CHAPTER123TheMusket

duringthemostviolentshocksofthetyphoon,themanatthepequod'sjaw-bonetillerhadseveraltimesbeenreelinglyhurledtothedeckbyitsspasmodicmotions,eventhoughpreventertackleshadbeenattachedtoit—fortheywereslack—becausesomeplaytothetillerwasindispensable.

inaseveregalelikethis,whiletheshipisbutatossedshuttlecocktotheblast,itisbynomeansuncommontoseetheneedlesinthecompasses,atintervals,goroundandround.itwasthuswiththepequod's;atalmosteveryshockthehelmsmanhadnotfailedtonoticethewhirlingvelocitywithwhichtheyrevolveduponthecards;itisasightthathardlyanyonecanbeholdwithoutsomesortofunwontedemotion.

somehoursaftermidnight,thetyphoonabatedsomuch,thatthroughthestrenuousexertionsofstarbuckandstubb—oneengagedforwardandtheotheraft—theshiveredremnantsofthejibandforeandmain-top-sailswerecutadriftfromthespars,andwenteddyingawaytoleeward,likethefeathersofanalbatross,whichsometimesarecasttothewindswhenthatstorm-tossedbirdisonthewing.

thethreecorrespondingnewsailswerenowbentandreefed,andastorm-trysailwassetfurtheraft;sothattheshipsoonwentthroughthewaterwithsomeprecisionagain;andthecourse—forthepresent,eastsouth-east—whichhewastosteer,ifpracticable,wasoncemoregiventothehelmsman.forduringtheviolenceofthegale,hehadonlysteeredaccordingtoitsvicissitudes.butashewasnowbringingtheshipasnearhercourseaspossible,watchingthecompassmeanwhile,lo!agoodsign!thewindseemedcomingroundastern;aye,thefoulbreezebecamefair!

instantlytheyardsweresquared,tothelivelysongof"ho!thefairwind!oh-ye-ho,cheerlymen!"thecrewsingingforjoy,thatsopromisinganeventshouldsosoonhavefalsifiedtheevilportentsprecedingit.

incompliancewiththestandingorderofhiscommander—toreportimmediately,andatanyoneofthetwenty-fourhours,anydecidedchangeintheaffairsofthedeck,—starbuckhadnosoonertrimmedtheyardstothebreeze—howeverreluctantlyandgloomily,—thanhemechanicallywentbelowtoapprisecaptainahabofthecircumstance.

ereknockingathisstate-room,heinvoluntarilypausedbeforeitamoment.thecabinlamp—takinglongswingsthiswayandthat—wasburningfitfully,andcastingfitfulshadowsupontheoldman'sbolteddoor,—athinone,withfixedblindsinserted,inplaceofupperpanels.theisolatedsubterraneousnessofthecabinmadeacertainhummingsilencetoreignthere,thoughitwashoopedroundbyalltheroaroftheelements.theloadedmusketsintherackwereshininglyrevealed,astheystooduprightagainsttheforwardbulkhead.starbuckwasanhonest,uprightman;butoutofstarbuck'sheart,atthatinstantwhenhesawthemuskets,therestrangelyevolvedanevilthought;butsoblentwithitsneutralorgoodaccompanimentsthatfortheinstanthehardlyknewitforitself.

"hewouldhaveshotmeonce,"hemurmured,"yes,there'stheverymusketthathepointedatme;—thatonewiththestuddedstock;letmetouchit—liftit.strange,thati,whohavehandledsomanydeadlylances,strange,thatishouldshakesonow.loaded?imustsee.aye,aye;andpowderinthepan;—that'snotgood.bestspillit?—wait.i'llcuremyselfofthis.i'llholdthemusketboldlywhileithink.—icometoreportafairwindtohim.buthowfair?fairfordeathanddoom,—that'sfairformobydick.it'safairwindthat'sonlyfairforthataccursedfish.—theverytubehepointedatme!—theveryone;thisone—iholdithere;hewouldhavekilledmewiththeverythingihandlenow.—ayeandhewouldfainkillallhiscrew.doeshenotsayhewillnotstrikehissparstoanygale?hashenotdashedhisheavenlyquadrant?andinthesesameperilousseas,gropeshenothiswaybymeredeadreckoningoftheerror-aboundinglog?andinthisverytyphoon,didhenotswearthathewouldhavenolightning-rods?butshallthiscrazedoldmanbetamelysufferedtodragawholeship'scompanydowntodoomwithhim?—yes,itwouldmakehimthewilfulmurdererofthirtymenandmore,ifthisshipcometoanydeadlyharm;andcometodeadlyharm,mysoulswearsthisshipwill,ifahabhavehisway.if,then,hewerethisinstant—putaside,thatcrimewouldnotbehis.ha!ishemutteringinhissleep?yes,justthere,—inthere,he'ssleeping.sleeping?aye,butstillalive,andsoonawakeagain.ican'twithstandthee,then,oldman.notreasoning;notremonstrance;notentreatywiltthouhearkento;allthisthouscornest.flatobediencetothyownflatcommands,thisisallthoubreathest.aye,andsay'stthemenhavevow'dthyvow;say'stallofusareahabs.greatgodforbid!—butistherenootherway?nolawfulway?—makehimaprisonertobetakenhome?what!hopetowrestthisoldman'slivingpowerfromhisownlivinghands?onlyafoolwouldtryit.sayhewerepinionedeven;knottedalloverwithropesandhawsers;chaineddowntoring-boltsonthiscabinfloor;hewouldbemorehideousthanacagedtiger,then.icouldnotendurethesight;couldnotpossiblyflyhishowlings;allcomfort,sleepitself,inestimablereasonwouldleavemeonthelongintolerablevoyage.what,then,remains?thelandishundredsofleaguesaway,andlockedjapanthenearest.istandalonehereuponanopensea,withtwooceansandawholecontinentbetweenmeandlaw.—aye,aye,'tisso.—isheavenamurdererwhenitslightningstrikesawould-bemurdererinhisbed,tinderingsheetsandskintogether?—andwouldibeamurderer,then,if"—andslowly,stealthily,andhalfsidewayslooking,heplacedtheloadedmusket'sendagainstthedoor.

"onthislevel,ahab'shammockswingswithin;hisheadthisway.atouch,andstarbuckmaysurvivetohughiswifeandchildagain.—ohmary!mary!—boy!boy!boy!—butifiwaketheenottodeath,oldman,whocantelltowhatunsoundeddeepsstarbuck'sbodythisdayweekmaysink,withallthecrew!greatgod,whereartthou?shalli?shalli?—thewindhasgonedownandshifted,sir;theforeandmaintopsailsarereefedandset;sheheadshercourse."

"sternall!ohmobydick,iclutchthyheartatlast!"suchwerethesoundsthatnowcamehurtlingfromouttheoldman'stormentedsleep,asifstarbuck'svoicehadcausedthelongdumbdreamtospeak.

theyetlevelledmusketshooklikeadrunkard'sarmagainstthepanel;starbuckseemedwrestlingwithanangel;butturningfromthedoor,heplacedthedeathtubeinitsrack,andlefttheplace.

"he'stoosoundasleep,mr.stubb;gothoudown,andwakehim,andtellhim.imustseetothedeckhere.thouknow'stwhattosay."