In the forecastle, the sailors had actually caulked and pitched their chests, and filled them; it was humorously added, that the cook had clapped a head on his largest boiler, and filled it; that the steward had plugged his spare coffee-pot and filled it. The harpooneers had headed the sockets of their irons and filled them; that indeed everything was filled with sperm, except the captains pantaloons pockets, and those he reserved to thrust his hands into, in self-complacent testimony of his entire satisfaction.As this glad ship of good luck bore down upon the moody Pequod, the Barbarian Sound of enormous drums came from her forecastle.Drawing still nearer, a crowd of men were seen standing round her huge try-pots, which, covered her with the parchment-like POKE or stomach skin of the black fish, gave forth a loud roar to every stroke of the clenched hands of the crew. On the quarter-deck, the mates and harpooneers were dancing with the olive-hued girls who had eloped with them from the Polynesian Isles.

Whatever it was, it was coming slowly toward the entrance of the cave, and now, deep and forbidding, it uttered a low and ominous growl. I waited no longer to dispute possession of the ledge with the thing which owned that voice. The noise had not been loud I doubt if the Sagoths heard it at all but the suggestion of latent possibilities behind it was such that I knew it would only emanate.

As I backed along the ledge I soon was past the mouth of the cave, where I no longer could see those fearful flaming eyes, but an instant later I caught sight of the fiendish face of a Sagoth as it warily advanced beyond the cliffs turn on the far side of the caves mouth. As the fellow saw me he leaped along the ledge in pursuit, and after him came as many of his companions as could crowd upon each other heels. At the same time the beast emerged from the cave.

The thing was an enormous cave bear, rearing its colossal bulk fully eight feet at the shoulder, while from the tip of its nose to the end of its stubby tail it was fully twelve feet in length. As it sighted the Sagoths it emitted a most frightful roar, and with open mouth charged full upon them. With a cry of terror the foremost gorilla-man turned to escape, but behind him he ran full upon his on-rushing companions.