Питер Пэн и Венди
The Island Come True
Strungaroundthemarescalps,ofboysaswellasofpirates,forthesearethePiccaninnytribe,andnottobeconfusedwiththesofter-heartedDelawaresortheHurons.Inthevan,onallfours,isGreatBigLittlePanther,abraveofsomanyscalpsthatinhispresentpositiontheysomewhatimpedehisprogress.Bringinguptherear,theplaceofgreatestdanger,comesTigerLily,proudlyerect,aprincessinherownright.SheisthemostbeautifulofduskyDianasandthebelleofthePiccaninnies,coquettish,coldandamorousbyturns;thereisnotabravewhowouldnothavethewaywardthingtowife,butshestavesoffthealtarwithahatchet.Observehowtheypassoverfallentwigswithoutmakingtheslightestnoise.Theonlysoundtobeheardistheirsomewhatheavybreathing.Thefactisthattheyareallalittlefatjustnowaftertheheavygorging,butintimetheywillworkthisoff.Forthemoment,however,itconstitutestheirchiefdanger.
Theredskinsdisappearastheyhavecomelikeshadows,andsoontheirplaceistakenbythebeasts,agreatandmotleyprocession:lions,tigers,bears,andtheinnumerablesmallersavagethingsthatfleefromthem,foreverykindofbeast,and,moreparticularly;alltheman-eaters,livecheekbyjowlonthefavouredisland.Theirtonguesarehangingout,theyarehungryto-night.
Whentheyhavepassed,comesthelastfigureofall,agiganticcrocodile.Weshallseeforwhomsheislookingpresently.
Thecrocodilepasses,butsoontheboysappearagain,fortheprocessionmustcontinueindefinitelyuntiloneofthepartiesstopsorchangesitspace.
