Sufficient of this Hook guessed to persuade him that Peter at last lay at his mercy , but no word of the dark design that now formed in the subterranean caverns of his mind crossed his lips ; he merely signed that the captives were to be conveyed to the ship , and that he would be alone . How to convey them ? Hunched up in their ropes they might indeed be rolled down hill like barrels , but most of the way lay through a morass . Again Hook 's genius surmounted difficulties . He indicated that the little house must be used as a conveyance . The children were flung into it , four stout pirates raised it on their shoulders , the others fell in behind , and singing the hateful pirate chorus the strange procession set off through the wood . I do n't know whether any of the children were crying ; if so , the singing drowned the sound ; but as the little house disappeared in the forest , a brave though tiny jet of smoke issued from its chimney as if defying Hook . Hook saw it , and it did Peter a bad service . It dried up any trickle of pity for him that may have remained in the pirate 's infuriated breast . The first thing he did on finding himself alone in the fast falling night was to tiptoe to Slightly 's tree , and make sure that it provided him with a passage . Then for long he remained brooding ; his hat of ill omen on the sward , so that any gentle breeze which had arisen might play refreshingly through his hair . Dark as were his thoughts his blue eyes were as soft as the periwinkle . Intently he listened for any sound from the nether world , but all was as silent below as above ; the house under the ground seemed to be but one more empty tenement in the void . Was that boy asleep , or did he stand waiting at the foot of Slightly 's tree , with his dagger in his hand ? There was no way of knowing , save by going down . Hook let his cloak slip softly to the ground , and then biting his lips till a lewd blood stood on them , he stepped into the tree . He was a brave man , but for a moment he had to stop there and wipe his brow , which was dripping like a candle . Then , silently , he let himself go into the unknown . He arrived unmolested at the foot of the shaft , and stood still again , biting at his breath , which had almost left him . As his eyes became accustomed to the dim light various objects in the home under the trees took shape ; but the only one on which his greedy gaze rested , long sought for and found at last , was the great bed .
On the bed lay XXXXX fast asleep .
Peter dagger design drowned first left lips night periwinkle sward