The cabbage went high and spattered all
over the opposite wall.
The bully glared like an enraged bull at me.
"I'll--"
Quaking in my boots, I made my eyes glare level with his.
"Listen to me, bo," I bluffed, "I ain't much on guff, and I don't want
specially to fight ... but I'm waiter in this mess room and you don't
pull anything like this here, unless you do it over my dead body."
"That's just what I will do ... I'll--I'll--" and the chap, pale with
what seemed insane rage, started to his feet.
"Ah, sit down!" I commanded, marvelling at my nerve, and pushing him
violently by the shoulders back on the bench ... then, deliberately, I
turned my back, and walked away, expecting any moment to have him on me
like a clawing wild cat.
With seeming calm and nonchalance I made the kitchen. With a semblance
of outward serenity I picked up a rag and returned to wipe off the wall.
I was vastly relieved to find that the bluff had worked.
The Canuck was finishing his meal in silence.
From that moment till the end of the voyage he was as quiet and
Unobtrusive as anyone could wish him to be....
* * * * *
I have a curious habit of often waking up in the night from deep
slumber, and breaking into laughter over some funny incident or other
that has happened to me a long time ago ... I have chuckled over this
incident many times .
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