"That's him," said Peter.

"What is he like? Is he big?"

"He is not so big as he was."

"How do you mean?"

"I cut off a bit of him."

"You!"

"Yes, me," said Peter sharply.

"I wasn't meaning to be disrespectful."

"Oh, all right."

"But, I say, what bit?"

"His right hand."

"Then he can't fight now?"

"Oh, can't he just!"

"Left-hander?"

"He has an iron hook instead of a right hand, and he claws with
it."

"Claws!"

"I say, John," said Peter.

"Yes."

"Say, `Ay, ay, sir.'"

"Ay, ay, sir."

"There is one thing," Peter continued, "that every boy who
serves under me has to promise, and so must you."

John paled.

"It is this, if we meet Hook in open fight, you must leave him
to me."

"I promise," John said loyally.

For the moment they were feeling less eerie, because Tink was
flying with them, and in her light they could distinguish each
other. Unfortunately she could not fly so slowly as they, and
so she had to go round and round them in a circle in which they
moved as in a halo. Wendy quite liked it, until Peter pointed
out the drawbacks.

"She tells me," he said, "that the pirates sighted us before
the darkness came, and got Long Tom out."

"The big gun?"

"Yes. And of course they must see her light, and if they guess
we are near it they are sure to let fly."

"Wendy!"

"John!"

"Michael!"

"Tell her to go away at once, Peter," the three cried
simultaneously, but he refused.