English
“Shipmates,haveyeshippedinthatship?”
QueequegandIhadjustleftthePequod,andweresaunteringfromthewater,forthemomenteachoccupiedwithhisownthoughts,whentheabovewordswereputtousbyastranger,who,pausingbeforeus,levelledhismassiveforefingeratthevesselinquestion.
Hewasbutshabbilyapparelledinfadedjacketandpatchedtrowsers;aragofablackhandkerchiefinvestinghisneck.
Aconfluentsmallpoxhadinalldirectionsflowedoverhisface,andleftitlikethecomplicatedribbedbedofatorrent,whentherushingwatershavebeendriedup.
“Haveyeshippedinher?”herepeated.
“YoumeantheshipPequod,Isuppose,”saidI,tryingtogainalittlemoretimeforanuninterruptedlookathim.
“Aye,thePequod-thatshipthere,”hesaid,drawingbackhiswholearmandthenrapidlyshovingitstraightoutfromhim-,withthefixedbayonetofhispointedfingerdartedfullattheobject.
“Yes,”saidI,“wehavejustsignedthearticles.”
“Anythingdownthereaboutyoursouls?”
“Aboutwhat?”
“Oh,perhapsyouhav’n’tgotany,”hesaidquickly.
“Nomatterthough,Iknowmanychapsthathav’n’tgotany,-goodluckto‘em;andtheyareallthebetteroffforit.
Asoul’sasortofafifthwheeltoawagon.”
“Whatareyoujabberingabout,shipmate?”saidI.
“He’sgotenough,though,tomakeupforalldeficienciesofthatsortinotherchaps,”abruptlysaidthestranger,placinganervousemphasisuponthewordhe.
“Queequeg,”saidI,“let’sgo;thisfellowhasbrokenloosefromsomewhere;he’stalkingaboutsomethingandsomebodywedon’tknow.”
“Stop!”criedthestranger.“Yesaidtrue-yehav’n’tseenOldThunderyet,haveye?”
“Who’sOldThunder?”saidI,againrivetedwiththeinsaneearnestnessofhismanner.
“CaptainAhab.”
“What!thecaptainofourship,thePequod?”
“Aye,amongsomeofusoldsailorchaps,hegoesbythatname.Yehav’n’tseenhimyet,haveye?”
“No,wehav’n’t.He’ssicktheysay,butisgettingbetter,andwillbeallrightagainbeforelong.”
“Allrightagainbeforelong!”laughedthestranger,withasolemnlyderisivesortoflaugh.“Lookye;whenCaptainAhabisallright,thenthisleftarmofminewillbeallright;notbefore.”
“Whatdoyouknowabouthim?”
“Whatdidtheytellyouabouthim?Saythat!”
“Theydidn’ttellmuchofanythingabouthim;onlyI’veheardthathe’sagoodwhale-hunter,andagoodcaptaintohiscrew.”
“That’strue,that’strue-yes,bothtrueenough.
Butyoumustjumpwhenhegivesanorder.
Stepandgrowl;growlandgo-that’sthewordwithCaptainAhab.
ButnothingaboutthatthingthathappenedtohimoffCapeHorn,longago,whenhelaylikedeadforthreedaysandnights;nothingaboutthatdeadlyskrimmagewiththeSpaniardaforethealtarinSanta?-heardnothingaboutthat,eh?
Nothingaboutthesilvercalabashhespatinto?
Andnothingabouthislosinghisleglastvoyage,accordingtotheprophecy.
Didn’tyehearawordaboutthemmattersandsomethingmore,eh?No,Idon’tthinkyedid;howcouldye?Whoknowsit?NotallNantucket,Iguess.
Buthows’ever,mayhap,ye’veheardtellabouttheleg,andhowhelostit;aye,yehaveheardofthat,Idaresay.
Oh,yes,thateveryoneknowsa’most-Imeantheyknowhe’sonlyoneleg;andthataparmacettitooktheotheroff.”
“Myfriend,”saidI,“whatallthisgibberishofyoursisabout,Idon’tknow,andIdon’tmuchcare;foritseemstomethatyoumustbealittledamagedinthehead.
ButifyouarespeakingofCaptainAhab,ofthatshipthere,thePequod,thenletmetellyou,thatIknowallaboutthelossofhisleg.”
“Allaboutit,eh-sureyoudo?all?
“Prettysure.”
WithfingerpointedandeyelevelledatthePequod,thebeggar-likestrangerstoodamoment,asifinatroubledreverie;thenstartingalittle,turnedandsaid:-“Ye’veshipped,haveye?Namesdownonthepapers?
Well,well,what’ssigned,issigned;andwhat’stobe,willbe;andthenagain,perhapsitwon’tbe,afterall.
Anyhow,it’sallfixedandarrangedalready;andsomesailorsorothermustgowithhim,Isuppose;aswelltheseasanyothermen,Godpity‘em!
Morningtoye,shipmates,morning;theineffableheavensblessye;I’msorryIstoppedye.”
“Lookhere,friend,”saidI,“ifyouhaveanythingimportanttotellus,outwithit;butifyouareonlytryingtobamboozleus,youaremistakeninyourgame;that’sallIhavetosay.”
“Andit’ssaidverywell,andIliketohearachaptalkupthatway;youarejustthemanforhim-thelikesofye.Morningtoye,shipmates,morning!Oh!
whenyegetthere,tell‘emI’veconcludednottomakeoneof‘em.”
“Ah,mydearfellow,youcan’tfoolusthatway-youcan’tfoolus.Itistheeasiestthingintheworldforamantolookasifhehadagreatsecretinhim.”
“Morningtoye,shipmates,morning.”
“Morningitis,”saidI.“Comealong,Queequeg,let’sleavethiscrazyman.Butstop,tellmeyourname,willyou?”
“Elijah.”
Elijah!thoughtI,andwewalkedaway,bothcommenting,aftereachother’sfashion,uponthisraggedoldsailor;andagreedthathewasnothingbutahumbug,tryingtobeabugbear.
Butwehadnotgoneperhapsaboveahundredyards,whenchancingtoturnacorner,andlookingbackasIdidso,whoshouldbeseenbutElijahfollowingus,thoughatadistance.
Somehow,thesightofhimstruckmeso,thatIsaidnothingtoQueequegofhisbeingbehind,butpassedonwithmycomrade,anxioustoseewhetherthestrangerwouldturnthesamecornerthatwedid.
Hedid;andthenitseemedtomethathewasdoggingus,butwithwhatintentIcouldnotforthelifeofmeimagine.
Thiscircumstance,coupledwithhisambiguous,half-hinting,half-revealing,shroudedsortoftalk,nowbegatinmeallkindsofvaguewondermentsandhalf-apprehensions,andallconnectedwiththePequod;andCaptainAhab;andtheleghehadlost;andtheCapeHornfit;andthesilvercalabash;andwhatCaptainPeleghadsaidofhim,whenIlefttheshipthedayprevious;andthepredictionofthesquawTistig;andthevoyagewehadboundourselvestosail;andahundredothershadowythings.
IwasresolvedtosatisfymyselfwhetherthisraggedElijahwasreallydoggingusornot,andwiththatintentcrossedthewaywithQueequeg,andonthatsideofitretracedoursteps.
ButElijahpassedon,withoutseemingtonoticeus.
Thisrelievedme;andoncemore,andfinallyasitseemedtome,Ipronouncedhiminmyheart,ahumbug.
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