He had ticked so long that he now went on ticking without knowing that he was doing it . Had he known he would have stopped , for to board the brig by help of the tick , though an ingenious idea , had not occurred to him . On the contrary , he thought he had scaled her side as noiseless as a mouse ; and he was amazed to see the pirates cowering from him , with Hook in their midst as abject as if he had heard the crocodile . The crocodile ! No sooner did Peter remember it than he heard the ticking . At first he thought the sound did come from the crocodile , and he looked behind him swiftly . Then he realised that he was doing it himself , and in a flash he understood the situation . `` How clever of me ! '' he thought at once , and signed to the boys not to burst into applause . It was at this moment that Ed Teynte the quartermaster emerged from the forecastle and came along the deck . Now , reader , time what happened by your watch . Peter struck true and deep . John clapped his hands on the ill-fated pirate 's mouth to stifle the dying groan . He fell forward . Four boys caught him to prevent the thud . Peter gave the signal , and the carrion was cast overboard . There was a splash , and then silence . How long has it taken ? `` One ! '' -LRB- Slightly had begun to count . -RRB-
None too soon , XXXXX , every inch of him on tiptoe , vanished into the cabin ; for more than one pirate was screwing up his courage to look round .
John Peter Teynte carrion crocodile first forecastle mouse pirates splash