Itwaswhileglidingthroughtheselatterwatersthatonesereneandmoonlightnight,whenallthewavesrolledbylikescrollsofsilver;and,bytheirsoft,suffusingseethings,madewhatseemedasilverysilence,notasolitude;onsuchasilentnightasilveryjetwasseenfarinadvanceofthewhitebubblesatthebow.
Litupbythemoon,itlookedcelestial;seemedsomeplumedandglitteringgoduprisingfromthesea.Fedallahfirstdescriedthisjet.
Forofthesemoonlightnights,itwashiswonttomounttothemain-masthead,andstandalook-outthere,withthesameprecisionasifithadbeenday.
Youmaythinkwithwhatemotions,then,theseamenbeheldthisoldOrientalperchedaloftatsuchunusualhours;histurbanandthemoon,companionsinonesky.
Butwhen,afterspendinghisuniformintervalthereforseveralsuccessivenightswithoututteringasinglesound;when,afterallthissilence,hisunearthlyvoicewasheardannouncingthatsilvery,moon-litjet,everyrecliningmarinerstartedtohisfeetasifsomewingedspirithadlightedintherigging,andhailedthemortalcrew.“Theresheblows!”
Forthoughitwasamostunwontedhour,yetsoimpressivewasthecry,andsodeliriouslyexciting,thatalmosteverysoulonboardinstinctivelydesiredalowering.
Walkingthedeckwithquick,side-lungingstrides,Ahabcommandedthet’gallantsailsandroyalstobeset,andeverystunsailspread.
Thestrange,upheaving,liftingtendencyofthetaffrailbreezefillingthehollowsofsomanysails,madethebuoyant,hoveringdecktofeellikeairbeneaththefeet;whilestillsherushedalong,asiftwoantagonisticinfluenceswerestrugglinginher-onetomountdirecttoheaven,theothertodriveyawinglytosomehorizontalgoal.
Whilehisonelivelegmadelivelyechoesalongthedeck,everystrokeofhisdeadlimbsoundedlikeacoffin-tap.Onlifeanddeaththisoldmanwalked.
Butthoughtheshipsoswiftlysped,andthoughfromeveryeye,likearrows,theeagerglancesshot,yetthesilveryjetwasnomoreseenthatnight.
atthesamesilenthour,itwasagainannounced:againitwasdescriedbyall;butuponmakingsailtoovertakeit,oncemoreitdisappearedasifithadneverbeen.
Mysteriouslyjettedintotheclearmoonlight,orstarlight,asthecasemightbe;disappearingagainforonewholeday,ortwodays,orthree;andsomehowseemingateverydistinctrepetitiontobeadvancingstillfurtherandfurtherinourvan,thissolitaryjetseemedforeveralluringuson.
Norwiththeimmemorialsuperstitionoftheirrace,andinaccordancewiththepreternaturalness,asitseemed,whichinmanythingsinvestedthePequod,weretherewantingsomeoftheseamenwhosworethatwheneverandwhereverdescried;athoweverremotetimes,orinhoweverfarapartlatitudesandlongitudes,thatunnearablespoutwascastbyoneselfsamewhale;andthatwhale,MobyDick.
Foratime,therereigned,too,asenseofpeculiardreadatthisflittingapparition,asifitweretreacherouslybeckoningusonandon,inorderthatthemonstermightturnrounduponus,andrendusatlastintheremotestandmostsavageseas.
Thesetemporaryapprehensions,sovaguebutsoawful,derivedawondrouspotencyfromthecontrastingserenityoftheweather,inwhich,beneathallitsblueblandness,somethoughttherelurkedadevilishcharm,asfordaysanddayswevoyagedalong,throughseassowearily,lonesomelymild,thatallspace,inrepugnancetoourvengefulerrand,seemedvacatingitselfoflifebeforeoururn-likeprow.
But,atlast,whenturningtotheeastward,theCapewindsbeganhowlingaroundus,andweroseandfelluponthelong,troubledseasthatarethere;whentheivory-tuskedPequodsharplybowedtotheblast,andgoredthedarkwavesinhermadness,till,likeshowersofsilverchips,thefoamflakesflewoverherbulwarks;thenallthisdesolatevacuityoflifewentaway,butgaveplacetosightsmoredismalthanbefore.
Closetoourbows,strangeformsinthewaterdartedhitherandthitherbeforeus;whilethickinourrearflewtheinscrutablesea-ravens.
Andeverymorning,perchedonourstays,rowsofthesebirdswereseen;andspiteofourhootings,foralongtimeobstinatelyclungtothehemp,asthoughtheydeemedourshipsomedrifting,uninhabitedcraft;athingappointedtodesolation,andthereforefitroosting-placefortheirhomelessselves.
Andheavedandheaved,stillunrestinglyheavedtheblacksea,asifitsvasttideswereaconscience;andthegreatmundanesoulwereinanguishandremorseforthelongsinandsufferingithadbred.
CapeofGoodHope,dotheycallye?RatherCapeTormentoto,ascalledofyore;forlongalluredbytheperfidioussilencesthatbeforehadattendedus,wefoundourselveslaunchedintothistormentedsea,whereguiltybeingstransformedintothosefowlsandthesefish,seemedcondemnedtoswimoneverlastinglywithoutanyhaveninstore,orbeatthatblackairwithoutanyhorizon.
Butcalm,snow-white,andunvarying;stilldirectingitsfountainoffeatherstothesky;stillbeckoningusonfrombefore,thesolitaryjetwouldattimesbedescried.
Duringallthisblacknessoftheelements,Ahab,thoughassumingforthetimethealmostcontinualcommandofthedrenchedanddangerousdeck,manifestedthegloomiestreserve;andmoreseldomthaneveraddressedhismates.
Intempestuoustimeslikethese,aftereverythingaboveandalofthasbeensecured,nothingmorecanbedonebutpassivelytoawaittheissueofthegale.
So,withhisivoryleginsertedintoitsaccustomedhole,andwithonehandfirmlygraspingashroud,Ahabforhoursandhourswouldstandgazingdeadtowindward,whileanoccasionalsquallofsleetorsnowwouldallbutcongealhisveryeyelashestogether.
Meantime,thecrewdrivenfromtheforwardpartoftheshipbytheperilousseasthatburstinglybrokeoveritsbows,stoodinalinealongthebulwarksinthewaist;andthebettertoguardagainsttheleapingwaves,eachmanhadslippedhimselfintoasortofbowlinesecuredtotherail,inwhichheswungasinaloosenedbelt.
Fewornowordswerespoken;andthesilentship,asifmannedbypaintedsailorsinwax,dayafterdaytoreonthroughalltheswiftmadnessandgladnessofthedemoniacwaves.
Bynightthesamemutenessofhumanitybeforetheshrieksoftheoceanprevailed;stillinsilencethemenswunginthebowlines;stillwordlessAhabstooduptotheblast.
NevercouldStarbuckforgettheoldman’saspect,whenonenightgoingdownintothecabintomarkhowthebarometerstood,hesawhimwithclosedeyessittingstraightinhisfloor-screwedchair;therainandhalf-meltedsleetofthestormfromwhichhehadsometimebeforeemerged,stillslowlydrippingfromtheunremovedhatandcoat.
Thoughthebodywaserect,theheadwasthrownbacksothattheclosedeveswerepointedtowardstheneedleofthetell-talethatswungfromabeamintheceiling.
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