CHAPTER64Stubb'sSupper

stubb'swhalehadbeenkilledsomedistancefromtheship.itwasacalm;so,formingatandemofthreeboats,wecommencedtheslowbusinessoftowingthetrophytothepequod.andnow,asweeighteenmenwithourthirty-sixarms,andonehundredandeightythumbsandfingers,slowlytoiledhourafterhouruponthatinert,ishcorpseinthesea;anditseemedhardlytobudgeatall,exceptatlongintervals;goodevidencewasherebyfurnishedoftheenormousnessofthemasswemoved.for,uponthegreatcanalofhang-ho,orwhatevertheycallit,inchina,fourorfivelaborersonthefoot-pathwilldrawabulkyfreightedjunkattherateofamileanhour;butthisgrandargosywetowedheavilyforgedalong,asifladenwithpig-leadinbulk.

darknesscameon;butthreelightsupanddowninthepequod'smain-ingdimlyguidedourway;tilldrawingnearerwesawahabdroppingoneofseveralmorelanternsoverthebulwarks.vacantlyeyeingtheheavingwhaleforamoment,heissuedtheusualordersforsecuringitforthenight,andthenhandinghislanterntoaseaman,wenthiswayintothecabin,anddidnotcomeforwardagainuntilmorning.

though,inoverseeingthepursuitofthiswhale,captainahabhadevincedhiscustomaryactivity,tocallitso;yetnowthatthecreaturewasdead,somevaguedissatisfaction,orimpatience,ordespair,seemedworkinginhim;asifthesightofthatdeadbodyremindedhimthatmobydickwasyettobeslain;andthoughathousandotherwhaleswerebroughttohisship,allthatwouldnotonejotadvancehisgrand,monomaniacobject.verysoonyouwouldhavethoughtfromthesoundonthepequod'sdecks,thatallhandswerepreparingtocastanchorinthedeep;forheavychainsarebeingedalongthedeck,andthrustrattlingoutoftheport-holes.butbythoseclankinglinks,thevastcorpseitself,nottheship,istobemoored.tiedbytheheadtothestern,andbythetailtothebows,thewhalenowlieswithitsblackhullclosetothevessel'sandseenthroughthedarknessofthenight,whichobscuredthesparsandingaloft,thetwo—shipandwhale,seemedyokedtogetherlikecolossalbullocks,whereofonereclineswhiletheotherremainsstanding.[1]

ifmoodyahabwasnowallquiescence,atleastsofarascouldbeknownondeck,stubb,hissecondmate,flushedwithconquest,betrayedanunusualbutstillgood-naturedexcitement.suchanunwontedbustlewasheinthatthestaidstarbuck,hisofficialsuperior,quietlyresignedtohimforthetimethesolemanagementofaffairs.onesmall,helpingcauseofallthislivelinessinstubb,wassoonmadestrangelymanifest.stubbwasahighliver;hewassomewhatintemperatelyfondofthewhaleasaflavorishthingtohispalate.

"asteak,asteak,ereisleep!you,oo!overboardyougo,andcutmeonefromhissmall!"

herebeitknown,thatthoughthesewildfishermendonot,asageneralthing,andaccordingtothegreatmilitarymaxim,maketheenemydefraythecurrentexpensesofthewar(atleastbeforerealizingtheproceedsofthevoyage),yetnowandthenyoufindsomeofthesenantucketerswhohaveagenuinerelishforthatparticularpartofthespermwhaledesignatedbystubb;comprisingthetaperingextremityofthebody.

aboutmidnightthatsteakwascutandcooked;andlightedbytwolanternsofspermoil,stubbstoutlystooduptohisspermacetisupperatthecapstanhead,asifthatcapstanwereasideboard.norwasstubbtheonlybanqueteronwhale'sfleshthatnight.minglingtheirmumblingswithhisownmastications,thousandsonthousandsofsharks,swarmingroundthedeadleviathan,smackinglyfeastedonitsfatness.thefewsleepersbelowintheirbunkswereoftenstartledbythesharpslappingoftheirtailsagainstthehull,withinafewinchesofthesleepers'hearts.peeringoverthesideyoucouldjustseethem(asbeforeyouheardthem)wallowinginthesullen,blackwaters,andturningoverontheirbacksastheyscoopedouthugeglobularpiecesofthewhaleofthebignessofahumanhead.thisparticularfeatofthesharkseemsallbutmiraculous.howatsuchanapparentlyunassailablesurface,theycontrivetogougeoutsuchsymmetricalmouthfuls,remainsapartoftheuniversalproblemofallthings.themarktheythusleaveonthewhale,maybestbelikenedtothehollowmadebyacarpenterincountersinkingforascrew.

thoughamidallthesmokinghorroranddiabolismofasea-fight,sharkswillbeseenlonginglygazinguptotheship'sdecks,likehungrydogsroundatablewhereredmeatisbeingcarved,readytoboltdowneverykilledmanthatistossedtothem;andthough,whilethevaliantbutchersoverthedeck-tablearethuscanniballycarvingeachother'slivemeatwithcarving-knivesallgildedandtasselled,thesharks,also,withtheirjewel-hiltedmouths,arequarrelsomelycarvingawayunderthetableatthedeadmeat;andthough,wereyoutoturnthewholeaffairupsidedown,itwouldstillbeprettymuchthesamething,thatistosay,ashockingsharkishbusinessenoughforallparties;andthoughsharksalsoaretheinvariableoutridersofallslaveshipscrossingtheatlantic,systematicallytrottingalongside,tobehandyincaseaparcelistobecarriedanywhere,oradeadslavetobedecentlyburied;andthoughoneortwootherlikeinstancesmightbesetdown,touchingthesetterms,places,andoccasions,whensharksdomostsociallycongregate,andmosthilariouslyfeast;yetistherenoconceivabletimeoroccasionwhenyouwillfindtheminsuchcountlessnumbers,andingayerormorejovialspirits,thanaroundadeadspermwhale,mooredbynighttoawhaleshipatsea.ifyouhaveneverseenthatsight,thensuspendyourdecisionabouttheproprietyofdevil-worship,andtheexpediencyofconciliatingthedevil.

but,asyet,stubbheedednotthemumblingsofthebanquetthatwasgoingonsonighhim,nomorethanthesharksheededthesmackingofhisownepicureanlips.

"cook,cook!—where'sthatoldfleece?"hecriedatlength,wideninghislegsstillfurther,asiftoformamoresecurebaseforhissupper;and,atthesametimedartinghisforkintothedish,asifstabbingwithhislance;"cook,youcook!—sailthisway,cook!"

theoldblack,notinanyveryhighgleeathavingbeenpreviouslyrousedfromhiswarmhammockatamostunseasonablehour,cameshamblingalongfromhisgalley,for,likemanyoldblacks,therewassomethingthematterwithhisknee-pans,whichhedidnotkeepwellscouredlikehisotherpans;thisoldfleece,astheycalledhim,cameshufflingandlimpingalong,assistinghisstepwithhistongs,which,afteraclumsyfashion,weremadeofstraightenedironhoops;thisoldebonyflounderedalong,andinobediencetothewordofcommand,cametoadeadstopontheoppositesideofstubb'ssideboard;when,withbothhandsfoldedbeforehim,andrestingonhisedcane,hebowedhisarchedbackstillfurtherover,atthesametimesidewaysinclininghishead,soastobringhisbestearintoplay.

"cook,"saidstubb,rapidlyliftingaratherreddishmorseltohismouth,"don'tyouthinkthissteakisratheroverdone?you'vebeenbeatingthissteaktoomuch,cook;it'stootender.don'tialwayssaythattobegood,awhale-steakmustbetough?therearethosesharksnowovertheside,don'tyouseetheypreferittoughandrare?whatashindytheyarekickingup!cook,goandtalkto'em;tell'emtheyarewelcometohelpthemselvescivilly,andinmoderation,buttheymustkeepquiet.blastme,ificanhearmyownvoice.away,cook,anddelivermymessage.here,takethislantern,"snatchingonefromhissideboard;"nowthen,goandpreachto'em!"

sullenlytakingtheofferedlantern,oldfleecelimpedacrossthedecktothebulwarks;andthen,withonehanddroppinghislightlowoverthesea,soastogetagoodviewofhiscongregation,withtheotherhandhesolemnlyflourishedhistongs,andleaningfaroverthesideinamumblingvoicebeganaddressingthesharks,whilestubb,softlycrawlingbehind,overheardallthatwassaid.

"fellow-critters:i'seorderedheretosaydatyoumuststopdatdamnoisedare.youhear?stopdatdamsmackin'obdelip!massastubbsaydatyoucanfillyourdambelliesuptodehatchings,butbygor!youmuststopdatdamracket!"

"cook,"hereinterposedstubb,accompanyingthewordwithasuddenslapontheshoulder,—"cook!why,damnyoureyes,youmustn'tswearthatwaywhenyou'repreaching.that'snowaytoconvertsinners,cook!"

"whodat?denpreachtohimyourself,"sullenlyturningtogo.

"no,cook;goon,goon."

"well,den,belubedfellow-critters:"—

"right!"exclaimedstubb,approvingly,"coax'emtoit;trythat,"andfleececontinued.

"doyouisallsharks,andbynaturweryworacious,yetizaytoyou,fellow-critters,datdatworaciousness—'topdatdamslappin'obdetail!howyoutinktohear,sposeyoukeepupsuchadamslappin'andbitin'dare?"

"cook,"criedstubb,collaringhim,"iwon'thavethatswearing.talkto'emgentlemanly."

oncemorethesermonproceeded.

"yourworaciousness,fellow-critters,idon'tblameyesomuchfor;datisnatur,andcan'tbehelped;buttogoberndatwickednatur,datisdepint.youissharks,sartin;butifyougoberndesharkinyou,whydenyoubeangel;forallangelisnot'ingmoredandesharkwellgoberned.now,lookhere,bred'ren,justtrywonsttobecibil,ahelpingyourselbsfromdatwhale.don'tbetearin'deblubberoutyourneighbour'smout,isay.isnotonesharkdoodrightastodertodatwhale?and,bygor,noneonyouhasderighttodatwhale;datwhalebelongtosomeoneelse.iknowsomeo'youhasberrybrigmout,erdanoders;butdendebrigmoutssometimeshasdesmallbellies;sodatdebrignessofdemoutisnottoswallerwid,buttobitoffdeblubberfordesmallfryobsharks,datcan'tgetintodescrougetohelpdemselves."

"welldone,oldfleece!"criedstubb,"that'schristianity;goon."

"nousegoin'on;dedamwillainswillkeepascougin'andslappin'eachoder,massastubb;deydon'thearoneword;nousea-preachin'tosuchdamg'uttonsasyoucall'em,tilldarebelliesisfull,anddarebelliesisbottomless;andwhendeydoget'emfull,deywonthearyouden;fordendeysinkindesea,gofasttosleepondecoral,andcan'thearnot'ingatall,nomore,foreberandeber."

"uponmysoul,iamaboutofthesameopinion;sogivethebenediction,fleece,andi'llawaytomysupper."

uponthis,fleece,holdingbothhandsoverthefishymob,raisedhisshrillvoice,andcried—

"cussedfellow-critters!kickupdedamndestrowaseveryoucan;fillyourdam'bellies'tilldeybust—anddendie."

"now,cook,"saidstubb,resuminghissupperatthecapstan;"standjustwhereyoustoodbefore,there,overagainstme,andpayparticularattention."

"alldention,"saidfleece,againstoopingoveruponhistongsinthedesiredposition.

"well,"saidstubb,helpinghimselffreelymeanwhile;"ishallnowgobacktothesubjectofthissteak.inthefirstplace,howoldareyou,cook?

"whatdatdowidde'teak,"saidtheoldblack,testily.

"silence!howoldareyou,cook?"

"'boutninety,deysay,"hegloomilymuttered.

"andyouhavelivedinthisworldhardupononehundredyears,cook,anddon'tknowyethowtocookawhale-steak?"rapidlyboltinganothermouthfulatthelastword,sothatmorselseemedacontinuationofthequestion."wherewereyouborn,cook?"

"'hinddehatchway,inferry-boat,goin'oberderoanoke."

"borninaferry-boat!that'squeer,too.butiwanttoknowwhatcountryyouwerebornin,cook!"

"didn'tisayderoanokecountry?"hecriedsharply."no,youdidn't,cook;buti'lltellyouwhati'mcomingto,cook.youmustgohomeandbebornoveragain;youdon'tknowhowtocookawhale-steakyet.""bressmysoul,ificooknoderone,"hegrowled,angrily,turningroundtodepart.

"comeback,cook;—here,handmethosetongs;—nowtakethatbitofsteakthere,andtellmeifyouthinkthatsteakcookedasitshouldbe?takeit,isay"—holdingthetongstowardshim—"takeit,andtasteit."

faintlysmackinghiswitheredlipsoveritforamoment,theoldnegromuttered,"bestcooked'teakiebertaste;joosy,berryjoosy."

"cook,"saidstubb,squaringhimselfoncemore;"doyoubelongtothechurch?"

"passedoneonceincape-down,"saidtheoldmansullenly.

"andyouhaveonceinyourlifepassedaholychurchincape-town,whereyoudoubtlessoverheardaholyparsonaddressinghishearersashisbelovedfellow-creatures,haveyou,cook!andyetyoucomehere,andtellmesuchadreadfullieasyoudidjustnow,eh?"saidstubb."wheredoyouexpecttogoto,cook?"

"gotobedberrysoon,"hemumbled,half-turningashespoke.

"avast!heaveto!imeanwhenyoudie,cook.it'sanawfulquestion.nowwhat'syouranswer?"

"whendisoldbrackmandies,"saidthenegroslowly,changinghiswholeairanddemeanor,"hehisselfwon'tgonowhere;butsomebressedangelwillcomeandfetchhim."

"fetchhim?how?inacoachandfour,astheyfetchedelijah?andfetchhimwhere?"

"updere,"saidfleece,holdinghistongsstraightoverhishead,andkeepingitthereverysolemnly.