CHAPTER124TheNeedle

nextmorningthenot-yet-subsidedsearolledinlongslowbillowsofmightybulk,andstrivinginthepequod'sgurglingtrack,pushedheronlikegiants'palmsoutspread.thestrong,eringbreezeaboundedso,thatskyandairseemedvastoutbellyingsails;thewholeworldboomedbeforethewind.muffledinthefullmorninglight,theinvisiblesunwasonlyknownbythespreadintensityofhisplace;wherehisbayonetraysmovedoninstacks.emblazonings,asofcrownedbabyloniankingsandqueens,reignedovereverything.theseawasasacrucibleofmoltengold,thatbubblinglyleapswithlightandheat.

longmaintaininganenchantedsilence,ahabstoodapart;andeverytimetheteteringshiploweringlypitcheddownherbowsprit,heturnedtoeyethebrightsun'sraysproducedahead;andwhensheprofoundlysettledbythestern,heturnedbehind,andsawthesun'srearwardplace,andhowthesameyellowrayswereblendingwithhisundeviatingwake.

"ha,ha,myship!thoumightestwellbetakennowforthesea-chariotofthesun.ho,ho!allyenationsbeforemyprow,ibringthesuntoye!yokeonthefurtherbillows;hallo!atandem,idrivethesea!"

butsuddenlyreinedbackbysomecounterthought,hehurriedtowardsthehelm,huskilydemandinghowtheshipwasheading.

"east-sou-east,sir,"saidthefrightenedsteersman.

"thouliest!"smitinghimwithhisclenchedfist."headingeastatthishourinthemorning,andthesunastern?"

uponthiseverysoulwasconfounded;forthephenomenonjustthenobservedbyahabhadountablyescapedeveryoneelse;butitsveryblindingpalpablenessmusthavebeenthecause.

thrustinghisheadhalfwayintothebinnacle,ahabcaughtoneglimpseofthecompasses;hisupliftedarmslowlyfell;foramomenthealmostseemedtoer.standingbehindhimstarbucklooked,andlo!thetwocompassespointedeast,andthepequodwasasinfalliblygoingwest.

buterethefirstwildalarmcouldgetoutabroadamongthecrew,theoldmanwitharigidlaughexclaimed,"ihaveit!ithashappenedbefore.mr.starbuck,lastnight'sthunderturnedourcompasses—that'sall.thouhastbeforenowheardofsuchathing,itakeit."

"aye;butneverbeforehasithappenedtome,sir,"saidthepalemate,gloomily.

here,itmustneedsbesaid,thataccidentslikethishaveinmorethanonecaseoccurredtoshipsinviolentstorms.themagneticenergy,asdevelopedinthemariner'sneedle,is,asallknow,essentiallyonewiththeelectricitybeheldinheaven;henceitisnottobemuchmarvelledat,thatsuchthingsshouldbe.instanceswherethelightninghasactuallystruckthevessel,soastosmitedownsomeofthesparsanding,theeffectupontheneedlehasattimesbeenstillmorefatal;allitsloadstonevirtuebeingannihilated,sothatthebeforemagneticsteelwasofnomoreusethananoldwife'sknittingneedle.butineithercase,theneedleneveragain,ofitself,recoverstheoriginalvirtuethusmarredorlost;andifthebinnaclecompassesbeaffected,thesamefatereachesalltheothersthatmaybeintheship;evenwerethelowermostoneinsertedintothekelson.

deliberatelystandingbeforethebinnacle,andeyeingthetranspointedcompasses,theoldman,withthesharpofhisextendedhand,nowtooktheprecisebearingofthesun,andsatisfiedthattheneedleswereexactlyinverted,shoutedouthisordersfortheship'scoursetobechangedaccordingly.theyardswerehardup;andoncemorethepequodthrustherundauntedbowsintotheopposingwind,forthesupposedfaironehadonlybeenlingher.

meanwhile,whateverwerehisownsecretthoughts,starbucksaidnothing,butquietlyheissuedallrequisiteorders;whilestubbandflask—whoinsomesmalldegreeseemedthentobesharinghisfeelings—likewiseunmurmuringlyacquiesced.asforthemen,thoughsomeofthemlowlyrumbled,theirfearofahabwasgreaterthantheirfearoffate.butaseverbefore,thepaganharpooneersremainedalmostwhollyunimpressed;orifimpressed,itwasonlywithacertainmagnetismshotintotheircongenialheartsfrominflexibleahab's.

foraspacetheoldmanwalkedthedeckinrollingreveries.butchancingtoslipwithhisivoryheel,hesawthecrushedcoppersight-tubesofthequadranthehadthedaybeforedashedtothedeck.

"thoupoor,proudheaven-gazerandsun'spilot!yesterdayiwreckedthee,andto-daythecompasseswouldfainhavewreckedme.so,so.butahabislordoverthelevelloadstoneyet.mr.starbuck—alancewithoutapole;atop-maul,andthesmallestofthesail-maker'sneedles.quick!"

accessory,perhaps,totheimpulsedictatingthethinghewasnowabouttodo,werecertainprudentialmotives,whoseobjectmighthavebeentorevivethespiritsofhiscrewbyastrokeofhissubtileskill,inamattersowondrousasthatoftheinvertedcompasses.besides,theoldmanwellknewthattosteerbytranspointedneedles,thoughclumsilypracticable,wasnotathingtobepassedoverbysuperstitioussailors,withoutsomeshudderingsandevilportents.

"men,"saidhe,steadilyturninguponthecrew,asthematehandedhimthethingshehaddemanded,"mymen,thethunderturnedoldahab'sneedles;butoutofthisbitofsteelahabcanmakeoneofhisown,thatwillpointastrueasany."

abashedglancesofservilewonderwereexchangedbythesailors,asthiswassaid;andwithfascinatedeyestheyawaitedwhatevermagicmightfollow.butstarbucklookedaway.

withablowfromthetop-maulahabknockedoffthesteelheadofthelance,andthenhandingtothematethelongironrodremaining,badehimholditupright,withoutitstouchingthedeck.then,withthemaul,afterrepeatedlysmitingtheupperendofthisironrod,heplacedthebluntedneedleendwiseonthetopofit,andlessstronglyhammeredthat,severaltimes,thematestillholdingtherodasbefore.thengoingthroughsomesmallstrangemotionswithit—whetherindispensabletothemagnetizingofthesteel,ormerelyintendedtoaugmenttheaweofthecrew,isuncertain—hecalledforlinenthread;andmovingtothebinnacle,slippedoutthetworeversedneedlesthere,andhorizontallysuspendedthesail-needlebyitsmiddle,overoneofthecompass-cards.atfirst,thesteelwentroundandround,quiveringandvibratingateitherend;butatlastitsettledtoitsplace,whenahab,whohadbeenintentlywatchingforthisresult,steppedfranklybackfromthebinnacle,andpointinghisstretchedarmtowardsit,exclaimed,—"lookye,foryourselves,ifahabbenotlordofthelevelloadstone!thesuniseast,andthatcompassswearsit!"

oneafteranothertheypeeredin,fornothingbuttheirowneyescouldpersuadesuchignoranceastheirs,andoneafteranothertheyslunkaway.

inhisfieryeyesofscornandtriumph,youthensawahabinallhisfatalpride.