Peter and the Starcatchers Read Online Free PDF Page B

Tubby Ted. “He fed us worms !”
    Hungry Bob picked up the worm and looked at Tubby Ted.
    “You ain’t gonna eat this?” he asked.
    Tubby Ted shook his head violently.
    “Your loss,” said Hungry Bob. Then, as the boys watched, slack-jawed, he popped the worm into his mouth, chewed thoughtful y, and swal owed.
    “Moth maggot,” he said. “I prefers fly, but moth is good, too.”
    Tubby Ted turned away, retching.
    “You eat worms ?” said Peter.
    “I eats what I can, on this ship,” said Hungry Bob. “Ate a piece of rope once. Two months at sea, we was. Mr. Slank had me lashed for that, but it was worth it. That was tasty rope. You boys’d be wise to eat whatever you get, because you won’t get much.”
    “But,” said Peter, “I mean … worms! ”
    “If you don’t fancy worms,” said Hungry Bob, nodding toward the communal bowl, “you don’t want to know what else Cook puts in there. Let’s just say worms is one of the choicer items.”
    Thomas, peering into the pot again, gasped.
    “There’s something swimming in there!” he said. “It’s … it’s a mouse!”
    “Real y?” said Hungry Bob, looking into the pot. “Why, so it is! Cook must be in a generous mood. Usual y he don’t serve mouse ’cept on special occasions like Christmas.” Thomas moved away from the pot. “I’m not hungry,” he said.
    “Nor me,” said James, and then Prentiss. Tubby Ted was stil retching.
    “Sir, we can’t eat this,” said Peter.
    “As you like,” said Hungry Bob, picking up the pot. “This’l make a fine dinner for me. But in a day or two you boys’l get hungry, and I’l be taking this pot out polished clean by your tongues.”
    “I don’t think so,” said Peter. “Look, sir, there must be better food on this ship.”
    “Oh, there is, there is,” agreed Hungry Bob. “But not for me or you.”
    “But, sir,” said Peter, “please, if you would …”
    “Listen, boy,” interrupted Hungry Bob. “You’re wasting your time talking to me. I ain’t the one who decides these things. I’m a deck rat, not the captain.”
    “Wel ,” said Peter, “what if I ask the captain?”
    That struck Hungry Bob as even funnier than the request for spoons.
    “Ask the captain?” he roared, almost choking. “Ask the captain ? Yes! You do that! You ask Captain Pembridge for a nice dinner!” Chuckling, muttering “Ask the captain!” to himself, Hungry Bob ducked back through the opening, carrying the dinner pot. The younger boys looked at Peter, who was not sure he liked being the one who was supposed to know what to do.
    “Al right, then,” he said.
    The boys kept watching him.
    “Al right, then,” Peter repeated. “I’l be back.”
    “Where are you going, Peter?” asked James.
    “I’m going to go see the captain,” said Peter. He wasn’t sure this was a good idea, especial y after Slank’s warning to stay away from the aft part of the ship. But he figured he had to do something.
    “You wait here,” he said to the boys, and ducked out into the passageway.
    As Peter climbed the ladder, he heard a drunken voice bel owing. Reaching the deck, he looked around and saw that the voice was coming from amidships, where a red-faced and very round man in a comical y elaborate, too-smal uniform was shouting odd orders to an audience consisting of Slank and a half-dozen crewmen.
    “AVAST THE MAIN MIZZEN!” the round man shouted.
    “You heard Captain Pembridge!” shouted Slank. “Avast the main mizzen!” His voice was stern, but Peter saw he was smirking.
    “Aye, aye, sir!” shouted the men, and, grinning, they began fussing busily with various lines, tying and untying knots. Peter didn’t know anything about ships, but he could see immediately that they were merely pretending to do something nautical.
    “KEELHAUL THE SCUPPERS!” shouted the captain.
    “You heard Captain Pembridge!” shouted Slank, struggling to keep his tone serious. “Let’s get them scuppers keelhauled!” The