stood up by the door with his eyes blazing like a wild-cat's, and
delivered what he called his "testimony." His voice had been used to
shout orders on shipboard, and not one of us could stop his ears
against it. Never have I heard such a medley of profane nonsense. He
cursed the man Charles Stuart, and every councillor by name; he cursed
the Persecutors, from his Highness of York down to one Welch of
Borrowstoneness, who had been the means of his first imprisonment; he
cursed the indulged and tolerated ministers; and he cursed every man of
the hill-folk whose name he could remember. He testified against all
dues and cesses, against all customs and excises, taxes and burdens;
against beer and ale and wines and tobacco; against mumming and
peep-shows and dancing, and every sort of play; against Christmas and
Easter and Pentecost and Hogmanay. Then most nobly did he embark on
theology. He made short work of hell and shorter work of heaven. He
raved against idolaters of the Kirk and of the Bible, and against all
preachers who, by his way of it, had perverted the Word. As he went on,
I began to fancy that Muckle John's true place was with the Mussulmans,
for he left not a stick of Christianity behind him.

Such blasphemy on the open hill-side had been shocking enough, but in
that narrow room it was too horrid to be borne. The minister stuck his
fingers in his ears, and, advancing to the maniac, bade him be silent
before God should blast him. But what could his thin old voice do
against Gib's bellowing? The mariner went on undisturbed, and gave the
old man a blow with his foot which sent him staggering to the floor.

The thing had become too much for my temper. I cried on the other men
to help me, but none stirred, for Gib seemed to cast an unholy spell on
ordinary folk. But my anger and discomfort banished all fear, and I
rushed at the prophet in a whirlwind. He had no eyes for my coming till