CHAPTER109AhabandStarbuckintheCab

accordingtousagetheywerepumpingtheshipnextmorning;andlo!noinconsiderableoilcameupwiththewater;thecasksbelowmusthavesprungabadleak.muchconcernwasshown;andstarbuckwentdownintothecabintoreportthisunfavourableaffair.[1]

now,fromthesouthandwestthepequodwasdrawingnightoformosaandthebasheeisles,betweenwhichliesoneofthetropicaloutletsfromthechinawatersintothepacific.andsostarbuckfoundahabwithageneralchartoftheorientalarchipelagoesspreadbeforehim;andanotherseparateonerepresentingthelongeasterncoastsofthejapaneseislands—niphon,matsmai,andsikoke.withhissnow-whitenewivorylegbracedagainstthescrewedlegofhistable,andwithalongpruning-hookofajack-knifeinhishand,thewondrousoldman,withhisbacktothegangwaydoor,waswrinklinghisbrow,andtracinghisoldcoursesagain.

"who'sthere?"hearingthefootstepatthedoor,butnotturningroundtoit."ondeck!begone!"

"captainahabmistakes;itisi.theoilintheholdisleaking,sir.wemustupburtonsandbreakout."

"upburtonsandbreakout?nowthatwearenearingjapan;heave-tohereforaweektotinkeraparcelofoldhoops?"

"eitherdothat,sir,orwasteinonedaymoreoilthanwemaymakegoodinayear.whatwecometwentythousandmilestogetisworthsaving,sir."

"soitis,soitis;ifwegetit."

"iwasspeakingoftheoilinthehold,sir."

"andiwasnotspeakingorthinkingofthatatall.begone!letitleak!i'mallaleakmyself.aye!leaksinleaks!notonlyfullofleakycasks,butthoseleakycasksareinaleakyship;andthat'safarworseplightthanthepequod's,man.yetidon'tstoptoplugmyleak;forwhocanfinditinthedeep-loadedhull;orhowhopetoplugit,eveniffound,inthislife'showlinggale?starbuck!i'llnothavetheburtonshoisted."

"whatwilltheownerssay,sir?"

"lettheownersstandonnantucketbeachandoutyellthetyphoons.whatcaresahab?owners,owners?thouartalwayspratingtome,starbuck,aboutthosemiserlyowners,asiftheownersweremyconscience.butlookye,theonlyrealownerofanythingisitscommander;andharkye,myconscienceisinthisship'skeel.—ondeck!"

"captainahab,"saidthereddeningmate,movingfurtherintothecabin,withadaringsostrangelyrespectfulandcautiousthatitalmostseemednotonlyeverywayseekingtoavoidtheslightestoutwardmanifestationofitself,butwithinalsoseemedmorethanhalfdistrustfulofitself;"abettermanthanimightwellpassoverintheewhathewouldquicklyenoughresentinayoungerman;aye,andinahappier,captainahab."

"devils!dostthouthensomuchasdaretocriticallythinkofme?—ondeck!"

"nay,sir,notyet;idoentreat.andidodare,sir—tobeforbearing!shallwenotunderstandeachotherbetterthanhitherto,captainahab?"

ahabseizedaloadedmusketfromtherack(formingpartofmostsouth-sea-men'scabinfurniture),andpointingittowardsstarbuck,exclaimed:"thereisonegodthatislordovertheearth,andonecaptainthatislordoverthepequod.—ondeck!"

foraninstantintheflashingeyesofthemate,andhisfierycheeks,youwouldhavealmostthoughtthathehadreallyreceivedtheblazeofthelevelledtube.but,masteringhisemotion,hehalfcalmlyrose,andashequittedthecabin,pausedforaninstantandsaid:"thouhastoutraged,notinsultedme,sir;butforthatiasktheenottobewareofstarbuck;thouwouldstbutlaugh;butletahabbewareofahab;bewareofthyself,oldman."

"hewaxesbrave,butneverthelessobeys;mostcarefulbraverythat!"murmuredahab,asstarbuckdisappeared."what'sthathesaid—ahabbewareofahab—there'ssomethingthere!"thenunconsciouslyusingthemusketforastaff,withanironbrowhepacedtoandfrointhelittlecabin;butpresentlythethickplaitsofhisforeheadrelaxed,andreturningtheguntotherack,hewenttothedeck.

"thouartbuttoogoodafellow,starbuck,"hesaidlowlytothemate;thenraisinghisvoicetothecrew:"furlthet'gallant-sails,andclose-reefthetop-sails,foreandaft;backthemain-yard;upburton,andbreakoutinthemain-hold."

itwereperhapsvaintosurmiseexactlywhyitwas,thatasrespectingstarbuck,ahabthusacted.itmayhavebeenaflashofhonestyinhim;ormereprudentialpolicywhich,underthecircumstance,imperiouslyforbadetheslightestsymptomofopendisaffection,howevertransient,intheimportantchiefofficerofhisship.howeveritwas,hisorderswereexecuted;andtheburtonswerehoisted.

[1]insperm-whalemenwithanyconsiderablequantityofoilonboard,itisaregularsemi-weeklydutytoconductahoseintothehold,anddrenchthecaskswithsea-water;whichafterwards,atvaryingintervals,isremovedbytheship'spumps.herebythecasksaresoughttobekeptdamplytight;whilebythechangedcharacterofthewithdrawnwater,themarinersreadilydetectanyseriousleakageinthepreciouscargo.