midnight
When he pointed with both hands to the women and children , and spoke in tender tones , instantly thereafter growling in his speech , gnashing his teeth , glaring fiercely , waving one hand at the surrounding hills and shaking the other , clenched , at the unoffending sea -- he was obviously stating his grievances , namely , that the white men had come there to wrest from him his native hills and glaciers , and rob him of his wife and children , and that he defied them to come on and do their worst , seeing that , in regard to the whole assembled white world in arms he did not care a button -- or a walrus-tusk , for buttons were unknown to these creatures at that time . When , suddenly changing his manner and tone , he seized a spear , hissed his sentiments through his teeth with great volubility , and made a furious plunge that caused the assembly to gasp , and the man nearest the spear point to shrivel up -- what _ could _ be his meaning save that nothing short of a hole right through the body of a Norseman could appease the spirit of indignation that caused his blood to boil ? And when , finally , he pointed to the setting sun , traced a line with his finger from it downward to the centre of the earth under his feet , then shook his spear wrathfully toward the sea and wound up with a tremendous Ho ! that would have startled the echoes of the place had there been any there , it was plain to the meanest capacity that an attack -- impetuous and overwhelming -- was to be made on the strangers at midnight . Whatever were his sentiments , the assembly heartily appreciated , applauded , and approved them . They cheered and shouted `` Hear , hear , '' after their own fashion , and then the whole band rushed back into the mountain gorge , -- doubtless with the intent to gorge themselves with raw blubber , prepare their weapons , and snatch a little repose before issuing forth to battle . But let us return to the Norsemen , over whose innocent heads such awful prospects were impending .