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IftoStarbucktheapparitionoftheSquidwasathingofportents,toQueequegitwasquiteadifferentobject.
“Whenyouseehim‘quid,”saidthesavage,honinghisharpooninthebowofhishoistedboat,“thenyouquickseehim‘parmwhale.”
Thenextdaywasexceedinglystillandsultry,andwithnothingspecialtoengagethem,thePequod’screwcouldhardlyresistthespellofsleepinducedbysuchavacantsea.
ForthispartoftheIndianOceanthroughwhichwethenwerevoyagingisnotwhatwhalemencallalivelyground;thatis,itaffordsfewerglimpsesofporpoises,dolphins,flying-fish,andothervivaciousdenizensofmorestirringwaters,thanthoseofftheRiodelaPlata,orthein-shoregroundoffPeru.
Itwasmyturntostandattheforemast-head;andwithmyshouldersleaningagainsttheslackenedroyalshrouds,toandfroIidlyswayedinwhatseemedanenchantedair.
Noresolutioncouldwithstandit;inthatdreamymoodlosingallconsciousness,atlastmysoulwentoutofmybody;thoughmybodystillcontinuedtoswayasapendulumwill,longafterthepowerwhichfirstmoveditiswithdrawn.
Ereforgetfulnessaltogethercameoverme,Ihadnoticedthattheseamenatthemainandmizzenmast-headswerealreadydrowsy.
Sothatatlastallthreeofuslifelesslyswungfromthespars,andforeveryswingthatwemadetherewasanodfrombelowfromtheslumberinghelmsman.
Thewaves,too,noddedtheirindolentcrests;andacrossthewidetranceofthesea,eastnoddedtowest,andthesunoverall.
Suddenlybubblesseemedburstingbeneathmyclosedeyes;likevicesmyhandsgraspedtheshrouds;someinvisible,graciousagencypreservedme;withashockIcamebacktolife.Andlo!
closeunderourlee,notfortyfathomsoff,agiganticSpermWhalelayrollinginthewaterlikethecapsizedhullofafrigate,hisbroad,glossyback,ofanEthiopianhue,glisteninginthesun’srayslikeamirror.
Butlazilyundulatinginthetroughofthesea,andeverandanontranquillyspoutinghisvaporyjet,thewhalelookedlikeaportlyburghersmokinghispipeofawarmafternoon.
Butthatpipe,poorwhale,wasthylast.
Asifstruckbysomeenchanter’swand,thesleepyshipandeverysleeperinitallatoncestartedintowakefulness;andmorethanascoreofvoicesfromallpartsofthevessel,simultaneouslywiththethreenotesfromaloft,shoutedforththeaccustomedcry,asthegreatfishslowlyandregularlyspoutedthesparklingbrineintotheair.
“Clearawaytheboats!Luff!”criedAhab.Andobeyinghisownorder,hedashedthehelmdownbeforethehelmsmancouldhandlethespokes.
Thesuddenexclamationsofthecrewmusthavealarmedthewhale;anderetheboatsweredown,majesticallyturning,heswamawaytotheleeward,butwithsuchasteadytranquillity,andmakingsofewripplesasheswam,thatthinkingafterallhemightnotasyetbealarmed,Ahabgaveordersthatnotanoarshouldbeused,andnomanmustspeakbutinwhispers.
SoseatedlikeOntarioIndiansonthegunwalesoftheboats,weswiftlybutsilentlypaddledalong;thecalmnotadmittingofthenoiselesssailsbeingset.
Presently,aswethusglidedinchase,themonsterperpendicularlyflittedhistailfortyfeetintotheair,andthensankoutofsightlikeatowerswallowedup.
“Theregoflukes!”wasthecry,anannouncementimmediatelyfollowedbyStubb’sproducinghismatchandignitinghispipe,fornowarespitewasgranted.
Afterthefullintervalofhissoundinghadelapsed,thewhaleroseagain,andbeingnowinadvanceofthesmoker’sboat,andmuchnearertoitthantoanyoftheothers,Stubbcounteduponthehonorofthecapture.
Itwasobvious,now,thatthewhalehadatlengthbecomeawareofhispursuers.
Allsilenceofcautiousnesswasthereforenolongerofuse.
Paddlesweredropped,andoarscameloudlyintoplay.
Andstillpuffingathispipe,Stubbcheeredonhiscrewtotheassault.
Yes,amightychangehadcomeoverthefish.Allalivetohisjeopardy,hewasgoing“headout”;thatpartobliquelyprojectingfromthemadyeastwhichhebrewed.
Itwillbeseeninsomeotherplaceofwhataverylightsubstancetheentireinteriorofthespermwhale’senormousheadconsists.
Thoughapparentlythemostmassive,itisbyfarthemostbuoyantpartabouthim.
Sothatwitheaseheelevatesitintheair,andinvariablydoessowhengoingathisutmostspeed.
Besides,suchisthebreadthoftheupperpartofthefrontofhishead,andsuchthetaperingcut-waterformationofthelowerpart,thatbyobliquelyelevatinghishead,hetherebymaybesaidtotransformhimselffromabluff-bowedsluggishgalliotintoasharppointedNewYorkpilot-boat.
“Starther,starther,mymen!Don’thurryyourselves;takeplentyoftime-butstarther;startherlikethunder-claps,that’sall,”criedStubb,splutteringoutthesmokeashespoke.
“Starther,now;give‘emthelongandstrongstroke,Tashtego.
Starther,Tash,myboy-starther,all;butkeepcool,keepcool-cucumbersistheword-easy,easy-onlystartherlikegrimdeathandgrinningdevils,andraisetheburieddeadperpendicularoutoftheirgraves,boys-that’sall.Starther!”
“Woo-hoo!Wa-hee!”
screamedtheGay-Headerinreply,raisingsomeoldwar-whooptotheskies;aseveryoarsmaninthestrainedboatinvoluntarilybouncedforwardwiththeonetremendousleadingstrokewhichtheeagerIndiangave.
Buthiswildscreamswereansweredbyothersquiteaswild.“Kee-hee!Kee-hee!”yelledDaggoo,strainingforwardsandbackwardsonhisseat,likeapacingtigerinhiscage.
“Ka-la!Koo-loo!”
howledQueequeg,asifsmackinghislipsoveramouthfulofGrenadier’ssteak.
Andthuswithoarsandyellsthekeelscutthesea.
Meanwhile,Stubb,retaininghisplaceinthevan,stillencouragedhismentotheonset,allthewhilepuffingthesmokefromhismouth.
Likedesperadoestheytuggedandtheystrained,tillthewelcomecrywasheard-“Standup,Tashtego!-giveittohim!”Theharpoonwashurled.“Sternall!”
Theoarsmenbackedwater;thesamemomentsomethingwenthotandhissingalongeveryoneoftheirwrists.Itwasthemagicalline.
Aninstantbefore,Stubbhadswiftlycaughttwoadditionalturnswithitroundtheloggerhead,whence,byreasonofitsincreasedrapidcirclings,ahempenbluesmokenowjettedupandmingledwiththesteadyfumesfromhispipe.
Asthelinepassedroundandroundtheloggerhead;soalso,justbeforereachingthatpoint,itblisteringlypassedthroughandthroughbothofStubb’shands,fromwhichthehand-cloths,orsquaresofquiltedcanvassometimeswornatthesetimes,hadaccidentallydropped.
Itwaslikeholdinganenemy’ssharptwo-edgedswordbytheblade,andthatenemyallthetimestrivingtowrestitoutofyourclutch.
“Wettheline!wettheline!”
criedStubbtothetuboarsman(himseatedbythetub)who,snatchingoffhishat,dashedsea-waterintoit.
*Moreturnsweretaken,sothatthelinebeganholdingitsplace.
Theboatnowflewthroughtheboilingwaterlikeasharkallfins.
StubbandTashtegoherechangedplaces-stemforstern-astaggeringbusinesstrulyinthatrockingcommotion.
*Partlytoshowtheindispensablenessofthisact,itmayherebestated,that,intheoldDutchfishery,amopwasusedtodashtherunninglinewithwater;inmanyotherships,awoodenpiggin,orbailer,issetapartforthatpurpose.
Yourhat,however,isthemostconvenient.
Fromthevibratinglineextendingtheentirelengthoftheupperpartoftheboat,andfromitsnowbeingmoretightthanaharpstring,youwouldhavethoughtthecrafthadtwokeels-onecleavingthewater,theothertheair-astheboatchurnedonthroughbothopposingelementsatonce.
Acontinualcascadeplayedatthebows;aceaselesswhirlingeddyinherwake;and,attheslightestmotionfromwithin,evenbutofalittlefinger,thevibrating,crackingcraftcantedoverherspasmodicgunwaleintothesea.
Thustheyrushed;eachmanwithmightandmainclingingtohisseat,topreventbeingtossedtothefoam;andthetallformofTashtegoatthesteeringoarcrouchingalmostdouble,inordertobringdownhiscentreofgravity.
WholeAtlanticsandPacificsseemedpassedastheyshotontheirway,tillatlengththewhalesomewhatslackenedhisflight.
“Haulin-haulin!”criedStubbtothebowsman!
and,facingroundtowardsthewhale,allhandsbeganpullingtheboatuptohim,whileyettheboatwasbeingtowedon.
Soonrangingupbyhisflank,Stubb,firmlyplantinghiskneeintheclumsycleat,darteddartafterdartintotheflyingfish;atthewordofcommand,theboatalternatelysterningoutofthewayofthewhale’shorriblewallow,andthenrangingupforanotherfling.
Theredtidenowpouredfromallsidesofthemonsterlikebrooksdownahill.
Histormentedbodyrollednotinbrinebutinblood,whichbubbledandseethedforfurlongsbehindintheirwake.
Theslantingsunplayingupontheircrimsonpondinthesea,sentbackitsreflectionintoeveryface,sothattheyallglowedtoeachotherlikeredmen.
Andallthewhile,jetafterjetofwhitesmokewasagonizinglyshotfromthespiracleofthewhale,andvehementpuffafterpufffromthemouthoftheexcitedheadsman;asateverydart,haulinginuponhiscrookedlance(bythelineattachedtoit),Stubbstraighteneditagainandagain,byafewrapidblowsagainstthegunwale,thenagainandagainsentitintothewhale.
“Pullup-pullup!”henowcriedtothebowsman,asthewaningwhalerelaxedinhiswrath.“Pullup!-closeto!”
andtheboatrangedalongthefish’sflank.
Whenreachingfaroverthebow,Stubbslowlychurnedhislongsharplanceintothefish,andkeptitthere,carefullychurningandchurning,asifcautiouslyseekingtofeelaftersomegoldwatchthatthewhalemighthaveswallowed,andwhichhewasfearfulofbreakingerehecouldhookitout.
Butthatgoldwatchhesoughtwastheinnermostlifeofthefish.
Andnowitisstruck;for,startingfromhistranceintothatunspeakablethingcalledhis“flurry,”themonsterhorriblywallowedinhisblood,overwrappedhimselfinimpenetrable,mad,boilingspray,sothattheimperilledcraft,instantlydroppingastern,hadmuchadoblindlytostruggleoutfromthatphrensiedtwilightintotheclearairoftheday.
Andnowabatinginhisflurry,thewhaleoncemorerolledoutintoview!
surgingfromsidetoside;spasmodicallydilatingandcontractinghisspout-hole,withsharp,cracking,agonizedrespirations.
Atlast,gushaftergushofclottedredgore,asifithadbeenthepurpleleesofredwine,shotintothefrightenedair;andfallingbackagain,randrippingdownhismotionlessflanksintothesea.Hishearthadburst!
“He’sdead,Mr.Stubb,”saidDaggoo.
“Yes;bothpipessmokedout!”andwithdrawinghisownfromhismouth,Stubbscatteredthedeadashesoverthewater;and,foramoment,stoodthoughtfullyeyeingthevastcorpsehehadmade.
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