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Steeringnowsouth-eastwardbyAhab’slevelledsteel,andherprogresssolelydeterminedbyAhab’slevellogandline;thePequodheldonherpathtowardstheEquator.
Makingsolongapassagethroughsuchunfrequentedwaters,descryingnoships,anderelong,sidewaysimpelledbyunvaryingtradewinds,overwavesmonotonouslymild;alltheseseemedthestrangecalmthingspreludingsomeriotousanddesperatescene.
Atlast,whentheshipdrewneartotheoutskirts,asitwere,oftheEquatorialfishing-ground,andinthedeepdarknessthatgoesbeforethedawn,wassailingbyaclusterofrockyislets;thewatch-thenheadedbyFlask-wasstartledbyacrysoplaintivelywildandunearthly-likehalf-articulatedwailingsoftheghostsofallHerod’smurderedInnocents-thatoneandall,theystartedfromtheirreveries,andforthespaceofsomemomentsstood,orsat,orleanedalltransfixedbylistening,likethecarvedRomanslave,whilethatwildcryremainedwithinhearing.
TheChristianorcivilizedpartofthecrewsaiditwasmermaids,andshuddered;butthepaganharpooneersremainedunappalled.
YetthegreyManxman-theoldestmarinerofall-declaredthatthewildthrillingsoundsthatwereheard,werethevoicesofnewlydrownedmeninthesea.
Belowinhishammock,Ahabdidnothearofthistillgreydawn,whenhecametothedeck;itwasthenrecountedtohimbyFlask,notunaccompaniedwithhinteddarkmeanings.
Hehollowlylaughed,andthusexplainedthewonder.
Thoserockyislandstheshiphadpassedweretheresortofgreatnumbersofseals,andsomeyoungsealsthathadlosttheirdams,orsomedamsthathadlosttheircubs,musthaverisennightheshipandkeptcompanywithher,cryingandsobbingwiththeirhumansortofwall.
Butthisonlythemoreaffectedsomeofthem,becausemostmarinerscherishaverysuperstitiousfeelingaboutseals,arisingnotonlyfromtheirpeculiartoneswhenindistress,butalsofromthehumanlookoftheirroundheadsandsemi-intelligentfaces,seenpeeringlyuprisingfromthewateralongside.
Inthesea,undercertaincircumstances,sealshavemorethanoncebeenmistakenformen.
Butthebodingsofthecrewweredestinedtoreceiveamostplausibleconfirmationinthefateofoneoftheirnumberthatmorning.
Atsun-risethismanwentfromhishammocktohismast-headatthefore;andwhetheritwasthathewasnotyethalfwakedfromhissleep(forsailorssometimesgoaloftinatransitionstate),whetheritwasthuswiththeman,thereisnownotelling;but,bethatasitmay,hehadnotbeenlongathisperch,whenacrywasheard-acryandarushing-andlookingup,theysawafallingphantomintheair;andlookingdown,alittletossedheapofwhitebubblesintheblueofthesea.
Thelife-buoy-alongslendercask-wasdroppedfromthestern,whereitalwayshungobedienttoacunningspring;butnohandrosetoseizeit,andthesunhavinglongbeatuponthiscaskithadshrunken,sothatitslowlyfilled,andthatparchedwoodalsofilledatitseverypore;andthestuddediron-boundcaskfollowedthesailortothebottom,asiftoyieldhimhispillow,thoughinsoothbutahardone.
AndthusthefirstmanofthePequodthatmountedthemasttolookoutfortheWhiteWhale,ontheWhiteWhale’sownpeculiarground;thatmanwasswallowedupinthedeep.
Butfew,perhaps,thoughtofthatatthetime.
Indeed,insomesort,theywerenotgrievedatthisevent,atleastasaportent;fortheyregardedit,notasafore-shadowingofevilinthefuture,butasthefulfilmentofanevilalreadypresaged.
Theydeclaredthatnowtheyknewthereasonofthosewildshriekstheyhadheardthenightbefore.ButagaintheoldManxmansaidnay.
Thelostlife-buoywasnowtobereplaced;Starbuckwasdirectedtoseetoit;butasnocaskofsufficientlightnesscouldbefound,andasinthefeverisheagernessofwhatseemedtheapproachingcrisisofthevoyage,allhandswereimpatientofanytoilbutwhatwasdirectlyconnectedwithitsfinalend,whateverthatmightprovetobe;therefore,theyweregoingtoleavetheship’ssternunprovidedwithabuoy,whenbycertainstrangesignsandinuendoesQueequeghintedahintconcerninghiscoffin.
“Alife-buoyofacoffin!”criedStarbuck,starting.
“Ratherqueer,that,Ishouldsay,”saidStubb.
“Itwillmakeagoodenoughone,”saidFlask,“thecarpenterherecanarrangeiteasily.”
“Bringitup;there’snothingelseforit,”saidStarbuck,afteramelancholypause.“Rigit,carpenter;donotlookatmeso-thecoffin,Imean.Dostthouhearme?Rigit.”
“AndshallInaildownthelid,sir?”movinghishandaswithahammer.
“Aye.”
“AndshallIcaulktheseams,sir?”movinghishandaswithacaulking-iron.
“Aye.”
“AndshallIthenpayoverthesamewithpitch,sir?”movinghishandaswithapitch-pot.
“Away!whatpossessestheetothis?Makealife-buoyofthecoffin,andnomore.-Mr.Stubb,Mr.Flask,comeforwardwithme.”
“Hegoesoffinahuff.Thewholehecanendure;atthepartshebaulks.NowIdon’tlikethis.
ImakealegforCaptainAhab,andhewearsitlikeagentleman;butImakeabandboxforQueequeg,andhewon’tputhisheadintoit.
Areallmypainstogofornothingwiththatcoffin?
AndnowI’morderedtomakealife-buoyofit.
It’sliketurninganoldcoat;goingtobringthefleshontheothersidenow.
Idon’tlikethiscobblingsortofbusiness-Idon’tlikeitatall;it’sundignified;it’snotmyplace.
Lettinkers’bratsdotinkerings;wearetheirbetters.
Iliketotakeinhandnonebutclean,virgin,fair-and-squaremathematicaljobs,somethingthatregularlybeginsatthebeginning,andisatthemiddlewhenmidway,andcomestoanendattheconclusion;notacobbler’sjob,that’satanendinthemiddle,andatthebeginningattheend.
It’stheoldwoman’strickstobegivingcobblingjobs.Lord!
whatanaffectionalloldwomenhavefortinkers.
Iknowanoldwomanofsixty-fivewhoranawaywithabald-headedyoungtinkeronce.
Andthat’sthereasonIneverwouldworkforlonelywidowoldwomenashorewhenIkeptmyjob-shopintheVineyard;theymighthavetakenintotheirlonelyoldheadstorunoffwithme.Butheigh-ho!therearenocapsatseabutsnow-caps.Letmesee.
Naildownthelid;caulktheseams;payoverthesamewithpitch;battenthemdowntight,andhangitwiththesnap-springovertheship’sstern.
Wereeversuchthingsdonebeforewithacoffin?
Somesuperstitiousoldcarpenters,now,wouldbetiedupinrigging,eretheywoulddothejob.
ButI’mmadeofknottyAroostookhemlock;Idon’tbudge.Crupperedwithacoffin!Sailingaboutwithagrave-yardtray!Butnevermind.
Weworkersinwoodsmakebridalbedsteadsandcard-tables,aswellascoffinsandhearses.
Weworkbythemonth,orbythejob,orbytheprofit;notforustoaskthewhyandwhereforeofourwork,unlessitbetooconfoundedcobbling,andthenwestashitifwecan.Hem!I’lldothejob,now,tenderly.
I’llhaveme-let’ssee-howmanyintheship’scompany,alltold?ButI’veforgotten.
Anyway,I’llhavemethirtyseparate,Turk’s-headedlife-lines,eachthreefeetlonghangingallroundtothecoffin.
Then,ifthehullgodown,there’llbethirtylivelyfellowsallfightingforonecoffin,asightnotseenveryoftenbeneaththesun!
Comehammer,caulking-iron,pitch-pot,andmarling-spike!Let’stoit.”
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