peter pan-第18部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　before　other　people。　　〃Are　you　ready；　Tinker　Bell？〃　he　called　out。

　　〃Ay；　ay。〃

　　〃Then　lead　the　way。〃

　　Tink　darted　up　the　nearest　tree；　but　no　one　followed　　her；　for　it　was　at　this　moment　that　the　pirates　made　their　dreadful　attack　upon　the　redskins。　　Above；　where　all　had　been　so　still；　the　air　was　rent　with　shrieks　and　the　clash　of　steel。　　Below；　there　was　dead　silence。　　Mouths　opened　and　remained　open。　　Wendy　fell　on　her　knees；　but　her　arms　were　extended　toward　Peter。　　All　arms　were　extended　to　him；　as　if　suddenly　blown　in　his　direction；　they　were　beseeching　him　mutely　not　to　desert　them。　　As　for　Peter；　he　seized　his　sword；　the　same　he　thought　he　had　slain　Barbecue　with；　and　the　lust　of　battle　was　in　his　eye。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　12

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　CHILDREN　ARE　CARRIED　OFF


　　The　pirate　attack　had　been　a　complete　surprise：　　a　sure　proof　that　the　unscrupulous　Hook　had　conducted　it　improperly；　for　to　surprise　redskins　fairly　is　beyond　the　wit　of　the　white　man。

　　By　all　the　unwritten　laws　of　savage　warfare　it　is　always　the　redskin　who　attacks；　and　with　the　wiliness　of　his　race　he　does　it　just　before　the　dawn；　at　which　time　he　knows　the　courage　of　the　whites　to　be　at　its　lowest　ebb。　　The　white　men　have　in　the　meantime　made　a　rude　stockade　on　the　summit　of　yonder　undulating　ground；　at　the　foot　of　which　a　stream　runs；　for　it　is　destruction　to　be　too　far　from　water。　　There　they　await　the　onslaught；　the　inexperienced　ones　clutching　their　revolvers　and　treading　on　twigs；　but　the　old　hands　sleeping　tranquilly　until　just　before　the　dawn。　　Through　the　long　black　night　the　savage　scouts　wriggle；　snake…like；　among　the　grass　without　stirring　a　blade。　　The　brushwood　closes　behind　them；　as　silently　as　sand　into　which　a　mole　has　dived。　　Not　a　sound　is　to　be　heard；　save　when　they　give　vent　to　a　wonderful　imitation　of　the　lonely　call　of　the　coyote。　　The　cry　is　answered　by　other　braves；　and　some　of　them　do　it　even　better　than　the　coyotes；　who　are　not　very　good　at　it。　　So　the　chill　hours　wear　on；　and　the　long　suspense　is　horribly　trying　to　the　paleface　who　has　to　live　through　it　for　the　first　time；　but　to　the　trained　hand　those　ghastly　calls　and　still　ghastlier　silences　are　but　an　intimation　of　how　the　night　is　marching。

　　That　this　was　the　usual　procedure　was　so　well　known　to　Hook　that　in　disregarding　it　he　cannot　be　excused　on　the　plea　of　ignorance。

　　The　Piccaninnies；　on　their　part；　trusted　implicitly　to　his　honour；　and　their　whole　action　of　the　night　stands　out　in　marked　contrast　to　his。　　They　left　nothing　undone　that　was　consistent　with　the　reputation　of　their　tribe。　　With　that　alertness　of　the　senses　which　is　at　once　the　marvel　and　despair　of　civilised　peoples；　they　knew　that　the　pirates　were　on　the　island　from　the　moment　one　of　them　trod　on　a　dry　stick；　and　in　an　incredibly　short　space　of　time　the　coyote　cries　began。　　Every　foot　of　ground　between　the　spot　where　Hook　had　landed　his　forces　and　the　home　under　the　trees　was　stealthily　examined　by　braves　wearing　their　mocassins　with　the　heels　in　front。　　They　found　only　one　hillock　with　a　stream　at　its　base；　so　that　Hook　had　no　choice；　here　he　must　establish　himself　and　wait　for　just　before　the　dawn。　　Everything　being　thus　mapped　out　with　almost　diabolical　cunning；　the　main　body　of　the　redskins　folded　their　blankets　around　them；　and　in　the　phlegmatic　manner　that　is　to　them；　the　pearl　of　manhood　squatted　above　the　children's　home；　awaiting　the　cold　moment　when　they　should　deal　pale　death。

　　Here　dreaming；　though　wide…awake；　of　the　exquisite　tortures　to　which　they　were　to　put　him　at　break　of　day；　those　confiding　savages　were　found　by　the　treacherous　Hook。　　From　the　accounts　afterwards　supplied　by　such　of　the　scouts　as　escaped　the　carnage；　he　does　not　seem　even　to　have　paused　at　the　rising　ground；　though　it　is　certain　that　in　that　grey　light　he　must　have　seen　it：　　no　thought　of　waiting　to　be　attacked　appears　from　first　to　last　to　have　visited　his　subtle　mind；　he　would　not　even　hold　off　till　the　night　was　nearly　spent；　on　he　pounded　with　no　policy　but　to　fall　to　＇get　into　combat＇。　　What　could　the　bewildered　scouts　do；　masters　as　they　were　of　every　war…like　artifice　save　this　one；　but　trot　helplessly　after　him；　exposing　themselves　fatally　to　view；　while　they　gave　pathetic　utterance　to　the　coyote　cry。

　　Around　the　brave　Tiger　Lily　were　a　dozen　of　her　stoutest　warriors；　and　they　suddenly　saw　the　perfidious　pirates　bearing　down　upon　them。　　Fell　from　their　eyes　then　the　film　through　which　they　had　looked　at　victory。　　No　more　would　they　torture　at　the　stake。　　For　them　the　happy　hunting…grounds　was　now。　　They　knew　it；　but　as　their　father's　sons　they　acquitted　themselves。　　Even　then　they　had　time　to　gather　in　a　phalanx　＇dense　formation＇　that　would　have　been　hard　to　break　had　they　risen　quickly；　but　this　they　were　forbidden　to　do　by　the　traditions　of　their　race。　　It　is　written　that　the　noble　savage　must　never　express　surprise　in　the　presence　of　the　white。　　Thus　terrible　as　the　sudden　appearance　of　the　pirates　must　have　been　to　them；　they　remained　stationary　for　a　moment；　not　a　muscle　moving；　as　if　the　foe　had　come　by　invitation。　　Then；　indeed；　the　tradition　gallantly　upheld；　they　seized　their　weapons；　and　the　air　was　torn　with　the　war…cry；　but　it　was　now　too　late。

　　It　is　no　part　of　ours　to　describe　what　was　a　massacre　rather　than　a　fight。　　Thus　perished　many　of　the　flower　of　the　Piccaninny　tribe。　　Not　all　unavenged　did　they　die；　for　with　Lean　Wolf　fell　Alf　Mason；　to　disturb　the　Spanish　Main　no　more；　and　among　others　who　bit　the　dust　were　Geo。　Scourie；　Chas。　Turley；　and　the　Alsatian　Foggerty。　　Turley　fell　to　the　tomahawk　of　the　terrible　Panther；　who　ultimately　cut　a　way　through　the　pirates　with　Tiger　Lily　and　a　small　remnant　of　the　tribe。

　　To　what　extent　Hook　is　to　blame　for　his　tactics　on　this　occasion　is　for　the　historian　to　decide。　　Had　he　waited　on　the　rising　ground　till　the　proper　hour　he　and　his　men　would　probably　have　been　butchered；　and　in　judging　him　it　is　only　fair　to　take　this　into　account。　　What　he　should　perhaps　have　done　was　to　acquaint　his　opponents　that　he　proposed　to　follow　a　new　method。　　On　the　other　hand；　this；　as　destroying　the　element　of　surprise；　would　have　made　his　strategy　of　no　avail；　so　that　the　whole　question　is　beset　with　difficulties。　　One　cannot　at　least　withhold　a　reluctant　admiration　for　the　wit　that　had　conceived　so　bold　a　scheme；　and　the　fell　＇deadly＇　genius　with　which　it　was　carried　out。

　　What　were　his　own　feelings　about　himself　at　that　triumphant　moment？　　Fain　＇gladly＇　would　his　dogs　have　known；　as　breathing　heavily　and　wiping　their　cutlasses；　they　gathered　at　a　discreet　distance　from　his　hook；　and　squinted　through　their　ferret　eyes　at　this　extraordinary　man。　　Elation　must　have　been　in　his　heart；　but　his　face　did　not　reflect　it：　　ever　a　dark　and　solitary　enigma；　he　stood　aloof　from　his　followers　in　spirit　as　in　substance。

　　The　night's　work　was　not　yet　over；　for　it　was　not　the　redskins　he　had　come　out　to　destroy；　they　were　but　the　bees　to　be　smoked；　so　that　he　should　get　at　the　honey。　　It　was　Pan　he　wanted；　Pan　and　Wendy　and　their　band；　but　chiefly　Pan。

　　Peter　was　such　a　small　boy　that　one　tends　to　wonder　at　the　man's　hatred　of　him。　　True　he　had　flung　Hook's　arm　to　the　crocodile；　but　even　this　and　the　increased　insecurity　of　life　to　which　it　led；　owing　to　the　crocodile's　pertinacity　＇persistance＇；　hardly　account　for　a　vindictiveness　so　relentless　and　malignant。　　The　truth　is　that　there　was　a　something　about　Peter　which　goaded　the　pirate　captain　to　frenzy。　　It　was　not　his　courage；　it　was　not　his　engaging　appearance；　it　was　not　。　　There　is　no　beating　about　the　bush；　for　we　know　quite　well　what　it　was；　and　have　got　to　tell。　　It　was　Peter's　cockiness。

　　This　had　got　on　Hook's　nerves；　it　made　his　iron　claw　twitch；　and　at　night　it　disturbed　him　like　an　insect。　　While　Peter　lived；　the　tortured　man　felt　that　he　was　a　lion　in　a　cage　into　which　a　sparrow　had　come。

　　The　question　now　was　how　to　get　down　the　trees；　or　how　to　get　his　dogs　down？　　He　ran　his　greedy　eyes　over　them；　searching　for　the　thinnest　ones。　　They　wriggled　uncomfortably；　for　they　knew　he　would　not　scruple　＇hesitate＇　to　ram　them　down　with　poles。

　　In　the　meantime；　what　of　the　boys？　　We　have　seen　them　at　the　first　clang　of　the　weapons；　turned　as　it　were　into　stone　figures；　open…mouthed；　all　appealing　with　outstretched　arms　to　Peter；　and　we　return　to　them　as　their　mouths　close；　and　their　arms　fall　to　their　sides。　　The　pandemonium　above　has　ceased　almost　as　suddenly　as　it　arose；　passed　like　a　fierce　gust　of　wind；　but　they　know　that　in　the　passing　it　has　determined　their　fate。

　　Which　side　had　won？

　　The　pirates；　listening　avidly　at　the　mouths　of　the　trees；　heard　the　question　put　by　every　boy；　and　alas；　they　also　heard　Peter's　answer。

　　〃If　the　redskins　have　won；〃　he　said；　〃they　will　beat　the　tom…　tom；　it　is　always　their　sign　of　victory。〃

　　Now　Smee　had　found　the　tom…tom；　and　was　at　that　moment　sitting　on　it。　　〃You　will　never　hear　the　tom…tom　again；〃　he　muttered；　but　inaudibly　of　course；　for　strict　silence　had　been　enjoined　＇urged＇。　　To　his　amazement　Hook　signed　him　to　beat　the　tom…tom；　　and　slowly　there　came　to　Smee　an　understanding　of　the　dreadful　wickedness　of　the　order。　　Never；　probably；　had　this　simple　man　admired　Hook　so　much。

　　Twice　Smee　beat　upon　the　instrument；　and　then　stopped　to　listen　gleefully。

　　〃The　tom…tom；〃　the　miscreants　heard　Peter　cry；　〃an　Indian　victory！〃　　　　　The　doomed　children　answered　with　a　cheer　that　was　music　to　the　black　hearts　above；　and　almost　immediately　they　repeated　their　good…byes　to　Peter。　　This　puzzled　the　pirates；　but　all　their　other　feelings　were　swallowed　by　a　base　delight　that　the　enemy　were　about　to　come　up　the　trees。　　They　smirked　at　each　other　and　rubbed　their　hands。　　Rapidly　and　silently　Hook　gave　his　orders：　　one　man　to　each　tree；　and　the　others　to　arrange　themselves　in　a　line　two　yards　apart。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　13

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　DO　YOU　BELIEVE　IN　FAIRIES？


　　The　more　quickly　this　horror　is　disposed　of　the　better。　　The　first　to　emerge　from　his　tree　was　Curly。　　He　rose　out　of　it　into　the　arms　of　Cecco；　who　flung　him　to　Smee；　who　flung　him　to　Starkey；　who　f