English
Inthetumultuousbusinessofcutting-inandattendingtoawhale,thereismuchrunningbackwardsandforwardsamongthecrew.
Nowhandsarewantedhere,andthenagainhandsarewantedthere.
Thereisnostayinginanyoneplace;foratoneandthesametimeeverythinghastobedoneeverywhere.
Itismuchthesamewithhimwhoendeavorsthedescriptionofthescene.Wemustnowretraceourwayalittle.
Itwasmentionedthatuponfirstbreakinggroundinthewhale’sback,theblubber-hookwasinsertedintotheoriginalholetherecutbythespadesofthemates.
Buthowdidsoclumsyandweightyamassasthatsamehookgetfixedinthathole?
ItwasinsertedtherebymyparticularfriendQueequeg,whosedutyitwas,asharpooneer,todescenduponthemonster’sbackforthespecialpurposereferredto.
Butinverymanycases,circumstancesrequirethattheharpooneershallremainonthewhaletillthewholetensingorstrippingoperationisconcluded.
Thewhale,beitobserved,liesalmostentirelysubmerged,exceptingtheimmediatepartsoperatedupon.
Sodownthere,sometenfeetbelowthelevelofthedeck,thepoorharpooneerfloundersabout,halfonthewhaleandhalfinthewater,asthevastmassrevolveslikeatread-millbeneathhim.
Ontheoccasioninquestion,QueequegfiguredintheHighlandcostume-ashirtandsocks-inwhichtomyeyes,atleast,heappearedtouncommonadvantage;andnoonehadabetterchancetoobservehim,aswillpresentlybeseen.
Beingthesavage’sbowsman,thatis,thepersonwhopulledthebow-oarinhisboat(thesecondonefromforward),itwasmycheerfuldutytoattenduponhimwhiletakingthathard-scrabblescrambleuponthedeadwhale’sback.
YouhaveseenItalianorgan-boysholdingadancing-apebyalongcord.
Justso,fromtheship’ssteepside,didIholdQueequegdownthereinthesea,bywhatistechnicallycalledinthefisheryamonkey-rope,attachedtoastrongstripofcanvasbeltedroundhiswaist.
Itwasahumorouslyperilousbusinessforbothofus.
For,beforeweproceedfurther,itmustbesaidthatthemonkey-ropewasfastatbothends;fasttoQueequeg’sbroadcanvasbelt,andfasttomynarrowleatherone.
Sothatforbetterorforworse,wetwo,forthetime,werewedded;andshouldpoorQueequegsinktorisenomore,thenbothusageandhonordemanded,thatinsteadofcuttingthecord,itshoulddragmedowninhiswake.
So,then,anelongatedSiameseligatureunitedus.
Queequegwasmyowninseparabletwinbrother;norcouldIanywaygetridofthedangerousliabilitieswhichthehempenbondentailed.
SostronglyandmetaphysicallydidIconceiveofmysituationthen,thatwhileearnestlywatchinghismotions,Iseemeddistinctlytoperceivethatmyownindividualitywasnowmergedinajointstockcompanyoftwo;thatmyfreewillhadreceivedamortalwound;andthatanother’smistakeormisfortunemightplungeinnocentmeintounmeriteddisasteranddeath.
Therefore,IsawthatherewasasortofinterregnuminProvidence;foritseven-handedequitynevercouldhavesogrossaninjustice.
Andyetstillfurtherpondering-whileIjerkedhimnowandthenfrombetweenthewhaleandship,whichwouldthreatentojamhim-stillfurtherpondering,Isay,Isawthatthissituationofminewastheprecisesituationofeverymortalthatbreathes;only,inmostcases,he,onewayorother,hasthisSiameseconnexionwithapluralityofothermortals.
Ifyourbankerbreaks,yousnap;ifyourapothecarybymistakesendsyoupoisoninyourpills,youdie.
True,youmaysaythat,byexceedingcaution,youmaypossiblyescapetheseandthemultitudinousotherevilchancesoflife.
ButhandleQueequeg’smonkey-ropeheedfullyasIwould,sometimeshejerkeditso,thatIcameverynearslidingoverboard.
NorcouldIpossiblyforgetthat,dowhatIwould,Ionlyhadthemanagementofoneendofit.
Themonkey-ropeisfoundinallwhalers;butitwasonlyinthePequodthatthemonkeyandhisholderwereevertiedtogether.
ThisimprovementupontheoriginalusagewasintroducedbynolessamanthanStubb,inordertoaffordtotheimperilledharpooneerthestrongestpossibleguaranteeforthefaithfulnessandvigilanceofhismonkey-ropeholder.
IhavehintedthatIwouldoftenjerkpoorQueequegfrombetweenthewhaleandtheship-wherehewouldoccasionallyfall,fromtheincessantrollingandswayingofboth.
Butthiswasnottheonlyjammingjeopardyhewasexposedto.
Unappalledbythemassacremadeuponthemduringthenight,thesharksnowfreshlyandmorekeenlyalluredbythebeforepentbloodwhichbegantoflowfromthecarcass-therabidcreaturesswarmedrounditlikebeesinabeehive.
AndrightinamongthosesharkswasQueequeg;whooftenpushedthemasidewithhisflounderingfeet.
Athingaltogetherincrediblewereitnotthatattractedbysuchpreyasadeadwhale,theotherwisemiscellaneouslycarnivoroussharkwillseldomtouchaman.
Nevertheless,itmaywellbebelievedthatsincetheyhavesucharavenousfingerinthepie,itisdeemedbutwisetolooksharptothem.
Accordingly,besidesthemonkey-rope,withwhichInowandthenjerkedthepoorfellowfromtoocloseavicinitytothemawofwhatseemedapeculiarlyferociousshark-hewasprovidedwithstillanotherprotection.
Suspendedoverthesideinoneofthestages,TashtegoandDaggoocontinuallyflourishedoverhisheadacoupleofkeenwhale-spades,wherewiththeyslaughteredasmanysharksastheycouldreach.
Thisprocedureoftheirs,tobesure,wasverydisinterestedandbenevolentofthem.
TheymeantQueequeg’sbesthappiness,Iadmit;butintheirhastyzealtobefriendhim,andfromthecircumstancethatbothheandthesharkswereattimeshalfhiddenbytheblood-muddledwater,thoseindiscreetspadesoftheirswouldcomeneareramputatingalegthanatail.
ButpoorQueequeg,Isuppose,strainingandgaspingtherewiththatgreatironhook-poorQueequeg,Isuppose,onlyprayedtohisYojo,andgaveuphislifeintothehandsofhisgods.
Well,well,mydearcomradeandtwin-brother,thoughtI,asIdrewinandthenslackedofftheropetoeveryswellofthesea-whatmattersit,afterall?
Areyounotthepreciousimageofeachandallofusmeninthiswhalingworld?
Thatunsoundedoceanyougaspin,isLife;thosesharks,yourfoes;thosespades,yourfriends;andwhatbetweensharksandspadesyouareinasadpickleandperil,poorlad.
Butcourage!thereisgoodcheerinstoreforyou,Queequeg.
Fornow,aswithbluelipsandblood-shoteyestheexhaustedsavageatlastclimbsupthechainsandstandsalldrippingandinvoluntarilytremblingovertheside;thestewardadvances,andwithabenevolent,consolatoryglancehandshim-what?SomehotCognac?No!handshim,yegods!
handshimacupoftepidgingerandwater!
“Ginger?DoIsmellginger?”suspiciouslyaskedStubb,comingnear.
“Yes,thismustbeginger,”peeringintotheasyetuntastedcup.
Thenstandingasifincredulousforawhile,hecalmlywalkedtowardstheastonishedstewardslowlysaying,“Ginger?ginger?
andwillyouhavethegoodnesstotellme,Mr.Dough-Boy,whereliesthevirtueofginger?Ginger!
isgingerthesortoffuelyouuse,Dough-boy,tokindleafireinthisshiveringcannibal?Ginger!-whatthedevilisginger?-sea-coal?firewood?-lucifermatches?-tinder?-gunpowder?
-whatthedevilisginger,Isay,thatyouofferthiscuptoourpoorQueequeghere.”
“ThereissomesneakingTemperanceSocietymovementaboutthisbusiness,”hesuddenlyadded,nowapproachingStarbuck,whohadjustcomefromforward.
“Willyoulookatthatkannakin,sir;smellofit,ifyouplease.”
Thenwatchingthemate’scountenance,headded,“Thesteward,Mr.Starbuck,hadthefacetoofferthatcalomelandjalaptoQueequeg,there,thisinstantoffthewhale.Isthestewardanapothecary,sir?
andmayIaskwhetherthisisthesortofbittersbywhichheblowsbackthelifeintoahalf-drownedman?”
“Itrustnot,”saidStarbuck,“itispoorstuffenough.”
“Aye,aye,steward,”criedStubb,“we’llteachyoutodrugitharpooneer;noneofyourapothecary’smedicinehere;youwanttopoisonus,doye?
Youhavegotoutinsurancesonourlivesandwanttomurderusall,andpockettheproceeds,doye?”
“Itwasnotme,”criedDough-Boy,“itwasAuntCharitythatbroughtthegingeronboard;andbademenevergivetheharpooneersanyspirits,butonlythisginger-jub-soshecalledit.”
“Ginger-jub!yougingerlyrascal!takethat!
andrunalongwithyetothelockers,andgetsomethingbetter.IhopeIdonowrong,Mr.Starbuck.
Itisthecaptain’sorders-grogfortheharpooneeronawhale.”
“Enough,”repliedStarbuck,“onlydon’thithimagain,but-”
“Oh,IneverhurtwhenIhit,exceptwhenIhitawhaleorsomethingofthatsort;andthisfellow’saweazel.Whatwereyouaboutsaying,sir?”
“Onlythis:godownwithhim,andgetwhatthouwantestthyself.”
WhenStubbreappeared,hecamewithadarkflaskinonehand,andasortoftea-caddyintheother.
Thefirstcontainedstrongspirits,andwashandedtoQueequeg;thesecondwasAuntCharity’sgift,andthatwasfreelygiventothewaves.
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