English
Withmattedbeard,andswathedinabristlingshark-skinapron,aboutmid-day,Perthwasstandingbetweenhisforgeandanvil,thelatterplaceduponaniron-woodlog,withonehandholdingapike-headinthecoals,andwiththeotherathisforge’slungs,whenCaptainAhabcamealong,carryinginhishandasmallrusty-lookingleathernbag.
Whileyetalittledistancefromtheforge,moodyAhabpaused;tillatlast,Perth,withdrawinghisironfromthefire,beganhammeringitupontheanvil-theredmasssendingoffthesparksinthickhoveringflights,someofwhichflewclosetoAhab.
“ArethesethyMotherCarey’schickens,Perth?theyarealwaysflyinginthywake;birdsofgoodomen,too,butnottoall;-lookhere,theyburn;butthou-thouliv’stamongthemwithoutascorch.”
“BecauseIamscorchedallover,CaptainAhab,”answeredPerth,restingforamomentonhishammer;“Iampastscorching-,noteasilycan’stthouscorchascar.”
“Well,well;nomore.Thyshrunkvoicesoundstoocalmly,sanelywoefultome.
InnoParadisemyself,Iamimpatientofallmiseryinothersthatisnotmad.
Thoushould’stgomad,blacksmith;say,whydostthounotgomad?
Howcan’stthouendurewithoutbeingmad?
Dotheheavensyethatethee,thatthoucan’stnotgomad?-Whatwertthoumakingthere?”
“Weldinganoldpike-head,sir;therewereseamsanddentsinit.”
“Andcan’stthoumakeitallsmoothagain,blacksmith,aftersuchhardusageasithad?”
“Ithinkso,sir.”
“AndIsupposethoucan’stsmoothealmostanyseamsanddents;nevermindhowhardthemetal,blacksmith?”
“Aye,sir,IthinkIcan;allseamsanddentsbutone.”
“Lookyeherethen,”criedAhab,passionatelyadvancing,andleaningwithbothhandsonPerth’sshoulders;“lookyehere-here-canyesmootheoutaseamlikethis,blacksmith,”sweepingonehandacrosshisribbedbrow;“ifthoucould’st,blacksmith,gladenoughwouldIlaymyheaduponthyanvil,andfeelthyheaviesthammerbetweenmyeyes.Answer!Can’stthousmoothethisseam?”
“Oh!thatistheone,sir!SaidInotallseamsanddentsbutone?”
“Aye,blacksmith,itistheone;aye,man,itisunsmoothable;forthoughthouonlysee’stithereinmyflesh,ithasworkeddownintotheboneofmyskull-thatisallwrinkles!
But,awaywithchild’splay;nomoregaffsandpikesto-day.Lookyehere!”
jinglingtheleathernbag,asifitwerefullofgoldcoins.
“I,too,wantaharpoonmade;onethatathousandyokeoffiendscouldnotpart,Perth;somethingthatwillstickinawhalelikehisownfin-bone.
There’sthestuff,”flingingthepouchupontheanvil.
“Lookye,blacksmith,thesearethegatherednail-stubbsofthesteelshoesofracinghorses.”
“Horse-shoestubbs,sir?Why,CaptainAhab,thouhasthere,then,thebestandstubborneststuffweblacksmithseverwork.”
“Iknowit,oldman;thesestubbswillweldtogetherlikegluefromthemeltedbonesofmurderers.Quick!forgemetheharpoon.
Andforgemefirst,twelverodsforitsshank;thenwind,andtwist,andhammerthesetwelvetogetherliketheyarnsandstrandsofatow-line.Quick!I’llblowthefire.”
Whenatlastthetwelverodsweremade,Ahabtriedthem,onebyone,byspirallingthem,withhisownhand,roundalong,heavyironbolt.“Aflaw!”rejectingthelastone.“Workthatoveragain,Perth.”
Thisdone,Perthwasabouttobeginweldingthetwelveintoone,whenAhabstayedhishand,andsaidhewouldweldhisowniron.
As,then,regular,gaspinghems,hehammeredontheanvil,Perthpassingtohimtheglowingrods,aftertheother,andthehardpressedforgeshootingupitsintensestraightflame,theParseepassedsilently,andbowingoverhisheadtowardsthefire,seemedinvokingsomecurseorsomeblessingonthetoil.But,asAhablookedup,heslidaside.
“What’sthatbunchoflucifersdodgingabouttherefor?”
mutteredStubb,lookingonfromtheforecastle.
“ThatParseesmellsfirelikeafusee;andsmellsofithimself,likeahotmusket’spowder-pan.”
Atlasttheshank,inonecompleterod,receiveditsfinalheat;andasPerth,totemperit,plungeditallhissingintothecaskofwaternearby,thescaldingsteamshotupintoAhab’sbentface.
“Would’stthoubrandme,Perth?”wincingforamomentwiththepain;“haveIbeenbutforgingmyownbranding-iron,then?”
“PrayGod,notthat;yetIfearsomething,CaptainAhab.IsnotthisharpoonfortheWhiteWhale?”
“Forthewhitefiend!Butnowforthebarbs;thoumustmakethemthyself,man.Herearemyrazors-thebestofsteel;here,andmakethebarbssharpastheneedle-sleetoftheIcySea.”
Foramoment,theoldblacksmitheyedtherazorsasthoughhewouldfainnotusethem.
“Takethem,man,Ihavenoneedforthem;forInowneithershave,sup,norpraytill-buthere-towork!”
Fashionedatlastintoanarrowyshape,andweldedbyPerthtotheshank,thesteelsoonpointedtheendoftheiron;andastheblacksmithwasaboutgivingthebarbstheirfinalheat,priortotemperingthem,hecriedtoAhabtoplacethewater-casknear.
“No,no-nowaterforthat;Iwantitofthetruedeath-temper.Ahoy,there!Tashtego,Queequeg,Daggoo!Whatsayye,pagans!
Willyegivemeasmuchbloodaswillcoverthisbarb?”holdingithighup.Aclusterofdarknodsreplied,Yes.
Threepuncturesweremadeintheheathenflesh,andtheWhiteWhale’sbarbswerethentempered.
“Egononbaptizoteinnominepatris,sedinnominediaboli!”deliriouslyhowledAhab,asthemalignantironscorchinglydevouredthebaptismalblood.
Now,musteringthesparepolesfrombelow,andselectingoneofhickory,withthebarkstillinvestingit,Ahabfittedtheendtothesocketoftheiron.
Acoilofnewtow-linewasthenunwound,andsomefathomsofittakentothewindlass,andstretchedtoagreattension.
Pressinghisfootuponit,tilltheropehummedlikeaharp-string,theneagerlybendingoverit,andseeingnostrandings,Ahabexclaimed,“Good!andnowfortheseizings.”
Atoneextremitytheropewasunstranded,andtheseparatespreadyarnswereallbraidedandwovenroundthesocketoftheharpoon;thepolewasthendrivenhardupintothesocket;fromthelowerendtheropewastracedhalfwayalongthepole’slength,andfirmlysecuredso,withinter-twistingsoftwine.
Thisdone,pole,iron,andrope-liketheThreeFates-remainedinseparable,andAhabmoodilystalkedawaywiththeweapon;thesoundofhisivoryleg,andthesoundofthehickorypole,bothhollowlyringingalongeveryplank.
Butereheenteredhiscabin,light,unnatural,half-bantering,yetmostpiteoussoundwasheard.Oh!
Pip,thywretchedlaugh,thyidlebutunrestingeye;allthystrangemummeriesnotunmeaninglyblendedwiththeblacktragedyofthemelancholyship,andmockedit!
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