AtthetimethePequodwasmakinggoodspeedthroughthewater;butasthebroad-wingedwindwardstrangershotnightoher,theboastfulsailsallfelltogetherasblankbladdersthatareburst,andalllifefledfromthesmittenhull.
“Badnews;shebringsbadnews,”mutteredtheoldManxman.Buterehercommander,who,withtrumpettomouth,stoodupinhisboat;erehecouldhopefullyhail,Ahab’svoicewasheard.
Throttlinghisjoy,Ahabnegativelyansweredthisunexpectedquestion;andwouldthenhavefainboardedthestranger,whenthestrangercaptainhimself,havingstoppedhisvessel’sway,wasseendescendingherside.
Itseemedthatsomewhatlateontheafternoonofthedayprevious,whilethreeofthestranger’sboatswereengagedwithashoalofwhales,whichhadledthemsomefourorfivemilesfromtheship;andwhiletheywereyetinswiftchasetowindward,thewhitehumpandheadofMobyDickhadsuddenlyloomedupoutofthewater,notveryfartoleeward;whereupon,thefourthriggedboat-areservedone-hadbeeninstantlyloweredinchase.
Afterakeensailbeforethewind,thisfourthboat-theswiftestkeeledofall-seemedtohavesucceededinfastening-atleast,aswellasthemanatthemast-headcouldtellanythingaboutit.
Inthedistancehesawthediminisheddottedboat;andthenaswiftgleamofbubblingwhitewater;andafterthatnothingmore;whenceitwasconcludedthatthestrickenwhalemusthaveindefinitelyrunawaywithhispursuers,asoftenhappens.
Therecallsignalswereplacedintherigging;darknesscameon;andforcedtopickupherthreefartowindwardboats-eregoinginquestofthefourthoneinthepreciselyoppositedirection-theshiphadnotonlybeennecessitatedtoleavethatboattoitsfatetillnearmidnight,but,forthetime,toincreaseherdistancefromit.
Buttherestofhercrewbeingatlastsafeaboard,shecrowdedallsail-stunsailonstunsail-afterthemissingboat;kindlingafireinhertry-potsforabeacon;andeveryothermanaloftonthelook-out.
Butthoughwhenshehadthussailedasufficientdistancetogainthepresumedplaceoftheabsentoneswhenlastseen;thoughshethenpausedtolowerherspareboatstopullallaroundher;andnotfindinganything,hadagaindashedon;againpaused,andloweredherboats;andthoughshehadthuscontinueddoingtilldaylight;yetnottheleastglimpseofthemissingkeelhadbeenseen.
Hedesiredthatshiptounitewithhisowninthesearch;bysailingovertheseasomefourorfivemilesapart,onparallellines,andsosweepingadoublehorizon,asitwere.
“Iwillwagersomethingnow,”whisperedStubbtoFlask,“thatsomeoneinthatmissingboatworeoffthatCaptain’sbestcoat;mayhap,hiswatch-he’ssocursedanxioustogetitback.
See,Flask,onlyseehowpalehelooks-paleintheverybuttonsofhiseyes-look-itwasn’tthecoat-itmusthavebeenthe-”
“Myboy,myownboyisamongthem.ForGod’ssake-Ibeg,Iconjure”-hereexclaimedthestrangerCaptaintoAhab,whothusfarhadbuticilyreceivedhispetition.
“Foreight-and-fortyhoursletmecharteryourship-Iwillgladlypayforit,androundlypayforit-iftherebenootherway-foreight-and-fortyhoursonly-onlythat-youmust,oh,youmust,andyoushalldothisthing.”
“Hisson!”criedStubb,“oh,it’shissonhe’slost!Itakebackthecoatandwatch-whatsaysAhab?Wemustsavethatboy.”
“He’sdrownedwiththereston‘em,lastnight,”saidtheoldManxsailorstandingbehindthem;“Iheard;allofyeheardtheirspirits.”
Now,asitshortlyturnedout,whatmadethisincidentoftheRachel’sthemoremelancholy,wasthecircumstance,thatnotonlywasoneoftheCaptain’ssonsamongthenumberofthemissingboat’screw;butamongthenumberoftheotherboats’crews,atthesametime,butontheotherhand,separatedfromtheshipduringthedarkvicissitudesofthechase,therehadbeenstillanotherson;asthatforatime,thewretchedfatherwasplungedtothebottomofthecruellestperplexity;whichwasonlysolvedforhimbyhischiefmate’sinstinctivelyadoptingtheordinaryprocedureofawhaleshipinsuchemergencies,thatis,whenplacedbetweenjeopardizedbutdividedboats,alwaystopickupthemajorityfirst.
Butthecaptain,forsomeunknownconstitutionalreason,hadrefrainedfrommentioningallthis,andnottillforcedtoitbyAhab’sicinessdidhealludetohisoneyetmissingboy;alittlelad,buttwelveyearsold,whosefatherwiththeearnestbutunmisgivinghardihoodofaNantucketer’spaternallove,hadthusearlysoughttoinitiatehimintheperilsandwondersofavocationalmostimmemoriallythedestinyofallhisrace.
Nordoesitunfrequentlyoccur,thatNantucketcaptainswillsendasonofsuchtenderageawayfromthem,foraprotractedthreeorfouryears’voyageinsomeothershipthantheirown;sothattheirfirstknowledgeofawhaleman’scareershallbeunenervatedbyanychancedisplayofafather’snaturalbutuntimelypartiality,orundueapprehensivenessandconcern.
Meantime,nowthestrangerwasstillbeseechinghispoorboonofAhab;andAhabstillstoodlikeananvil,receivingeveryshock,butwithouttheleastquiveringofhisown.
Foryoutoohaveaboy,CaptainAhab-thoughbutachild,andnestlingsafelyathomenow-achildofyouroldagetoo-Yes,yes,yourelent;Iseeit-run,run,men,now,andstandbytosquareintheyards.”
“Avast,”criedAhab-“touchnotarope-yarn”;theninavoicethatprolonginglymouldedeveryword-“CaptainGardiner,Iwillnotdoit.
Mr.Starbuck,lookatthebinnaclewatch,andinthreeminutesfromthispresentinstantwarnoffallstrangers;thenbraceforwardagain,andlettheshipsailasbefore.”
Hurriedlyturning,withavertedface,hedescendedintohiscabin,leavingthestrangecaptaintransfixedatthisunconditionalandutterrejectionofhissoearnestsuit.
Butstartingfromhisenchantment,Gardinersilentlyhurriedtotheside;morefellthansteppedintohisboat,andreturnedtohisship.
Soonthetwoshipsdivergedtheirwakes;andlongasthestrangevesselwasinview,shewasseentoyawhitherandthitherateverydarkspot,howeversmall,onthesea.
Thiswayandthatheryardswereswungaround;starboardandlarboard,shecontinuedtotack;nowshebeatagainstaheadsea;andagainitpushedherbeforeit;whileallthewhile,hermastsandyardswerethicklyclusteredwithmen,asthreetallcherrytrees,whentheboysarecherryingamongtheboughs.
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