164 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT." 



are deeply seated, but I do believe in authority, and 

 respect for it being rigidly enforced, so this uncalled- 

 for scene upset me, making me feel anxious that the 

 gibbering fools might get a lesson. They got one. 



Goliath stood like a tower, his eyes alone betraying 

 the fierce anger boiling within. When we touched the 

 beach, his voice was mild and gentle as a child's, his 

 movements calm and deliberate. As soon as we had 

 beached the boat he stepped ashore, and in two strides 

 was in the middle of the snarling group. Further 

 parley ceased at once. Snatching the loudest of them 

 by the breast of his shirt with his right hand, another 

 one by the collar with his left, he flung himself back- 

 wards towards the boat, knocking the interveners right 

 and left. But a protruding fragment of rock caught 

 his heel, bringing him with his captives to the ground 

 in a writhing mass. The rest, maddened beyond 

 restraint of fear, flung themselves upon the prostrate 

 man, the glimmer of more than one knife-blade appear- 

 ing. Two of us from the boat — one with the tiller, the 

 other brandishing a paddle — rushed to the rescue ; but 

 before we arrived the giant had heaved off his assailants, 

 and, with no other weapons than his bare hands, was 

 doing terrific execution among them. Not knowing, I 

 suppose, whether we were friendly to him or not, he 

 shouted to us to keep away, nor dare to interfere. 

 There was no need. Disregarding such trifles as a few 

 superficial cuts — not feeling them perhaps — he so un- 

 mercifully mauled that crowd that they howled again 

 for mercy. The battle was brief and bloody. Before 

 hostilities had lasted five minutes, six of the aggressors 

 were stretched insensible ; the rest, comprising as many 

 more, were pleading for mercy, completely sober. Such 



