He was never more sinister than when he was most polite , which is probably the truest test of breeding ; and the elegance of his diction , even when he was swearing , no less than the distinction of his demeanour , showed him one of a different caste from his crew . A man of indomitable courage , it was said of him that the only thing he shied at was the sight of his own blood , which was thick and of an unusual colour . In dress he somewhat aped the attire associated with the name of Charles II. , having heard it said in some earlier period of his career that he bore a strange resemblance to the ill-fated Stuarts ; and in his mouth he had a holder of his own contrivance which enabled him to smoke two cigars at once . But undoubtedly the grimmest part of him was his iron claw . Let us now kill a pirate , to show Hook 's method . Skylights will do . As they pass , Skylights lurches clumsily against him , ruffling his lace collar ; the hook shoots forth , there is a tearing sound and one screech , then the body is kicked aside , and the pirates pass on . He has not even taken the cigars from his mouth . Such is the terrible man against whom Peter Pan is pitted . Which will win ? On the trail of the pirates , stealing noiselessly down the war-path , which is not visible to inexperienced eyes , come the redskins , every one of them with his eyes peeled . They carry tomahawks and knives , and their naked bodies gleam with paint and oil . Strung around them are scalps , of boys as well as of pirates , for these are the Piccaninny tribe , and not to be confused with the softer-hearted Delawares or the Hurons . In the van , on all fours , is Great Big Little Panther , a brave of so many scalps that in his present position they somewhat impede his progress . Bringing up the rear , the place of greatest danger , comes Tiger Lily , proudly erect , a princess in her own right . She is the most beautiful of dusky Dianas and the belle of the Piccaninnies , coquettish , cold and amorous by turns ; there is not a brave who would not have the wayward thing to wife , but she staves off the altar with a hatchet . Observe how they pass over fallen twigs without making the slightest noise . The only sound to be heard is their somewhat heavy breathing . The fact is that they are all a little fat just now after the heavy gorging , but in time they will work this off . For the moment , however , it constitutes their chief danger .
The XXXXX disappear as they have come like shadows , and soon their place is taken by the beasts , a great and motley procession : lions , tigers , bears , and the innumerable smaller savage things that flee from them , for every kind of beast , and , more particularly ; all the man-eaters , live cheek by jowl on the favoured island .
Hurons II. Piccaninnies Stuarts colour demeanour redskins right stealing war-path