was raining cats and dogs, such belligerent shower all
unprovoked by him who had picked no quarrels nor even been aware of his
enemies until they assailed him. Brave the fox-terriers were, despite
the hysterical rage they were in, and they were upon him as he got his
legs under him. The fangs of one clashed with his, cutting the lips of
both of them, and the lighter dog recoiled from the impact. The other
succeeded in taking Michael in flank, fetching blood and hurt with his
teeth. With an instant curve, that was almost spasmodic, of his body,
Michael flung his flank clear, leaving the other's mouth full of his
hair, and at the same moment drove his teeth through an ear till they
met. The fox-terrier, with a shrill yelp of pain, sprang back so
impetuously as to ribbon its ear as Michael's teeth combed through it.

The first terrier was back upon him, and he was whirling to meet it, when
a new and equally unprovoked assault was made upon him. This time it was
Captain Duncan, in a rage at sight of his slain cat. The instep of his
foot caught Michael squarely under the chest, half knocking the breath
out of him and wholly lifting him into the air, so that he fell heavily
on his side. The two terriers were upon him, filling their mouths with
his straight, wiry hair as they sank their teeth in. Still on his side,
as he was beginning to struggle to his feet, he clipped his jaws together
on a leg of one, who screamed with pain and retreated on three legs,
holding up the fourth, a fore leg, the bone of which Michael's teeth had
all but crushed.

Twice Michael slashed the other four-footed foe and then pursued him in a
circle with Captain Duncan pursuing him in turn. Shortening the distance
by leaping across a chord of the arc of the other's flight, Michael
closed his jaws on the back and side of the neck. Such abrupt arrest in
mid-flight by the heavier dog brought the fox-terrier down on deck with,
a heavy thump. Simultaneous with this, Captain Duncan's second kick
landed, communicating such propulsion to Michael as to tear his clenched
teeth through the flesh and out of the flesh of the fox-terrier.

And Michael turned on the Captain. What if he were a white god? In his
rage at so many assaults of so many enemies, Michael, who had been
peacefully looking for Kwaque and Steward, did not stop to reckon.
Besides, it was a strange white god upon whom he had never before laid
eyes.

At the beginning he had snarled