Affrighted though she was, Wendy swelled with pride.

‘O evil day,’ cried Starkey.

‘What’s a mother?’ asked the ignorant Smee.

Wendy was so shocked that she exclaimed, ‘He doesn’t know!’ and always after this she felt that if you could have a pet pirate Smee would be her one.

Peter pulled her beneath the water, for Hook had started up, crying, ‘What was that?’

‘I heard nothing,’ said Starkey, raising the lantern over the waters, and as the pirates looked they saw a strange sight. It was the nest I have told you of, floating on the lagoon, and the Never bird was sitting on it.

‘See,’ said Hook in answer to Smee’s question, ‘that is a mother. What a lesson. The nest must have fallen into the water, but would the mother desert her eggs? No.’

There was a break in his voice, as if for a moment he recalled innocent days when—but he brushed away this weakness with his hook.

Smee, much impressed, gazed at the bird as the nest was borne past, but the more suspicious Starkey said, ‘If she is a mother, perhaps she is hanging about here to help Peter.’

Hook winced. ‘Aye,’ he said, ‘that is the fear that haunts me.’

He was roused from this dejection by Smee’s eager voice.

‘Captain,’ said Smee, ‘could we not kidnap these boys’ mother and make her our mother?’

‘It is a princely scheme,’ cried Hook, and at once it took practical shape in his great brain. ‘We will seize the children and carry them to the boat: the boys we will make walk the plank, and Wendy shall be our mother.’

Again Wendy forgot herself.

‘Never!’ she cried, and bobbed.

‘What was that?’

But they could see nothing. They thought it must have been but a leaf in the wind. ‘Do you agree, my bullies?’ asked Hook.

‘There is my hand on it,’ they both said.

‘And there is my hook. Swear.’

They all swore. By this time they were on the rock, and suddenly Hook remembered Tiger Lily.

‘Where is the redskin?’ he demanded abruptly.

He had a playful humour at moments, and they thought this was one of the moments.

‘That is all right, captain,’ Smee answered complacently, ‘we let her go.’

‘Let her go!’ cried Hook.