The times., 1899-03-12
Z !! ] j-.1I1t|[:1l,1 1lj(I{1t1,1(111 ! ]

went On, in perfect silence as far were
concerned. because. even had there been any
noiSa distance from the nt conflict
would not have permitted to hear IT.
Thinking that such a sight ought no; 10 be
missed by the captain. | oycrcame my dread Of
linn sufficiently to call him and tell linn oi what
va taking place. lie met my remarks wlth
such a furious burst Of anger az my daring TO
disturb him for ssi,h 4 cause. that fed prcclnI-
lately dcci again, having the remainder Of
the vision myself. for ui the others cared
ssIflio -n;iy for such things To lose five minutes
sleep in witnessing them. The conflict ceased,
the sea rcs3med its placid calm. and nothing re
maiI.od tel OF tie fight int strong od"r OF
fish, st hank ui SCawcJd ieit by TIE tide in
the blazing Eight bells struck, and went
below Ia q troubled sleep. wherein all the awful
monsters that cvcreNCitud brain could conJurc
up pursued me through the gloomy caves Of
OCEAN, or lnockcd my lfiglny efforts 10 escape.
Some of the battles described in the book
were not witnessed under such favorable
conditions, and on one occasion the mar
ratcr came near being actually swallow
ed by a whale, Ia Jonah.
The Captain Slocum of this narrative
has one trait in common with the Disko
troop OF Captains Courageous us''-sccretive-
ness. He seems 10 have been most re-
sourceful man, and in spite Of his brutality
admired by the crew on that account.
The event b. which he came to his end
is perhaps the most dramatic thing in the
book. Through several chapters runs a
chain of incident. showing the hard con-
ditiors Of life on board the Cachalot, and
the unTelentng severity of discipline. In
these incidents one figure stands OUT
remarkable distinotness-tha of Goliath"
Jones. the gigantic fourth mate. He is the
only character in the book, unless it be
the author. of whom we get a complete
picture. There is a little story of some
drunken sailors ashore on liberty" which
reads rather like tale of the Berserker
! than like modern fiction. II runs as fol-
lows:
We sitting down TO supper when, in
answer 10 hail from the beach, we wers or
dered to fetch the liberty men. When we got
10 them there was a pretty how'd ye-do. All of
them were more or less drunk. some exceedingly
quarrcisome. Now, Mistah Jones was steering
our boat, looking rs little like man to take
sauce from ! drunken sailor you could i'm
aginc. Most of the transformed ya-hooing
the beach had felt the weight of his shoulder
of-mution fist Vet so utterly had prudence for
saken them that, before came near them,
they abusing him through all the varied
Gamut OF filthy language they possessed. My
democratic sentiments deeply seated, but /
do believe in authority, and respect for it being
rigidy enforced; so this uncalled-for scene upset
me, making feel anxious that the gbbering
fools might get lesson. They got
Goliath stood like a tower, his eyes alone be
trsying the fierce anger boiling within When
touched the beach his voice mild and
gentle 4 ohild's. his movements calm and de-
liberate. 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. Snatchng the loudest of them
by the breast Of his shirt with his right hand,
another one by the collar with his left, lac flung
himself backward toward the boat, knocking the
inteueners right and lett. But & protruding
fragment Of rock C. ght his heel, bringing him
with his captives 10 the ground in writhing
mass. The rest, maddened beyond restraint Of
fear. flung themselves upon the PROSTATE man,
the glinner Of more than one knife blade ap-
pearing. Two Of Us from the boat-one with the
tiller, the ether bTsndisliiEg paddle-rushed to
the rescue: but before arrived the giant had
heaved off his sssailauts and, with no other wea-
pom than his bare hands. doing terrific exc
cutiOu among them. Not knowing, ! suppose,
whether we were friendly 10 him or not, he
shouted 10 US to keep away, nor dare to inter
iere. There was no need. Designating such
rrifes few superficial cuts-not feeling them
peThaps-hc numerically mauled that crowd
! that they howled again for mercy. The battle
was brief and bloody. Before hostiities had
lasted five minutes six OF the aggrcssors were
stretched insensible; the rest, comprising many
more, were pleading for mercy, completely So
Der. Such proves on the part Of one man
against twelve seems hardly credible; but ii
| must be remembered that Goliath fought with all
the moral force of the ships officers behind him
against disorganized crowd without backbone,
who would never have dared 10 face him but for
the temporary mania induced by the stuff they
had drunk. Il was conflict between a lion and
troop of iackals.
Standing erect among the covering creatures
the great negro looked every inch medieval he
70. In a stern voice he bade his subiIgated
enemies 10 get into the boat. assisting those &c
do SO who were too badly hurt TO rise. Then We
showed of for the sAip-a sorrowful gang, in
| deed.
! II may be worth noting that when the
/ captain came TO inquire into this matter
having witnessed the trouble from the deck
! Goliath made an earnest but unavailine
| plea for mercy for the delinquents.
The last scene in the career of this dusty
| giant is both dramatic and pathetic, with c
| hint OF that element in human life which
/ is sometimes called the supernatural. Mr.
/ Bullen describes 1t as follows:
One night as we We're nearing the Kuriis
! again. IN our way south. leaving the Sea o
| Okhotsk / had been sitting absorbed il
| thought for nearly an hour, when Goliath cam
/ and seated himself BY my side. We had slway
been great friends. although. owing to the siTic
discipline maintained aboard, it was not oftei
| vr gol chance for "wec bit crack as tn
I Scotch say. IIc s5t for 8 minute or two silent
! fbcr. Il compelled 20 speak. he began in low
irroc whispers 10 tell Of hi- miserable state
I mind. At lat, aiter recapitGlJting many slight
Z EuI insults lie lad received silently from tn
J captain, Of which ] had previously known moth
; iug ne became strangely calm In tones quit
. unlike bis usual voice he sIid that he was no
I an Ameucan-b1ru negro, but pure African
I who had becn en-lavcd In l!s infancy, with hi
( mother. son'HhrTc in tho "iIinteTland" O.
Guiuca. While stin child his mother escape
with linn into Liberia. where he had rename
I until her death. She was, according 10 him. a
Oboah woman u gTcat power. yencratcd exceed
ingiy by her own people FOR her prophetic ahili
1 ties. Before her death she had told him tina
he would die suddenly, violently, In a stTuggl
with white man IN far-of country. but tina
the white would die, too, by his hand. Sii
had also told him that he would he great trsl
elcr and hunter upon the sea. As he went O
bis speech became almost uniUtcliigible, beiu
mingled with fragments Of language ! had ncN
/ Cr heard before. Moreover, he spoke as a ma
who is only half awake. strange terror g
hold OF me; for ! began 10 think he was goin
mad, and perhaps about 10 run amok, as the NJ.
lays do when driven frantic by the inAct0n
real or fancicd wrongs.
But he gradually returned 10 his old self, :
. my great relief. and / ventured somewhat timiC
ly 10 remind him Of the esteem in which he va
held by al hands. the skipper ! venture
| 10 say, respected him. although, from some d.
tes,sbe tonn Of ill-humor, he had chosen to 1
sueering and insulting toward him. lie shoe
his head sadly. and said, My dear boy you's
! de only aboard dis slip-w te man, dat IS
dat don't hate an despiSe me because oh N
2 color, w'ich / CANT hep; and de God you b'
licve in bless YOU fer dat. As for me, what
done toic you's true, m befo' berry little wi
you see il come tue. ~ wen dat happc
watts cvinc Ter happen. rs real glad ter thin
it gwine ter be better fer you-gwine ter be be
ter for even body board de Cach'lot; but doa
kcer nufin' bout anybody else. 50 long" II
held out his great black hand. and shook mil
heartily while a big tear rolled down lis ia,
and fell on the deck. And with that he left II
4 prey 10 4 yery whirlpool Of conflicting though
and fears
When came on deck at eight bells II was
! stark calm. / made at once for Il
nainrgging. and had got half way 10 the to
when some unusual sounds below arrested me.
All hands gathered in the waist-a not III
usual Thing the changing Of the watch.
the midst Of them I looked down, two me
came together in a fierce struggle. They we
Gg1i4tb md he skinner Cautaiu GloCytu's ripl