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Nextmorning,Monday,afterdisposingoftheembalmedheadtoabarber,forablock,Isettledmyownandcomrade’sbill;using,however,mycomrade’smoney.
Thegrinninglandlord,aswellastheboarders,seemedamazinglytickledatthesuddenfriendshipwhichhadsprungupbetweenmeandQueequeg-especiallyasPeterCoffin’scockandbullstoriesabouthimhadpreviouslysomuchalarmedmeconcerningtheverypersonwhomInowcompaniedwith.
Weborrowedawheelbarrow,andembarkingourthings,includingmyownpoorcarpet-bag,andQueequeg’scanvassackandhammock,awaywewentdownto“theMoss,”thelittleNantucketpacketschoonermooredatthewharf.
Asweweregoingalongthepeoplestared;notatQueequegsomuch-fortheywereusedtoseeingcannibalslikehimintheirstreets,-butatseeinghimandmeuponsuchconfidentialterms.
Butweheededthemnot,goingalongwheelingthebarrowbyturns,andQueequegnowandthenstoppingtoadjustthesheathonhisharpoonbarbs.
Iaskedhimwhyhecarriedsuchatroublesomethingwithhimashore,andwhetherallwhalingshipsdidnotfindtheirownharpoons.
Tothis,insubstance,hereplied,thatthoughwhatIhintedwastrueenough,yethehadaparticularaffectionforhisownharpoon,becauseitwasofassuredstuff,welltriedinmanyamortalcombat,anddeeplyintimatewiththeheartsofwhales.
Inshort,likemanyreapersandmowers,whogointothefarmer’smeadowsarmedwiththeirownscythes-thoughinnowiseobligedtofurnishthem-evenso,Queequeg,forhisownprivatereasons,preferredhisownharpoon.
Shiftingthebarrowfrommyhandtohis,hetoldmeafunnystoryaboutthefirstwheelbarrowhehadeverseen.ItwasinSagHarbor.
Theownersofhisship,itseems,hadlenthimone,inwhichtocarryhisheavychesttohisboardinghouse.
Nottoseemignorantaboutthething-thoughintruthhewasentirelyso,concerningtheprecisewayinwhichtomanagethebarrow-Queequegputshischestuponit;lashesitfast;andthenshouldersthebarrowandmarchesupthewharf.
“Why,”saidI,“Queequeg,youmighthaveknownbetterthanthat,onewouldthink.Didn’tthepeoplelaugh?”
Uponthis,hetoldmeanotherstory.ThepeopleofhisislandofRokovoko,itseems,attheirweddingfeastsexpressthefragrantwaterofyoungcocoanutsintoalargestainedcalabashlikeapunchbowl;andthispunchbowlalwaysformsthegreatcentralornamentonthebraidedmatwherethefeastisheld.
NowacertaingrandmerchantshiponcetouchedatRokovoko,anditscommander-fromallaccounts,averystatelypunctiliousgentleman,atleastforaseacaptain-thiscommanderwasinvitedtotheweddingfeastofQueequeg’ssister,aprettyyoungprincessjustturnedoften.
Well;whenalltheweddingguestswereassembledatthebride’sbamboocottage,thisCaptainmarchesin,andbeingassignedthepostofhonor,placedhimselfoveragainstthepunchbowl,andbetweentheHighPriestandhismajestytheKing,Queequeg’sfather.
Gracebeingsaid,-forthosepeoplehavetheirgraceaswellaswe-thoughQueequegtoldmethatunlikeus,whoatsuchtimeslookdownwardstoourplatters,they,onthecontrary,copyingtheducks,glanceupwardstothegreatGiverofallfeasts-Grace,Isay,beingsaid,theHighPriestopensthebanquetbytheimmemorialceremonyoftheisland;thatis,dippinghisconsecratedandconsecratingfingersintothebowlbeforetheblessedbeveragecirculates.
SeeinghimselfplacednextthePriest,andnotingtheceremony,andthinkinghimself-beingCaptainofaship-ashavingplainprecedenceoveramereislandKing,especiallyintheKing’sownhouse-theCaptaincoollyproceedstowashhishandsinthepunchbowl;-takingitIsupposeforahugefinger-glass.
“Now,”saidQueequeg,“whatyoutinknow?-Didn’tourpeoplelaugh?”
Atlast,passagepaid,andluggagesafe,westoodonboardtheschooner.
Hoistingsail,itglideddowntheAcushnetriver.
Ononeside,NewBedfordroseinterracesofstreets,theirice-coveredtreesallglitteringintheclear,coldair.
Hugehillsandmountainsofcasksoncaskswerepileduponherwharves,andsidebysidetheworld-wanderingwhaleshipslaysilentandsafelymooredatlast;whilefromotherscameasoundofcarpentersandcoopers,withblendednoisesoffiresandforgestomeltthepitch,allbetokeningthatnewcruiseswereonthestart;thatonemostperilousandlongvoyageended,onlybeginsasecond;andasecondended,onlybeginsathird,andsoon,foreverandforaye.
Suchistheendlessness,yea,theintolerablenessofallearthlyeffort.
Gainingthemoreopenwater,thebracingbreezewaxedfresh;thelittleMosstossedthequickfoamfromherbows,asayoungcolthissnortings.HowIsnuffedthatTartarair!-howIspurnedthatturnpikeearth!
-thatcommonhighwayalloverdentedwiththemarksofslavishheelsandhoofs;andturnedmetoadmirethemagnanimityoftheseawhichwillpermitnorecords.
Atthesamefoam-fountain,Queequegseemedtodrinkandreelwithme.
Hisduskynostrilsswelledapart;heshowedhisfiledandpointedteeth.
On,onweflew,andouroffinggained,theMossdidhomagetotheblast;duckedanddivedherbowsasaslavebeforetheSultan.
Sidewaysleaning,wesidewaysdarted;everyropeyarntinglinglikeawire;thetwotallmastsbucklinglikeIndiancanesinlandtornadoes.
Sofullofthisreelingscenewerewe,aswestoodbytheplungingbowsprit,thatforsometimewedidnotnoticethejeeringglancesofthepassengers,alubber-likeassembly,whomarvelledthattwofellowbeingsshouldbesocompanionable;asthoughawhitemanwereanythingmoredignifiedthanawhitewashednegro.
Butthereweresomeboobiesandbumpkinsthere,who,bytheirintensegreenness,musthavecomefromtheheartandcentreofallverdure.
Queequegcaughtoneoftheseyoungsaplingsmimickinghimbehindhisback.
Ithoughtthebumpkin’shourofdoomwascome.
Droppinghisharpoon,thebrawnysavagecaughthiminhisarms,andbyanalmostmiraculousdexterityandstrength,senthimhighupbodilyintotheair;thenslightlytappinghissterninmid-somerset,thefellowlandedwithburstinglungsuponhisfeet,whileQueequeg,turninghisbackuponhim,lightedhistomahawkpipeandpassedittomeforapuff.
“Capting!Capting!yelledthebumpkin,runningtowardthatofficer;“Capting,Capting,here’sthedevil.”
“Hallo,yousir,”criedtheCaptain,agauntribofthesea,stalkinguptoQueequeg,“whatinthunderdoyoumeanbythat?Don’tyouknowyoumighthavekilledthatchap?”
“Whathimsay?”saidQueequeg,ashemildlyturnedtome.
“Hesay,”saidI,“thatyoucamenearkill-ethatmanthere,”pointingtothestillshiveringgreenhorn.
“Kill-e,”criedQueequeg,twistinghistattooedfaceintoanunearthlyexpressionofdisdain,“ah!himbevysmall-efish-e;Queequegnokill-esosmall-efish-e;Queequegkill-ebigwhale!”
“Lookyou,”roaredtheCaptain,“I’llkill-eyou,youcannibal,ifyoutryanymoreofyourtricksaboardhere;somindyoureye.”
Butitsohappenedjustthen,thatitwashightimefortheCaptaintomindhisowneye.
Theprodigiousstrainuponthemain-sailhadpartedtheweather-sheet,andthetremendousboomwasnowflyingfromsidetoside,completelysweepingtheentireafterpartofthedeck.
ThepoorfellowwhomQueequeghadhandledsoroughly,wassweptoverboard;allhandswereinapanic;andtoattemptsnatchingattheboomtostayit,seemedmadness.
Itflewfromrighttoleft,andbackagain,almostinonetickingofawatch,andeveryinstantseemedonthepointofsnappingintosplinters.
Nothingwasdone,andnothingseemedcapableofbeingdone;thoseondeckrushedtowardthebows,andstoodeyeingtheboomasifitwerethelowerjawofanexasperatedwhale.
Inthemidstofthisconsternation,Queequegdroppeddeftlytohisknees,andcrawlingunderthepathoftheboom,whippedholdofarope,securedoneendtothebulwarks,andthenflingingtheotherlikealasso,caughtitroundtheboomasitsweptoverhishead,andatthenextjerk,thesparwasthatwaytrapped,andallwassafe.
Theschoonerwasrunintothewind,andwhilethehandswereclearingawaythesternboat,Queequeg,strippedtothewaist,dartedfromthesidewithalonglivingarcofaleap.
Forthreeminutesormorehewasseenswimminglikeadog,throwinghislongarmsstraightoutbeforehim,andbyturnsrevealinghisbrawnyshouldersthroughthefreezingfoam.
Ilookedatthegrandandgloriousbutsawnoonetobesaved.Thegreenhornhadgonedown.
Shootinghimselfperpendicularlyfromthewater,Queequeg,nowtookaninstant’sglancearoundhim,andseemingtoseejusthowmatterswere,diveddownanddisappeared.
Afewminutesmore,andheroseagain,onearmstillstrikingout,andwiththeotherdraggingalifelessform.Theboatsoonpickedthemup.Thepoorbumpkinwasrestored.
AllhandsvotedQueequeganobletrump;thecaptainbeggedhispardon.
FromthathourIclovetoQueequeglikeabarnacle;yea,tillpoorQueequegtookhislastlongdive.
Wasthereeversuchunconsciousness?HedidnotseemtothinkthatheatalldeservedamedalfromtheHumaneandMagnanimousSocieties.
Heonlyaskedforwater-freshwater-somethingtowipethebrineoff;thatdone,heputondryclothes,lightedhispipe,andleaningagainstthebulwarks,andmildlyeyeingthosearoundhim,seemedtobesayingtohimself-“It’samutual,joint-stockworld,inallmeridians.
WecannibalsmusthelptheseChristians.”
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