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Nimbleasacat,Tashtegomountsaloft;andwithoutalteringhiserectposture,runsstraightoutupontheoverhangingmainyard-arm,tothepartwhereitexactlyprojectsoverthehoistedTun.
Hehascarriedwithhimalighttacklecalledawhip,consistingofonlytwoparts,travellingthroughasingle-sheavedblock.
Securingthisblock,sothatithangsdownfromtheyard-arm,heswingsoneendoftherope,tillitiscaughtandfirmlyheldbyahandonthedeck.
Then,hand-over-hand,downtheotherpart,theIndiandropsthroughtheair,tilldexterouslyhelandsonthesummitofthehead.
There-stillhighelevatedabovetherestofthecompany,towhomhevivaciouslycries-heseemssomeTurkishMuezzincallingthegoodpeopletoprayersfromthetopofatower.
Ashort-handledsharpspadebeingsentuptohim,hediligentlysearchesfortheproperplacetobeginbreakingintotheTun.
Inthisbusinessheproceedsveryheedfully,likeatreasure-hunterinsomeoldhouse,soundingthewallstofindwherethegoldismasonedin.
Bythetimethiscautioussearchisover,astoutironboundbucket,preciselylikeawell-bucket,hasbeenattachedtooneendofthewhip;whiletheotherend,beingstretchedacrossthedeck,isthereheldbytwoorthreealerthands.
TheselastnowhoistthebucketwithingraspoftheIndian,towhomanotherpersonhasreachedupaverylongpole.
Insertingthispoleintothebucket,TashtegodownwardguidesthebucketintotheTun,tillitentirelydisappears;thengivingthewordtotheseamenatthewhip,upcomesthebucketagain,allbubblinglikeadairy-maid’spailofnewmilk.
Carefullyloweredfromitsheight,thefull-freightedvesseliscaughtbyanappointedhand,andquicklyemptiedintoalargetub.
Thenremountingaloft,itagaingoesthroughthesamerounduntilthedeepcisternwillyieldnomore.
Towardstheend,Tashtegohastoramhislongpoleharderandharder,anddeeperanddeeperintotheTun,untilsometwentyfeetofthepolehavegonedown.
Now,thepeopleofthePequodhadbeenbalingsometimeinthisway;severaltubshadbeenfilledwiththefragrantsperm;whenallatonceaqueeraccidenthappened.
WhetheritwasthatTashtego,thatwildIndian,wassoheedlessandrecklessastoletgoforamomenthisone-handedholdonthegreatcabledtacklessuspendingthehead;orwhethertheplacewherehestoodwassotreacherousandoozy;orwhethertheEvilOnehimselfwouldhaveittofalloutso,withoutstatinghisparticularreasons;howitwasexactly,thereisnotellingnow;but,onasudden,astheeightiethorninetiethbucketcamesuckinglyup-myGod!
poorTashtego-likethetwinreciprocatingbucketinaveritablewell,droppedhead-foremostdownintothisgreatTunofHeidelburgh,andwithahorribleoilygurgling,wentcleanoutofsight!
“Manoverboard!”criedDaggoo,whoamidthegeneralconsternationfirstcametohissenses.“Swingthebucketthisway!”
andputtingonefootintoit,soasthebettertosecurehisslipperyhand-holdonthewhipitselfthehoistersranhimhighuptothetopofthehead,almostbeforeTashtegocouldhavereacheditsinteriorbottom.Meantime,therewasaterribletumult.
Lookingovertheside,theysawthebeforelifelessheadthrobbingandheavingjustbelowthesurfaceofthesea,asifthatmomentseizedwithsomemomentousidea;whereasitwasonlythepoorIndianunconsciouslyrevealingbythosestrugglestheperilousdepthtowhichhehadsunk.
Atthisinstant,whileDaggoo,onthesummitofthehead,wasclearingthewhip-whichhadsomehowgotfoulofthegreatcuttingtackles-asharpcrackingnoisewasheard;andtotheunspeakablehorrorofall,oneofthetwoenormoushookssuspendingtheheadtoreout,andwithavastvibrationtheenormousmasssidewaysswung,tillthedrunkshipreeledandshookasifsmittenbyaniceberg.
Theoneremaininghook,uponwhichtheentirestrainnowdepended,seemedeveryinstanttobeonthepointofgivingway;aneventstillmorelikelyfromtheviolentmotionsofthehead.
“Comedown,comedown!”yelledtheseamentoDaggoo,butwithonehandholdingontotheheavytackles,sothatiftheheadshoulddrop,hewouldstillremainsuspended;thenegrohavingclearedthefoulline,rammeddownthebucketintothenowcollapsedwell,meaningthattheburiedharpooneershouldgraspit,andsobehoistedout.
“Inheaven’sname,man,”criedStubb,“areyouramminghomeacartridgethere?-Avast!Howwillthathelphim;jammingthatiron-boundbucketontopofhishead?Avast,willye!”
“Standclearofthetackle!”criedavoiceliketheburstingofarocket.
Almostinthesameinstant,withathunder-boom,theenormousmassdroppedintothesea,likeNiagara’sTable-Rockintothewhirlpool;thesuddenlyrelievedhullrolledawayfromit,tofardownherglitteringcopper;andallcaughttheirbreath,ashalfswinging-nowoverthesailors’heads,andnowoverthewater-Daggoo,throughathickmistofspray,wasdimlybeheldclingingtothependuloustackles,whilepoor,buried-aliveTashtegowassinkingutterlydowntothebottomofthesea!
Buthardlyhadtheblindingvaporclearedaway,whenanakedfigurewithaboardingswordinhishand,wasforoneswiftmomentseenhoveringoverthebulwarks.
Thenext,aloudsplashannouncedthatmybraveQueequeghaddivedtotherescue.
Onepackedrushwasmadetotheside,andeveryeyecountedeveryripple,asmomentfollowedmoment,andnosignofeitherthesinkerorthedivercouldbeseen.
Somehandsnowjumpedintoaboatalongside,andpushedalittleofffromtheship.
“Ha!ha!”
criedDaggoo,allatonce,fromhisnowquiet,swingingperchoverhead;andlookingfurtherofffromtheside,wesawanarmthrustuprightfromthebluewaves;asightstrangetosee,asanarmthrustforthfromthegrassoveragrave.
“Both!both!-itisboth!”
-criedDaggooagainwithajoyfulshout;andsoonafter,Queequegwasseenboldlystrikingoutwithonehand,andwiththeotherclutchingthelonghairoftheIndian.
Drawnintothewaitingboat,theywerequicklybroughttothedeck;butTashtegowaslongincomingto,andQueequegdidnotlookverybrisk.
Now,howhadthisnoblerescuebeenaccomplished?
Why,divingaftertheslowlydescendinghead,Queequegwithhiskeenswordhadmadesidelungesnearitsbottom,soastoscuttlealargeholethere;thendroppinghissword,hadthrusthislongarmfarinwardsandupwards,andsohauledoutpoorTashbythehead.
Heaverred,thatuponfirstthrustinginforhim,alegwaspresented;butwellknowingthatthatwasnotasitoughttobe,andmightoccasiongreattrouble;-hehadthrustbacktheleg,andbyadexterousheaveandtoss,hadwroughtasomersetupontheIndian;sothatwiththenexttrial,hecameforthinthegoodoldway-headforemost.
Asforthegreatheaditself,thatwasdoingaswellascouldbeexpected.
Andthus,throughthecourageandgreatskillinobstetricsofQueequeg,thedeliverance,orrather,deliveryofTashtego,wassuccessfullyaccomplished,intheteeth,too,ofthemostuntowardandapparentlyhopelessimpediments;whichisalessonbynomeanstobeforgotten.
Midwiferyshouldbetaughtinthesamecoursewithfencingandboxing,ridingandrowing.
IknowthatthisqueeradventureoftheGay-Header’swillbesuretoseemincredibletosomelandsmen,thoughtheythemselvesmayhaveeitherseenorheardofsomeone’sfallingintoacisternashore;anaccidentwhichnotseldomhappens,andwithmuchlessreasontoothantheIndian’s,consideringtheexceedingslipperinessofthecurboftheSpermWhale’swell.
But,peradventure,itmaybesagaciouslyurged,howisthis?
Wethoughtthetissued,infiltratedheadoftheSpermWhale,wasthelightestandmostcorkypartabouthim;andyetthoumakestitsinkinanelementofafargreaterspecificgravitythanitself.Wehavetheethere.
Notatall,butIhaveye;foratthetimepoorTashfellin,thecasehadbeennearlyemptiedofitslightercontents,leavinglittlebutthedensetendinouswallofthewell-adoublewelded,hammeredsubstance,asIhavebeforesaid,muchheavierthantheseawater,andalumpofwhichsinksinitlikeleadalmost.
Butthetendencytorapidsinkinginthissubstancewasinthepresentinstancemateriallycounteractedbytheotherpartsoftheheadremainingundetachedfromit,sothatitsankveryslowlyanddeliberatelyindeed,affordingQueequegafairchanceforperforminghisagileobstetricsontherun,asyoumaysay.
Yes,itwasarunningdelivery,soitwas.
Now,hadTashtegoperishedinthathead,ithadbeenaverypreciousperishing;smotheredintheverywhitestanddaintiestoffragmentspermaceti;coffined,hearsed,andtombedinthesecretinnerchamberandsanctumsanctorumofthewhale.
Onlyonesweeterendcanreadilyberecalled-thedeliciousdeathofanOhiohoney-hunter,whoseekinghoneyinthecrotchofahollowtree,foundsuchexceedingstoreofit,thatleaningtoofarover,itsuckedhimin,sothathediedembalmed.
Howmany,thinkye,havelikewisefallenintoPlato’shoneyhead,andsweetlyperishedthere?
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