‘He must be swimming out to us,’ Starkey said, when they had looked for him in vain.

‘We are putting the redskin on the rock,’ Smee called out.

‘Set her free,’ came the astonishing answer.

‘Free!’

‘Yes, cut her bonds and let her go.’

‘But, captain——’

‘At once, d’ye hear,’ cried Peter, ‘or I’ll plunge my hook in you.’

‘This is queer,’ Smee gasped.

‘Better do what the captain orders,’ said Starkey nervously.

‘Aye, aye,’ Smee said, and he cut Tiger Lily’s cords. At once like an eel she slid between Starkey’s legs into the water.

Of course Wendy was very elated over Peter’s cleverness; but she knew that he would be elated also and very likely crow and thus betray himself, so at once her hand went out to cover his mouth. But it was stayed even in the act, for ‘Boat ahoy!’ rang over the lagoon in Hook’s voice, and this time it was not Peter who had spoken.

Peter may have been about to crow, but his face puckered in a whistle of surprise instead.

‘Boat ahoy!’ again came the cry.

Now Wendy understood. The real Hook was also in the water.

He was swimming to the boat, and as his men showed a light to guide him he had soon reached them. In the light of the lantern Wendy saw his hook grip the boat’s side; she saw his evil swarthy face as he rose dripping from the water, and, quaking, she would have liked to swim away, but Peter would not budge. He was tingling with life and also top-heavy with conceit. ‘Am I not a wonder, oh, I am a wonder!’ he whispered to her; and though she thought so also, she was really glad for the sake of his reputation that no one heard him except herself.

He signed to her to listen.

The two pirates were very curious to know what had brought their captain to them, but he sat with his head on his hook in a position of profound melancholy.

‘Captain, is all well?’ they asked timidly, but he answered with a hollow moan.

‘He sighs,’ said Smee.

‘He sighs again,’ said Starkey.

‘And yet a third time he sighs,’ said Smee.

‘What’s up, captain?’

Then at last he spoke passionately.

‘The game’s up,’ he cried, ‘those boys have found a mother.’