So,itbeingcalmweather,theybrokeoutdeeperanddeeper,disturbingtheslumbersofthehugeground-tierbutts;andfromthatblackmidnightsendingthosegiganticmolesintothedaylightabove.
Sodeepdidtheygo;andsoancient,andcorroded,andweedytheaspectofthelowermostpuncheons,thatyoualmostlookednextforsomemouldycorner-stonecaskcontainingcoinsofCaptainNoah,withcopiesofthepostedplacards,vainlywarningtheinfatuatedoldworldfromtheflood.
Tierceaftertierce,too,ofwater,andbread,andbeef,andshooksofstaves,andironbundlesofhoop,werehoistedout,tillatlastthepileddeckswerehardtogetabout;andthehollowhullechoedunderfoot,asifyouweretreadingoveremptycatacombs,andreeledandrolledinthesealikeanair-freighteddemijohn.
Now,atthistimeitwasthatmypoorpagancompanion,andfastbosom-friend,Queequeg,wasseizedwithafever,whichbroughthimnightohisendlessend.
Beitsaid,thatinthisvocationofwhaling,sinecuresareunknown;dignityanddangergohandinhand;tillyougettobeCaptain,thehigheryourisetheharderyoutoil.
SowithpoorQueequeg,who,asharpooneer,mustnotonlyfacealltherageofthelivingwhale,but-aswehaveelsewhereseen-mounthisdeadbackinarollingsea;andfinallydescendintothegloomofthehold,andbitterlysweatingalldayinthatsubterraneousconfinement,resolutelymanhandletheclumsiestcasksandseetotheirstowage.
PoorQueequeg!whentheshipwasabouthalfdisembowelled,youshouldhavestoopedoverthehatchway,andpeereddownuponhimthere;where,strippedtohiswoollendrawers,thetattooedsavagewascrawlingaboutamidthatdampnessandslime,likeagreenspottedlizardatthebottomofawell.
Andawell,oranice-house,itsomehowprovedtohim,poorpagan;where,strangetosay,foralltheheatofhissweatings,hecaughtaterriblechillwhichlapsedintoafever;andatlast,aftersomedays’suffering,laidhiminhishammock,closetotheverysillofthedoorofdeath.
Howhewastedandwastedawayinthosefewlong-lingeringdays,tillthereseemedbutlittleleftofhimbuthisframeandtattooing.
Butasallelseinhimthinned,andhischeek-bonesgrewsharper,hiseyes,nevertheless,seemedgrowingfullerandfuller;theybecameofastrangesoftnessoflustre;andmildlybutdeeplylookedoutatyoutherefromhissickness,awondroustestimonytothatimmortalhealthinhimwhichcouldnotdie,orbeweakened.
Andlikecirclesonthewater,which,astheygrowfainter,expand;sohiseyesseemedroundingandrounding,liketheringsofEternity.
Anawethatcannotbenamedwouldstealoveryouasyousatbythesideofthiswaningsavage,andsawasstrangethingsinhisface,asanybeheldwhowerebystanderswhenZoroasterdied.
AndthedrawingnearofDeath,whichalikelevelsall,alikeimpressesallwithalastrevelation,whichonlyanauthorfromthedeadcouldadequatelytell.
Sothat-letussayitagain-nodyingChaldeeorGreekhadhigherandholierthoughtsthanthose,whosemysteriousshadesyousawcreepingoverthefaceofpoorQueequeg,ashequietlylayinhisswayinghammock,andtherollingseaseemedgentlyrockinghimtohisfinalrest,andtheocean’sinvisibleflood-tideliftedhimhigherandhighertowardshisdestinedheaven.
Notamanofthecrewbutgavehimup;and,asforQueequeghimself,whathethoughtofhiscasewasforciblyshownbyacuriousfavorheasked.
Hecalledonetohiminthegreymorningwatch,whenthedaywasjustbreaking,andtakinghishand,saidthatwhileinNantuckethehadchancedtoseecertainlittlecanoesofdarkwood,liketherichwar-woodofhisnativeisle;anduponinquiry,hehadlearnedthatallwhalemenwhodiedinNantucket,werelaidinthosedarkcanoes,andthatthefancyofbeingsolaidhadmuchpleasedhim;foritwasnotunlikethecustomofhisownrace,who,afterembalmingadeadwarrior,stretchedhimoutinhiscanoe,andsolefthimtobefloatedawaytothestarryarchipelagoes;fornotonlydotheybelievethatthestarsareisles,butthatfarbeyondallvisiblehorizons,theirownmild,uncontinentedseas,interflowwiththeblueheavens;andsoformthewhitebreakersofthemilkyway.
Headded,thatheshudderedatthethoughtofbeingburiedinhishammock,accordingtotheusualsea-custom,tossedlikesomethingviletothedeath-devouringsharks.
No:hedesiredacanoelikethoseofNantucket,allthemorecongenialtohim,beingawhaleman,thatlikeawhale-boatthesecoffin-canoeswerewithoutakeel;thoughthatinvolvedbutuncertainsteering,andmuchlee-wayadownthedimages.
Now,whenthisstrangecircumstancewasmadeknownaft,thecarpenterwasatoncecommandedtodoQueequeg’sbidding,whateveritmightinclude.
Therewassomeheathenish,coffin-coloredoldlumberaboard,which,uponalongpreviousvoyage,hadbeencutfromtheaboriginalgrovesoftheLackadayislands,andfromthesedarkplanksthecoffinwasrecommendedtobemade.
Nosoonerwasthecarpenterapprisedoftheorder,thantakinghisrule,heforthwithwithalltheindifferentpromptitudeofhischaracter,proceededintotheforecastleandtookQueequeg’smeasurewithgreataccuracy,regularlychalkingQueequeg’spersonasheshiftedtherule.
Goingtohisvice-bench,thecarpenterforconveniencesakeandgeneralreference,nowtransferringlymeasuredonittheexactlengththecoffinwastobe,andthenmadethetransferpermanentbycuttingtwonotchesatitsextremities.
Whenthelastnailwasdriven,andtheliddulyplanedandfitted,helightlyshoulderedthecoffinandwentforwardwithit,inquiringwhethertheywerereadyforityetinthatdirection.
Overhearingtheindignantbuthalf-humorouscrieswithwhichthepeopleondeckbegantodrivethecoffinaway,Queequeg,toeveryone’sconsternation,commandedthatthethingshouldbeinstantlybroughttohim,norwasthereanydenyinghim;seeingthat,ofallmortals,somedyingmenarethemosttyrannical;andcertainly,sincetheywillshortlytroubleussolittleforevermore,thepoor
Hethencalledforhisharpoon,hadthewoodenstockdrawnfromit,andthenhadtheironpartplacedinthecoffinalongwithoneofthepaddlesofhisboat.
Allbyhisownrequest,also,biscuitswerethenrangedroundthesideswithin;aflaskoffreshwaterwasplacedatthehead,andasmallbagofwoodyearthscrapedupintheholdatthefoot;andapieceofsail-clothbeingrolledupforapillow,Queequegnowentreatedtobeliftedintohisfinalbed,thathemightmaketrialofitscomforts,ifanyithad.
ThencrossinghisarmsonhisbreastwithYojobetween,hecalledforthecoffinlid(hatchhecalledit)tobeplacedoverhim.
Theheadpartturnedoverwithaleatherhinge,andtherelayQueequeginhiscoffinwithlittlebuthiscomposedcountenanceinview.
Buterethiswasdone,Pip,whohadbeenslilyhoveringnearbyallthewhile,drewnightohimwherehelay,andwithsoftsobbings,tookhimbythehand;intheother,holdinghistambourine.
ButifthecurrentcarryyetothosesweetAntilleswherethebeachesareonlybeatwithwater-lilies,willyedoonelittleerrandforme?
“Ihaveheard,”murmuredStarbuck,gazingdownthescuttle,“thatinviolentfevers,men,allignorance,havetalkedinancienttongues;andthatwhenthemysteryisprobed,itturnsoutalwaysthatintheirwhollyforgottenchildhoodthoseancienttongueshadbeenreallyspokenintheirhearingbysomeloftyscholars.
So,tomyfondfaith,poorPip,inthisstrangesweetnessofhislunacy,bringsheavenlyvouchersofallourheavenlyhomes.Wherelearnedhethat,butthere?-Hark!hespeaksagain;butmorewildlynow.”
“Formtwoandtwo!Let’smakeaGeneralofhim!Ho,where’shisharpoon?Layitacrosshere.-Rig-a-dig,dig,dig!huzza!
Harkye;ifyefindPip,tellalltheAntilleshe’sarunaway;acoward,acoward,acoward!Tellthemhejumpedfromawhale-boat!
Duringallthis,Queequeglaywithclosedeyes,asifinadream.Pipwasledaway,andthesickmanwasreplacedinhishammock.
Butnowthathehadapparentlymadeeverypreparationfordeath;nowthathiscoffinwasprovedagoodfit,Queequegsuddenlyrallied;soonthereseemednoneedofthecarpenter’sbox;andthereupon,whensomeexpressedtheirdelightedsurprise,he,insubstance,said,thatthecauseofhissuddenconvalescencewasthis;-atacriticalmoment,hehadjustrecalledalittledutyashore,whichhewasleavingundone;andthereforehadchangedhismindaboutdying:hecouldnotdieyet,heaverred.
Theyaskedhim,then,whethertoliveordiewasamatterofhisownsovereignwillandpleasure.Heanswered,certainly.
Inaword,itwasQueequeg’sconceit,thatifamanmadeuphismindtolive,meresicknesscouldnotkillhim:nothingbutawhale,oragale,orsomeviolent,ungovernable,unintelligentdestroyerofthatsort.
Now,thereisthisnoteworthydifferencebetweensavageandcivilized;thatwhileasick,civilizedmanmaybesixmonthsconvalescing,generallyspeaking,asicksavageisalmosthalf-wellagaininaday.
So,ingoodtimemyQueequeggainedstrength;andatlengthaftersittingonthewindlassforafewindolentdays(buteatingwithavigorousappetite)hesuddenlyleapedtohisfeet,threwouthisarmsandlegs,gavehimselfagoodstretching,yawnedalittlebit,andthenspringingintotheheadofhishoistedboat,andpoisingaharpoon,pronouncedhimselffitforafight.
Withawildwhimsiness,henowusedhiscoffinforasea-chest;andemptyingintoithiscanvasbagofclothes,settheminorderthere.
Manysparehourshespent,incarvingthelidwithallmannerofgrotesquefiguresanddrawings;anditseemedthatherebyhewasstriving,inhisrudeway,tocopypartsofthetwistedtattooingonhisbody.
Andthistattooinghadbeentheworkofadepartedprophetandseerofhisisland,who,bythosehieroglyphicmarks,hadwrittenoutonhisbodyacompletetheoryoftheheavensandtheearth,andamysticaltreatiseontheartofattainingtruth;sothatQueequeginhisownproperpersonwasariddletounfold;awondrousworkinonevolume;butwhosemysteriesnotevenhimselfcouldread,thoughhisownliveheartbeatagainstthem;andthesemysterieswerethereforedestinedintheendtomoulderawaywiththelivingparchmentwhereontheywereinscribed,andsobeunsolvedtothelast.
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