English
“Whowouldhavethoughtit,Flask!”criedStubb;“ifIhadbutonelegyouwouldnotcatchmeinaboat,unlessmaybetostoptheplug-holewithmytimbertoe.Oh!he’sawonderfuloldman!”
“Idon’tthinkitsostrange,afterall,onthataccount,”saidFlask.
“Ifhislegwereoffatthehip,now,itwouldbeadifferentthing.
Thatwoulddisablehim;buthehasoneknee,andgoodpartoftheotherleft,youknow.”
“Idon’tknowthat,mylittleman;Ineveryetsawhimkneel.”
Amongwhale-wisepeopleithasoftenbeenarguedwhether,consideringtheparamountimportanceofhislifetothesuccessofthevoyage,itisrightforawhalingcaptaintojeopardizethatlifeintheactiveperilsofthechase.
SoTamerlane’ssoldiersoftenarguedwithtearsintheireyes,whetherthatinvaluablelifeofhisoughttobecarriedintothethickestofthefight.
ButwithAhabthequestionassumedamodifiedaspect.
Consideringthatwithtwolegsmanisbutahobblingwightinalltimesofdancer;consideringthatthepursuitofwhalesisalwaysundergreatandextraordinarydifficulties;thateveryindividualmoment,indeed,thencomprisesaperil;underthesecircumstancesisitwiseforanymaimedmantoenterawhale-boatinthehunt?
Asageneralthing,thejoint-ownersofthePequodmusthaveplainlythoughtnot.
Ahabwellknewthatalthoughhisfriendsathomewouldthinklittleofhisenteringaboatincertaincomparativelyharmlessvicissitudesofthechase,forthesakeofbeingnearthesceneofactionandgivinghisordersinperson,yetforCaptainAhabtohaveaboatactuallyapportionedtohimasaregularheadsmaninthehunt-aboveallforAhabtobesuppliedwithfiveextramen,asthatsameboat’screw,hewellknewthatsuchgenerousconceitsneverenteredtheheadsoftheownersofthePequod.
Thereforehehadnotsolicitedaboat’screwfromthem,norhadheinanywayhintedhisdesiresonthathead.
Neverthelesshehadtakenprivatemeasuresofhisowntouchingallthatmatter.
UntilCabaco’spublisheddiscovery,thesailorshadlittleforeseenit,thoughtobesurewhen,afterbeingalittlewhileoutofport,allhandshadconcludedthecustomarybusinessoffittingthewhaleboatsforservice;whensometimeafterthisAhabwasnowandthenfoundbestirringhimselfinthematterofmakingthole-pinswithhisownhandsforwhatwasthoughttobeoneofthespareboats,andevensolicitouslycuttingthesmallwoodenskewers,whichwhenthelineisrunningoutarepinnedoverthegrooveinthebow:whenallthiswasobservedinhim,andparticularlyhissolicitudeinhavinganextracoatofsheathinginthebottomoftheboat,asiftomakeitbetterwithstandthepointedpressureofhisivorylimb;andalsotheanxietyheevincedinexactlyshapingthethighboard,orclumsycleat,asitissometimescalled,thehorizontalpieceintheboat’sbowforbracingthekneeagainstindartingorstabbingatthewhale;whenitwasobservedhowoftenhestoodupinthatboatwithhissolitarykneefixedinthesemi-circulardepressioninthecleat,andwiththecarpenter’schiselgougedoutalittlehereandstraighteneditalittlethere;allthesethings,Isay,hadawakenedmuchinterestandcuriosityatthetime.
ButalmosteverybodysupposedthatthisparticularpreparativeheedfulnessinAhabmustonlybewithaviewtotheultimatechaseofMobyDick;forhehadalreadyrevealedhisintentiontohuntthatmortalmonsterinperson.
Butsuchasuppositiondidbynomeansinvolvetheremotestsuspicionastoanyboat’screwbeingassignedtothatboat.
Now,withthesubordinatephantoms,whatwonderremainedsoonwanedaway;forinawhalerwonderssoonwane.
Besides,nowandthensuchunaccountableoddsandendsofstrangenationscomeupfromtheunknownnooksandash-holesoftheearthtomanthesefloatingoutlawsofwhalers;andtheshipsthemselvesoftenpickupsuchqueercastawaycreaturesfoundtossingabouttheopenseaonplanks,bitsofwreck,oars,whaleboats,canoes,blown-offJapanesejunks,andwhatnot;thatBeelzebubhimselfmightclimbupthesideandstepdownintothecabintochatwiththecaptain,anditwouldnotcreateanyunsubduableexcitementintheforecastle.
Butbeallthisasitmay,certainitisthatwhilethesubordinatephantomssoonfoundtheirplaceamongthecrew,thoughstillasitweresomehowdistinctfromthem,yetthathair-turbanedFedallahremainedamuffledmysterytothelast.
Whencehecameinamannerlyworldlikethis,bywhatsortofunaccountabletiehesoonevincedhimselftobelinkedwithAhab’speculiarfortunes;nay,sofarastohavesomesortofahalf-hintedinfluence;Heavenknows,butitmighthavebeenevenauthorityoverhim;allthisnoneknew,butonecannotsustainanindifferentairconcerningFedallah.
Hewassuchacreatureascivilized,domesticpeopleinthetemperatezoneonlyseeintheirdreams,andthatbutdimly;butthelikeofwhomnowandthenglideamongtheunchangingAsiaticcommunities,especiallytheOrientalislestotheeastofthecontinent-thoseinsulated,immemorial,unalterablecountries,whicheveninthesemoderndaysstillpreservemuchoftheghostlyaboriginalnessofearth’sprimalgenerations,whenthememoryofthefirstmanwasadistinctrecollection,andallmenhisdescendants,unknowingwhencehecame,eyedeachotherasrealphantoms,andaskedofthesunandthemoonwhytheywerecreatedandtowhatend;whenthough,accordingtoGenesis,theangelsindeedconsortedwiththedaughtersofmen,thedevilsalso,addtheuncanonicalRobbins,indulgedinmundaneamours.
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