English
Aswewerewalkingdowntheendofthewharftowardstheship,Queequegcarryinghisharpoon,CaptainPeleginhisgruffvoiceloudlyhailedusfromhiswigwam,sayinghehadnotsuspectedmyfriendwasacannibal,andfurthermoreannouncingthatheletnocannibalsonboardthatcraft,unlesstheypreviouslyproducedtheirpapers.
“Whatdoyoumeanbythat,CaptainPeleg?”
saidI,nowjumpingonthebulwarks,andleavingmycomradestandingonthewharf.
“Imean,”hereplied,“hemustshowhispapers.”
“Yes,”saidCaptainBildadinhishollowvoice,stickinghisheadfrombehindPeleg’s,outofthewigwam.“Hemustshowthathe’sconverted.
Sonofdarkness,”headded,turningtoQueequeg,“artthouatpresentincommunionwithanyChristianchurch?”
“Why,”saidI,“he’samemberofthefirstCongregationalChurch.”Herebeitsaid,thatmanytattooedsavagessailinginNantucketshipsatlastcometobeconvertedintothechurches.
“FirstCongregationalChurch,”criedBildad,“what!
thatworshipsinDeaconDeuteronomyColeman’smeeting-house?”
andsosaying,takingouthisspectacles,herubbedthemwithhisgreatyellowbandanahandkerchief,andputtingthemonverycarefully,cameoutofthewigwam,andleaningstifflyoverthebulwarks,tookagoodlonglookatQueequeg.
“Howlonghathhebeenamember?”hethensaid,turningtome;“notverylong,Iratherguess,youngman.”
“No,”saidPeleg,“andhehasn’tbeenbaptizedrighteither,oritwouldhavewashedsomeofthatdevil’sblueoffhisface.”
“Dotell,now,”criedBildad,“isthisPhilistinearegularmemberofDeaconDeuteronomy’smeeting?Ineversawhimgoingthere,andIpassiteveryLord’sday.”
“Idon’tknowanythingaboutDeaconDeuteronomyorhismeeting,”saidI;“allIknowis,thatQueequeghereisabornmemberoftheFirstCongregationalChurch.Heisadeaconhimself,Queequegis.”
“Youngman,”saidBildadsternly,“thouartskylarkingwithme-explainthyself,thouyoungHittite.Whatchurchdosttheemean?answerme.”
Findingmyselfthushardpushed,Ireplied,“Imean,sir,thesameancientCatholicChurchtowhichyouandI,andCaptainPelegthere,andQueequeghere,andallofus,andeverymother’ssonandsoulofusbelong;thegreatandeverlastingFirstCongregationofthiswholeworshippingworld;weallbelongtothat;onlysomeofuscherishsomecrotchetsnowaystouchingthegrandbelief;inthatwealljoinhands.”
“Splice,thoumean’stsplicehands,”criedPeleg,drawingnearer.
“Youngman,you’dbettershipforamissionary,insteadofafore-masthand;Ineverheardabettersermon.
DeaconDeuteronomy-whyFatherMapplehimselfcouldn’tbeatit,andhe’sreckonedsomething.
Comeaboard,comeaboard:nevermindaboutthepapers.
Isay,tellQuohogthere-what’sthatyoucallhim?tellQuohogtostepalong.
Bythegreatanchor,whataharpoonhe’sgotthere!
lookslikegoodstuffthat;andhehandlesitaboutright.
Isay,Quohog,orwhateveryournameis,didyoueverstandintheheadofawhale-boat?didyoueverstrikeafish?”
Withoutsayingaword,Queequeg,inhiswildsortofway,jumpeduponthebulwarks,fromthenceintothebowsofoneofthewhale-boatshangingtotheside;andthenbracinghisleftknee,andpoisinghisharpoon,criedoutinsomesuchwayasthis:-
“Cap’ain,youseehimsmalldroptaronwaterdere?Youseehim?
well,sposehimonewhaleeye,well,den!”
andtakingsharpaimatit,hedartedtheironrightoveroldBildad’sbroadbrim,cleanacrosstheship’sdecks,andstrucktheglisteningtarspotoutofsight.
“Now,”saidQueequeg,quietly,haulingintheline,“spos-eehimwhale-eeye;why,dadwhaledead.”
“Quick,Bildad,”saidPeleg,hispartner,who,aghastattheclosevicinityoftheflyingharpoon,hadretreatedtowardsthecabingangway.
“Quick,Isay,youBildad,andgettheship’spapers.
WemusthaveHedgehogthere,ImeanQuohog,inoneofourboats.
Lookye,Quohog,we’llgiveyetheninetiethlay,andthat’smorethaneverwasgivenaharpooneeryetoutofNantucket.”
Sodownwewentintothecabin,andtomygreatjoyQueequegwassoonenrolledamongthesameship’scompanytowhichImyselfbelonged.
WhenallpreliminarieswereoverandPeleghadgoteverythingreadyforsigning,heturnedtomeandsaid,“Iguess,Quohogtheredon’tknowhowtowrite,doeshe?Isay,Quohog,blastye!
dostthousignthynameormakethymark?
Butatthisquestion,Queequeg,whohadtwiceorthricebeforetakenpartinsimilarceremonies,lookednowaysabashed;buttakingtheofferedpen,copieduponthepaper,intheproperplace,anexactcounterpartofaqueerroundfigurewhichwastattooeduponhisarm;sothatthroughCaptainPeleg’sobstinatemistaketouchinghisappellative,itstoodsomethinglikethis:-
Quohog.
hisXmark.
MeanwhileCaptainBildadsatearnestlyandsteadfastlyeyeingQueequeg,andatlastrisingsolemnlyandfumblinginthehugepocketsofhisbroadskirteddrabcoattookoutabundleoftracts,andselectingoneentitled“TheLatterDayComing;orNoTimetoLose,”placeditinQueequeg’shands,andthengraspingthemandthebookwithbothhis,lookedearnestlyintohiseyes,andsaid,“Sonofdarkness,Imustdomydutybythee;Iampartownerofthisship,andfeelconcernedforthesoulsofallitscrew;ifthoustillclingesttothyPaganways,whichIsadlyfear,Ibeseechthee,remainnotforayeaBelialbondsman.
SpurntheidolBell,andthehideousdragon;turnfromthewrathtocome;mindthineeye,Isay;oh!goodnessgracious!steerclearofthefierypit!”
SomethingofthesaltseayetlingeredinoldBildad’slanguage,heterogeneouslymixedwithScripturalanddomesticphrases.
“Avastthere,avastthere,Bildad,avastnowspoilingourharpooneer,”Peleg.
“Piousharpooneersnevermakegoodvoyagers-ittakesthesharkoutof‘em;noharpooneerisworthastrawwhoaintprettysharkish.
TherewasyoungNatSwaine,oncethebravestboat-headeroutofallNantucketandtheVineyard;hejoinedthemeeting,andnevercametogood.
Hegotsofrightenedabouthisplaguysoul,thatheshrinkedandsheeredawayfromwhales,forfearofafter-claps,incasehegotstoveandwenttoDavyJones.”
“Peleg!Peleg!”
saidBildad,liftinghiseyesandhands,“thouthyself,asImyself,hastseenmanyaperiloustime;thouknowest,Peleg,whatitistohavethefearofdeath;how,then,can’stthouprateinthisungodlyguise.Thoubeliestthineownheart,Peleg.
Tellme,whenthissamePequodherehadherthreemastsoverboardinthattyphoononJapan,thatsamevoyagewhenthouwentmatewithCaptainAhab,did’stthounotthinkofDeathandtheJudgmentthen?”
“Hearhim,hearhimnow,”criedPeleg,marchingacrossthecabin,andthrustinghishandsfardownintohispockets,-“hearhim,allofye.Thinkofthat!
Wheneverymomentwethoughttheshipwouldsink!DeathandtheJudgmentthen?What?
Withallthreemastsmakingsuchaneverlastingthunderingagainsttheside;andeveryseabreakingoverus,foreandaft.ThinkofDeathandtheJudgmentthen?No!notimetothinkaboutdeaththen.
LifewaswhatCaptainAhabandIwasthinkingof;andhowtosaveallhandshowtorigjury-mastshowtogetintothenearestport;thatwaswhatIwasthinkingof.”
Bildadsaidnomore,butbuttoninguphiscoat,stalkedondeck,wherewefollowedhim.
Therehestood,veryquietlyoverlookingsomesailmakerswhoweremendingatop-sailinthewaist.
Nowandthenhestoopedtopickupapatch,orsaveanendoftarredtwine,whichotherwisemighthavebeenwasted.
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