
save mocking laughter from the mermaids. "They must be swimming back or
flying," the boys concluded. They were not very anxious, because they
had such faith in Peter. They chuckled, boylike, because they would be
late for bed; and it was all mother Wendy's fault!

When their voices died away there came cold silence over the lagoon, and
then a feeble cry.

"Help, help!"

Two small figures were beating against the rock; the girl had fainted
and lay on the boy's arm. With a last effort Peter pulled her up the
rock and then lay down beside her. Even as he also fainted he saw that
the wate