English
Itwasnearlysixo’clock,butonlygreyimperfectmistydawn,whenwedrewnighthewharf.
“Therearesomesailorsrunningaheadthere,ifIseeright,”saidItoQueequeg,“itcan’tbeshadow;she’soffbysunrise,Iguess;comeon!”
“Avast!”criedavoice,whoseowneratthesametimecomingclosebehindus,laidahanduponbothourshoulders,andtheninsinuatinghimselfbetweenus,stoodstoopingforwardalittle,intheuncertaintwilight,strangelypeeringfromQueequegtome.ItwasElijah.
“Goingaboard?”
“Handsoff,willyou,”saidI.
“Lookeehere,”saidQueequeg,shakinghimself,“go‘way!”
“Aintgoingaboard,then?”
“Yes,weare,”saidI,“butwhatbusinessisthatofyours?Doyouknow,Mr.Elijah,thatIconsideryoualittleimpertinent?”
“No,no,no;Iwasn’tawareofthat,”saidElijah,slowlyandwonderinglylookingfrommetoQueequeg,withthemostunaccountableglances.
“Elijah,”saidI,“youwillobligemyfriendandmebywithdrawing.WearegoingtotheIndianandPacificOceans,andwouldprefernottobedetained.”
“Yebe,beye?Comingbackaforebreakfast?”
“He’scracked,Queequeg,”saidI,“comeon.”
“Holloa!”criedstationaryElijah,hailinguswhenwehadremovedafewpaces.
“Nevermindhim,”saidI,“Queequeg,comeon.”
Buthestoleuptousagain,andsuddenlyclappinghishandonmyshoulder,said-“Didyeseeanythinglookinglikemengoingtowardsthatshipawhileago?”
Struckbythisplainmatter-of-factquestion,Ianswered,saying,“Yes,IthoughtIdidseefourorfivemen;butitwastoodimtobesure.”
“Verydim,verydim,”saidElijah.“Morningtoye.”
Oncemorewequittedhim;butoncemorehecamesoftlyafterus;andtouchingmyshoulderagain,said,“Seeifyoucanfind‘emnow,willye?
“Findwho?”
“Morningtoye!morningtoye!”herejoined,againmovingoff.“Oh!
Iwasgoingtowarnyeagainst-butnevermind,nevermind-it’sallone,allinthefamilytoo;-sharpfrostthismorning,ain’tit?Good-byetoye.
Shan’tseeyeagainverysoon,Iguess;unlessit’sbeforetheGrandJury.”
Andwiththesecrackedwordshefinallydeparted,leavingme,forthemoment,innosmallwondermentathisfranticimpudence.
Atlast,steppingonboardthePequod,wefoundeverythinginprofoundquiet,notasoulmoving.
Thecabinentrancewaslockedwithin;thehatcheswereallon,andlumberedwithcoilsofrigging.
Goingforwardtotheforecastle,wefoundtheslideofthescuttleopen.
Seeingalight,wewentdown,andfoundonlyanoldriggerthere,wrappedinatatteredpea-jacket.
Hewasthrownatwholelengthupontwochests,hisfacedownwardsandinclosedinhisfoldedarms.Theprofoundestslumbersleptuponhim.
“Thosesailorswesaw,Queequeg,wherecantheyhavegoneto?”
saidI,lookingdubiouslyatthesleeper.
Butitseemedthat,whenonthewharf,QueequeghadnotatallnoticedwhatInowalludedto;henceIwouldhavethoughtmyselftohavebeenopticallydeceivedinthatmatter,wereitnotforElijah’sotherwiseinexplicablequestion.
ButIbeatthethingdown;andagainmarkingthesleeper,jocularlyhintedtoQueequegthatperhapswehadbestsitupwiththebody;tellinghimtoestablishhimselfaccordingly.
Heputhishanduponthesleeper’srear,asthoughfeelingifitwassoftenough;andthen,withoutmoreado,satquietlydownthere.
“Gracious!Queequeg,don’tsitthere,”saidI.
“Oh;perrydoodseat,”saidQueequeg,“mycountryway;won’thurthimface.”
“Face!”saidI,“callthathisface?
verybenevolentcountenancethen;buthowhardhebreathes,he’sheavinghimself;getoff,Queequeg,youareheavy,it’sgrindingthefaceofthepoor.Getoff,Queequeg!Look,he’lltwitchyouoffsoon.Iwonderhedon’twake.”
Queequegremovedhimselftojustbeyondtheheadofthesleeper,andlightedhistomahawkpipe.Isatatthefeet.
Wekeptthepipepassingoverthesleeper,fromonetotheother.
Meanwhile,uponquestioninghiminhisbrokenfashion,Queequeggavemetounderstandthat,inhisland,owingtotheabsenceofsetteesandsofasofallsorts,theking,chiefs,andgreatpeoplegenerally,wereinthecustomoffatteningsomeofthelowerordersforottomans;andtofurnishahousecomfortablyinthatrespect,youhadonlytobuyupeightortenlazyfellows,andlaythemaroundinthepiersandalcoves.
Besides,itwasveryconvenientonanexcursion;muchbetterthanthosegarden-chairswhichareconvertibleintowalkingsticks;uponoccasion,achiefcallinghisattendant,anddesiringhimtomakeasetteeofhimselfunderaspreadingtree,perhapsinsomedampmarshyplace.
Whilenarratingthesethings,everytimeQueequegreceivedthetomahawkfromme,heflourishedthehatchet-sideofitoverthesleeper’shead.
“What’sthatfor,Queequeg?”
“Perryeasy,kill-e;oh!perryeasy!
Hewasgoingonwithsomewildreminiscencesabouthistomahawk-pipewhich,itseemed,hadinitstwousesbothbrainedhisfoesandsoothedhissoul,whenweweredirectlyattractedtothesleepingrigger.
Thestrongvapornowcompletelyfillingthecontractedhole,itbegantotelluponhim.
Hebreathedwithasortofmuffledness;thenseemedtroubledinthenose;thenrevolvedoveronceortwice;thensatupandrubbedhiseyes.
“Holloa!”hebreathedatlast,“whobeyesmokers?”
“Shippedmen,”answeredI,“whendoesshesail?”
“Aye,aye,yearegoinginher,beye?Shesailsto-day.TheCaptaincameaboardlastnight.”
“WhatCaptain?-Ahab?”
“Whobuthimindeed?”
IwasgoingtoaskhimsomefurtherquestionsconcerningAhab,whenweheardanoiseondeck.
“Holloa!Starbuck’sastir,”saidtherigger.“He’salivelychiefmatethat;goodman,andapious;butallalivenow,Imustturnto.”Andsosayinghewentondeck,andwefollowed.
Itwasnowclearsunrise.Soonthecrewcameonboardintwosandthrees;theriggersbestirredthemselves;themateswereactivelyengaged;andseveraloftheshorepeoplewerebusyinbringingvariouslastthingsonboard.
MeanwhileCaptainAhabremainedinvisiblyenshrinedwithinhiscabin.
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