CHAPTER78CisternandBuckets

nimbleasacat,tashtegomountsaloft;andwithoutalteringhiserectposture,runsstraightoutupontheoverhangingmainyard-arm,tothepartwhereitexactlyprojectsoverthehoistedtun.hehascarriedwithhimalighttacklecalledawhip,consistingofonlytwoparts,travellingthroughasingle-sheavedblock.securingthisblock,sothatithangsdownfromtheyard-arm,heswingsoneendoftherope,tillitiscaughtandfirmlyheldbyahandondeck.then,hand-over-hand,downtheotherpart,theindiandropsthroughtheair,tilldexterouslyhelandsonthesummitofthehead.there—stillhighelevatedabovetherestofthecompany,towhomhevivaciouslycries—heseemssometurkishmuezzincallingthegoodpeopletoprayersfromthetopofatower.ashort-handledsharpspadebeingsentuptohim,hediligentlysearchesfortheproperplacetobeginbreakingintothetun.inthisbusinessheproceedsveryheedfully,likeatreasure-hunterinsomeoldhouse,soundingthewallstofindwherethegoldismasonedin.bythetimethiscautioussearchisover,astoutiron-boundbucket,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!"criedoo,whoamidthegeneralconsternationfirstcametohissenses."swingthebucketthisway!"andputtingonefootintoit,soasthebettertosecurehisslipperyhand-holdonthewhipitself,thehoistersranhimhighuptothetopofthehead,almostbeforetashtegocouldhavereacheditsinteriorbottom.meantime,therewasaterribletumult.lookingovertheside,theysawthebeforelifelessheadthrobbingandheavingjustbelowthesurfaceofthesea,asifthatmomentseizedwithsomemomentousidea;whereasitwasonlythepoorindianunconsciouslyrevealingbythoselestheperilousdepthtowhichhehadsunk.

atthisinstant,whileoo,onthesummitofthehead,wasclearingthewhip—whichhadsomehowgotfoulofthegreatcuttingtackles—asharpcrackingnoisewasheard;andtotheunspeakablehorrorofall,oneofthetwoenormoushookssuspendingtheheadtoreout,andwithavastvibrationtheenormousmasssidewaysswung,tillthedrunkshipreeledandshookasifsmittenbyaniceberg.theoneremaininghook,uponwhichtheentirestrainnowdepended,seemedeveryinstanttobeonthepointofgivingway;aneventstillmorelikelyfromtheviolentmotionsofthehead.

"comedown,comedown!"yelledtheseamentooo,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—oo,throughathickmistofspray,wasdimlybeheldclingingtothependuloustackles,whilepoor,buried-alivetashtegowassinkingutterlydowntothebottomofthesea!buthardlyhadtheblindingvaporclearedaway,whenanakedfigurewithaboardingswordinhishand,wasforoneswiftmomentseenhoveringoverthebulwarks.thenext,aloudsplashannouncedthatmybravequeequeghaddivedtotherescue.onepackedrushwasmadetotheside,andeveryeyecountedeveryripple,asmomentfollowedmoment,andnosignofeitherthesinkerorthedivercouldbeseen.somehandsnowjumpedintoaboatalongside,andpushedalittleofffromtheship.

"ha!ha!"criedoo,allatonce,fromhisnowquiet,swingingperchoverhead;andlookingfurtherofffromtheside,wesawanarmthrustuprightfromthebluewaves;asightstrangetosee,asanarmthrustforthfromthegrassoveragrave.

"both!both!—itisboth!"—criedooagainwithajoyfulshout;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,wasessfullyaccomplished,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;smotheredintheverywhitestanddaintiestoffragrantspermaceti;coffined,hearsed,andtombedinthesecretinnerchamberandsanctumsanctorumofthewhale.onlyonesweeterendcanreadilyberecalled—thedeliciousdeathofanohiohoney-hunter,whoseekinghoneyinthecrotchofahollowtree,foundsuchexceedingstoreofit,thatleaningtoofarover,itsuckedhimin,sothathediedembalmed.howmany,thinkye,havelikewisefallenintoplato'shoneyhead,andsweetlyperishedthere?