CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Fight to the Death

Peter had run as fast as his legs could across the whole island. The whole time he ran he was thinking about two things: saving Wendy and killing Hook. Truthfully Peter had often felt that fighting the pirates was a game, but now he realized that it was serious. As he ran he grasped his knife tighter and tighter.

Before arriving at the lake, Peter saw the great crocodile swimming slowly along the island's river. He noticed that the crocodile wasn't making a ticking sound—the clock must have stopped working. Peter could imitate any sound and started imitating the tick sound so that the beasts on the island would think he was the crocodile and run away. When he arrived at the lake and began swimming, he continued making the ticking sound.

Peter was a fast swimmer; he reached the pirate ship quickly. He climbed onto the ship and looked around. He thought that he had climbed on he had to be silent, but he saw all the pirates standing closely around Hook and guarding him. Hook looked very frightened, just like a little child. Peter then remembered that he himself had been making the crocodile sound as he swam and that Hook thought the crocodile was close by.

Just as Peter climbed onto the ship a pirate came out of the ship's kitchen and moved towards the place where Peter Pan was standing. Peter was very fast and he quickly pushed his knife deep into the pirate's chest. Peter covered the pirate's mouth so that he could not scream and then threw the dead body into the water. He did all of this in less than one minute.

The children could see Peter do this, but the pirates, who were all guarding the captain at the front of the boat, could not. Peter walked into the kitchen quietly. The pirates heard the sound of the crocodile disappear and began to relax.

When Hook recovered his breath and courage, he thought about the prisoners again. He was embarrassed that the boys and Wendy had seen him be so scared and weak and he hated them even more. He became angry and asked the children:

"Would you boys like to be whipped before we throw you into the water to die?"

"No!" they all cried loudly, and fell to their knees begging for mercy.

Hook smiled his terrible smile. "Go get my whip, Jukes!" he ordered. "It's in the kitchen."

The kitchen! Peter was in the kitchen! The boys stared at each other and didn't know what to do.

Jukes entered the kitchen and the door closed loudly behind him. Suddenly a horrible scream filled the air.

After the scream the boat was filled with a strange singing sound. The pirates did not understand this strange sound, but the boys all knew that it was Peter's victory song.

"What was that?" asked Hook shocked.

"Cecco, go to see what happened!" the captain ordered.

Cecco was the bravest of the pirate's, but he did not want to go. Hook raised up his iron hook to Cecco's neck, making him obey.

Cecco turned around and slowly walked into the kitchen. Again there was a terrible scream, and then the Peter's victory song.

"Enough!" yelled Hook, "Who will go to the kitchen and get the killer?" His eyes stared at Starkey.

"Did I hear you say 'yes'?" Hook asked Starkey, with a horrible smile.

"No, I didn't!" the terrified pirate cried.

"But I think you did!" said the captain, raising his iron hook to Starkey's neck.

"Let's first wait until Cecco comes back," Starkey said. The rest of the pirates nodded their heads to agree.

"I suggest that you go immediately!" screamed Hook, bringing the hook up just over Starkey's head.

"I'd rather jump into the sea!" Starkey said.

"Is this a mutiny?" yelled Hook with great power in his voice.

"Please, have mercy captain!" Starkey cried.

Hook brought his terrible iron hand down close to Starkey's head. The other pirates just stood where they were, none of them dared to stop him.

"Go!" yelled Hook.

Starkey began to walk toward the kitchen. Before he got there he let out a scream of sadness and jumped off the ship into the sea.

The pirates were all silent for a moment. Then Captain Hook yelled:

"You're all as scared and weak as little boys!" he screamed, "I'll go get the killer myself!"

Hook grasped a light and raised his iron hook, then walked slowly into the kitchen. A short moment later, he came back out without the light.

"Something grabbed my light," he explained weakly.

"What happened to Jukes and Cecco?" the other pirates asked.

"They're both dead!" replied Hook.

Hook did not want to go back into the kitchen and it made him look scared and weak in front of his men.

"We're all going to die!" cried one pirate.

The children all began yelling happily at the pirates' fear. Hook was fighting to control his men, and almost forgot about his prisoners.

"I have an idea, pirates!" Hook said to his men. "Let's make the children go in and fight the murderer! If they kill him, it is good for us; if he kills all of them, we will not care!"

The pirates all thought that this was a great idea and began to push the boys into the kitchen. The boys all pretended to be afraid as the pirates pushed them. Wendy was still tied up outside and waited for Peter to come out and save her.

Meanwhile Peter had found the key to unlock the boys' chains in the kitchen. He unlocked their chains and they were free. He then told them to let out horrible screams so that the pirates would think that they were killed. When the pirates heard all of the boys screaming they began to be very afraid and some jumped off the ship into the water.

All the boys found knives and other things they could use as weapons in the kitchen. Peter told them that they should go unlock Wendy and fly away together, but then he remembered his promise: "Hook or I will die this time!"

"We must fight and stop these pirates forever," he told the boys.

Peter quickly and quietly went out to where Wendy was chained and unlocked her. Hook and the pirates were still at the front of the ship, scared from all the screams in the kitchen.

Everything was ready, so Peter called out, "Come, boys, and attack them!"

The boys ran forward shouting and carrying their weapons. The sound of swords and screams of excitement filled the air as the boys took revenge on the pirates. There were still many pirates on the ship and they might have beaten the boys; but, instead of staying together, they ran around wildly around the ship, each man only thinking of his own life.

After a long fight all of the pirates were dead except Captain Hook. Hook was so terrible that, even while alone, he seemed as strong as the whole group of boys. Each time they attacked him, he fought them back.

"Put down your weapons, boys!" Peter yelled in a loud voice, "This fight is mine!"

The boys stepped back and Peter Pan came face to face with Captain James Hook.

"Dark and horrible man, I will kill you!" Peter said.

The fight began. Hook was much bigger and stronger than Peter Pan, but Peter could fly. He flew around so quickly that Hook could not hit him.

In the end, Peter was too fast for Captain Hook. Each time that Hook attacked with his sword, Peter would quickly make a small cut in Hook's face. Then Peter swung his knife and hit Hook's sword out of his hand. Hook attacked wildly with his iron hook, but Peter was too far in the air.

Finally, Hook was too tired to fight. He saw Peter preparing his knife for a final cut. Hook ran to the side of the ship and jumped into the water. However, Hook did not look before he jumped; the great crocodile was waiting there silently in the water.

The crocodile's mouth opened wide when he saw Hook jump. Hook's arm had been the most delicious thing that the crocodile had ever eaten. He had waited many years to eat his whole body. As Hook fell he saw the crocodile rise up out of the water and open his great mouth. Hook screamed a terrible scream as the crocodile bit into his leg and pulled him under the water.

This was the end of Captain James Hook, one of the most violent and terrible pirates in history!

(end of section)