that would free the children of their
manacles, and now they all stole forth, armed with such weapons as they
could find. First signing them to hide, Peter cut Wendy's bonds,
and then nothing could have been easier than for them all to fly off
together; but one thing barred the way, an oath, "Hook or me this time."
So when he had freed Wendy, he whispered for her to conceal herself with
the others, and himself took her place by the mast, her cloak around him
so that he should pass for her. Then he took a great breath and crowed.

To the pirates it was a voice crying that all the boys lay slain in the
cabin; and they were panic-stricken. Hook tried to hearten them; but
like the dogs he had made them they showed him their fangs, and he knew
that if he took his eyes off them now they would leap at him.

"Lads," he said, ready to cajole or strike as need be, but never
quailing for an instant, "I've thought it out. There's a Jonah aboard."

"Ay," they snarled, "a man wi' a hook."

"No, lads, no, it's the girl. Never was luck on a pirate ship wi' a
woman on board. We'll right the ship when she's gone."

Some of them remembered that this had been a saying of Flint's. "It's
worth trying," they said doubtfully.

"Fling the girl overboard," cried Hook; and they made a rush at the
figure in the cloak.

"There's none can save you now, missy," Mullins hissed jeeringly.

"There's one," replied the figure.

"Who's that?"

"Peter Pan the avenger!" came the terrible answer; and as he spoke Peter
flung off his cloak. Then they all knew who 'twas that had been undoing
them in the cabin, and twice Hook essayed to speak and twice he failed.
In that frightful moment I think his fierce heart broke.

At last he cried, "Cleave him to the brisket!" but without conviction.

"Down, boys, and at them!" Peter's voice rang out; and in another moment
the clash of arms was resounding through the ship. Had the pirates kept
together it is certain that they would have won; but the onset came
when they were still unstrung, and they ran hither and thither, striking
wildly, each thinking himself the last survivor of the crew. Man to man
they were the stronger; but they fought on the defensive only, which
enabled the boys to hunt in pairs and choose their quarry. Some of the
miscreants leapt into the sea; others hid in dark recesses, where they
were found by Slightly, who did not fight, but ran about with a lantern
which he flashed in their face