CHAPTER72TheMonkey-Rope

inthetumultuousbusinessofcutting-inandattendingtoawhale,thereismuchrunningbackwardsandforwardsamongthecrew.nowhandsarewantedhere,andthenagainhandsarewantedthere.thereisnostayinginanyoneplace;foratoneandthesametimeeverythinghastobedoneeverywhere.itismuchthesamewithhimwhoendeavorsthedescriptionofthescene.wemustnowretraceourwayalittle.itwasmentionedthatuponfirstbreakinggroundinthewhale'sback,theblubber-hookwasinsertedintotheoriginalholetherecutbythespadesofthemates.buthowdidsoclumsyandweightyamassasthatsamehookgetfixedinthathole?itwasinsertedtherebymyparticularfriendqueequeg,whosedutyitwas,asharpooneer,todescenduponthemonster'sbackforthespecialpurposereferredto.butinverymanycases,circumstancesrequirethattheharpooneershallremainonthewhaletillthewholeflensingorstrippingoperationisconcluded.thewhale,beitobserved,liesalmostentirelysubmerged,exceptingtheimmediatepartsoperatedupon.sodownthere,sometenfeetbelowthelevelofthedeck,thepoorharpooneerfloundersabout,halfonthewhaleandhalfinthewater,asthevastmassrevolveslikeatread-millbeneathhim.ontheoccasioninquestion,queequegfiguredinthehighlandcostume—ashirtandsocks—inwhichtomyeyes,atleast,heappearedtouncommonadvantage;andnoonehadabetterchancetoobservehim,aswillpresentlybeseen.

beingthesavage'sbowsman,thatis,thepersonwhopulledthebow-oarinhisboat(thesecondonefromforward),itwasmycheerfuldutytoattenduponhimwhiletakingthathard-scrabblescrambleuponthedeadwhale'sback.youhaveseenitalianorgan-boysholdingadancing-apebyalongcord.justso,fromtheship'ssteepside,didiholdqueequegdownthereinthesea,bywhatistechnicallycalledinthefisheryamonkey-rope,attachedtoastrongstripofcanvasbeltedroundhiswaist.

itwasahumorouslyperilousbusinessforbothofus.for,beforeweproceedfurther,itmustbesaidthatthemonkey-ropewasfastatbothends;fasttoqueequeg'sbroadcanvasbelt,andfasttomynarrowleatherone.sothatforbetterorforworse,wetwo,forthetime,werewedded;andshouldpoorqueequegsinktorisenomore,thenbothusageandhonordemanded,thatinsteadofcuttingthecord,itshoulddragmedowninhiswake.so,then,anelongatedsiameseligatureunitedus.queequegwasmyowninseparabletwinbrother;norcouldianywaygetridofthedangerousliabilitieswhichthehempenbondentailed.

sostronglyandmetaphysicallydidiconceiveofmysituationthen,thatwhileearnestlywatchinghismotions,iseemeddistinctlytoperceivethatmyownindividualitywasnowmergedinajointstockcompanyoftwo;thatmyfreewillhadreceivedamortalwound;andthatanother'smistakeormisfortunemightplungeinnocentmeintounmeriteddisasteranddeath.therefore,isawthatherewasasortofinterregnuminprovidence;foritseven-handedequitynevercouldhavesogrossaninjustice.andyetstillfurtherpondering—whileijerkedhimnowandthenfrombetweenthewhaleandship,whichwouldthreatentojamhim—stillfurtherpondering,isay,isawthatthissituationofminewastheprecisesituationofeverymortalthatbreathes;only,inmostcases,he,onewayorother,hasthissiameseconnexionwithapluralityofothermortals.ifyourbankerbreaks,yousnap;ifyourapothecarybymistakesendsyoupoisoninyourpills,youdie.true,youmaysaythat,byexceedingcaution,youmaypossiblyescapetheseandthemultitudinousotherevilchancesoflife.buthandlequeequeg'smonkey-ropeheedfullyasiwould,sometimeshejerkeditso,thaticameverynearslidingoverboard.norcouldipossiblyforgetthat,dowhatiwould,ionlyhadthemanagementofoneendofit.[1]

ihavehintedthatiwouldoftenjerkpoorqueequegfrombetweenthewhaleandtheship—wherehewouldoccasionallyfall,fromtheincessantrollingandswayingofboth.butthiswasnottheonlyjammingjeopardyhewasexposedto.unappalledbythemassacremadeuponthemduringthenight,thesharksnowfreshlyandmorekeenlyalluredbythebeforepentbloodwhichbegantoflowfromthecarcass—therabidcreaturesswarmedrounditlikebeesinabeehive.

andrightinamongthosesharkswasqueequeg;whooftenpushedthemasidewithhisflounderingfeet.athingaltogetherincrediblewereitnotthatattractedbysuchpreyasadeadwhale,theotherwisemiscellaneouslycarnivoroussharkwillseldomtouchaman.

nevertheless,itmaywellbebelievedthatsincetheyhavesucharavenousfingerinthepie,itisdeemedbutwisetolooksharptothem.accordingly,besidesthemonkey-rope,withwhichinowandthenjerkedthepoorfellowfromtoocloseavicinitytothemawofwhatseemedapeculiarlyferociousshark—hewasprovidedwithstillanotherprotection.suspendedoverthesideinoneofthestages,tashtegoandoocontinuallyflourishedoverhisheadacoupleofkeenwhale-spades,wherewiththeyslaughteredasmanysharksastheycouldreach.thisprocedureoftheirs,tobesure,wasverydisinterestedandbenevolentofthem.theymeantqueequeg'sbesthappiness,iadmit;butintheirhastyzealtobefriendhim,andfromthecircumstancethatbothheandthesharkswereattimeshalfhiddenbytheblood-muddledwater,thoseindiscreetspadesoftheirswouldcomeneareramputatingalegthanatail.butpoorqueequeg,isuppose,strainingandgaspingtherewiththatgreatironhook—poorqueequeg,isuppose,onlyprayedtohisyojo,andgaveuphislifeintothehandsofhisgods.

well,well,mydearcomradeandtwin-brother,thoughti,asidrewinandthenslackedofftheropetoeveryswellofthesea—whatmattersit,afterall?areyounotthepreciousimageofeachandallofusmeninthiswhalingworld?thatunsoundedoceanyougaspin,islife;thosesharks,yourfoes;thosespades,yourfriends;andwhatbetweensharksandspadesyouareinasadpickleandperil,poorlad.

butcourage!thereisgoodcheerinstoreforyou,queequeg.fornow,aswithbluelipsandblood-shoteyestheexhaustedsavageatlastclimbsupthechainsandstandsalldrippingandinvoluntarilytremblingovertheside;thestewardadvances,andwithabenevolent,consolatoryglancehandshim—what?somehotcognac?no!handshim,yegods!handshimacupoftepidgingerandwater!

"ginger?doismellginger?"suspiciouslyaskedstubb,comingnear."yes,thismustbeginger,"peeringintotheasyetuntastedcup.thenstandingasifincredulousforawhile,hecalmlywalkedtowardstheastonishedstewardslowlysaying,"ginger?ginger?andwillyouhavethegoodnesstotellme,mr.doughboy,whereliesthevirtueofginger?ginger!isgingerthesortoffuelyouuse,dough-boy,tokindleafireinthisshiveringcannibal?ginger!—whatthedevilisginger?sea-coal?firewood?—lucifermatches?—tinder?—gunpowder?—whatthedevilisginger,isay,thatyouofferthiscuptoourpoorqueequeghere."

"thereissomesneakingtemperancesocietymovementaboutthisbusiness,"hesuddenlyadded,nowapproachingstarbuck,whohadjustcomefromforward."willyoulookatthatkannakin,sir:smellofit,ifyouplease."thenwatchingthemate'scountenance,headded,"thesteward,mr.starbuck,hadthefacetoofferthatcalomelandjalaptoqueequeg,there,thisinstantoffthewhale.isthestewardanapothecary,sir?andmayiaskwhetherthisisthesortofbittersbywhichheblowsbackthelifeintoahalf-drownedman?"

"itrustnot,"saidstarbuck,"itispoorstuffenough."

"aye,aye,steward,"criedstubb,"we'llteachyoutodrugaharpooneer;noneofyourapothecary'smedicinehere;youwanttopoisonus,doye?youhavegotoutinsurancesonourlivesandwanttomurderusall,andpockettheproceeds,doye?"

"itwasnotme,"crieddough-boy,"itwasauntcharitythatbroughtthegingeronboard;andbademenevergivetheharpooneersanyspirits,butonlythisginger-jub—soshecalledit."

"ginger-jub!yougingerlyrascal!takethat!andrunalongwithyetothelockers,andgetsomethingbetter.ihopeidonowrong,mr.starbuck.itisthecaptain'sorders—grogfortheharpooneeronawhale."

"enough,"repliedstarbuck,"onlydon'thithimagain,but—"

"oh,ineverhurtwhenihit,exceptwhenihitawhaleorsomethingofthatsort;andthisfellow'saweazel.whatwereyouaboutsaying,sir?"

"onlythis:godownwithhim,andgetwhatthouwantestthyself."

whenstubbreappeared,hecamewithadarkflaskinonehand,andasortoftea-caddyintheother.thefirstcontainedstrongspirits,andwashandedtoqueequeg;thesecondwasauntcharity'sgift,andthatwasfreelygiventothewaves.

[1]themonkey-ropeisfoundinallwhalers;butitwasonlyinthepequodthatthemonkeyandhisholderwereevertiedtogether.thisimprovementupontheoriginalusagewasintroducedbynolessamanthanstubb,inordertoaffordtheimperilledharpooneerthestrongestpossibleguaranteeforthefaithfulnessandvigilanceofhismonkey-ropeholder.