CHAPTER113TheForge

withmattedbeard,andswathedinabristlingshark-skinapron,aboutmid-day,perthwasstandingbetweenhisforgeandanvil,thelatterplaceduponaniron-woodlog,withonehandholdingapikeheadinthecoals,andwiththeotherathisforge'slungs,whencaptainahabcamealong,carryinginhishandasmallrusty-lookingleathernbag.whileyetalittledistancefromtheforge,moodyahabpaused;tillatlast,perth,withdrawinghisironfromthefire,beganhammeringitupontheanvil—theredmasssendingoffthesparksinthickhoveringflights,someofwhichflewclosetoahab.

"arethesethymothercarey'schickens,perth?theyarealwaysflyinginthywake;birdsofgoodomen,too,butnottoall;—lookhere,theyburn;butthou—thouliv'stamongthemwithoutascorch."

"becauseiamscorchedallover,captainahab,"answeredperth,restingforamomentonhishammer;"iampastscorching;noteasilycan'stthouscorchascar."

"well,well;nomore.thyshrunkvoicesoundstoocalmly,sanelywoefultome.innoparadisemyself,iamimpatientofallmiseryinothersthatisnotmad.thoushould'stgomad,blacksmith;say,whydostthounotgomad?howcan'stthouendurewithoutbeingmad?dotheheavensyethatethee,thatthoucan'stnotgomad?—whatwertthoumakingthere?"

"weldinganoldpike-head,sir;therewereseamsanddentsinit."

"andcan'stthoumakeitallsmoothagain,blacksmith,aftersuchhardusageasithad?"

"ithinkso,sir."

"andisupposethoucan'stsmoothealmostanyseamsanddents;nevermindhowhardthemetal,blacksmith?"

"aye,sir,ithinkican;allseamsanddentsbutone."

"lookyehere,then,"criedahab,passionatelyadvancing,andleaningwithbothhandsonperth'sshoulders;"lookyehere—here—canyesmootheoutaseamlikethis,blacksmith,"sweepingonehandacrosshisribbedbrow;"ifthoucould'st,blacksmith,gladenoughwouldilaymyheaduponthyanvil,andfeelthyheaviesthammerbetweenmyeyes.answer!can'stthousmoothethisseam?"

"oh!thatistheone,sir!saidinotallseamsanddentsbutone?"

"aye,blacksmith,itistheone;aye,man,itisunsmoothable;forthoughthouonlysee'stithereinmyflesh,ithasworkeddownintotheboneofmyskullthatisallwrinkles!but,awaywithchild'splay;nomoregaffsandpikesto-day.lookyehere!"jinglingtheleathernbag,asifitwerefullofgoldcoins."i,too,wantaharpoonmade;onethatathousandyokeoffiendscouldnotpart,perth;somethingthatwillstickinawhalelikehisownfin-bone.there'sthestuff,"flingingthepouchupontheanvil."lookye,blacksmith,thesearethegatherednail-stubbsofthesteelshoesofracinghorses."

"horse-shoestubbs,sir?why,captainahab,thouhasthere,then,thebestandstubborneststuffweblacksmithseverwork."

"iknowit,oldman;thesestubbswillweldtogetherlikegluefromthemeltedbonesofmurderers.quick!forgemetheharpoon.andforgemefirst,twelverodsforitsshank;thenwind,andtwist,andhammerthesetwelvetogetherliketheyarnsandstrandsofatowline.quick!i'llblowthefire.

whenatlastthetwelverodsweremade,ahabtriedthem,onebyone,byspirallingthem,withhisownhand,roundalong,heavyironbolt."aflaw!"rejectingthelastone."workthatoveragain,perth."

thisdone,perthwasabouttobeginweldingthetwelveintoone,whenahabstayedhishand,andsaidhewouldweldhisowniron.as,then,withregular,gaspinghems,hehammeredontheanvil,perthpassingtohimtheglowingrods,oneaftertheother,andthehardpressedforgeshootingupitsintensestraightflame,theparseepassedsilently,andbowingoverhisheadtowardsthefire,seemedinvokingsomecurseorsomeblessingonthetoil.but,asahablookedup,heslidaside.

"what'sthatbunchoflucifersdodgingabouttherefor?"mutteredstubb,lookingonfromtheforecastle."thatparseesmellsfirelikeafusee;andsmellsofithimself,likeahotmusket'spowder-pan."

atlasttheshank,inonecompleterod,receiveditsfinalheat;andasperth,totemperit,plungeditallhissingintothecaskofwaternearby,thescaldingsteamshotupintoahab'sbentface.

"would'stthoubrandme,perth?"wincingforamomentwiththepain;"haveibeenbutforgingmyownbranding-iron,then?"

"praygod,notthat;yetifearsomething,captainahab.isnotthisharpoonforthewhitewhale?"

"forthewhitefiend!butnowforthebarbs;thoumustmakethemthyself,man.herearemyrazors—thebestofsteel;here,andmakethebarbssharpastheneedle-sleetoftheicysea."

foramoment,theoldblacksmitheyedtherazorsasthoughhewouldfainnotusethem.

"takethem,man,ihavenoneedforthem;forinowneithershave,sup,norpraytill—buthere—towork!"fashionedatlastintoanarrowyshape,andweldedbyperthtotheshank,thesteelsoonpointedtheendoftheiron;andastheblacksmithwasaboutgivingthebarbstheirfinalheat,priortotemperingthem,hecriedtoahabtoplacethewater-casknear.

"no,no—nowaterforthat;iwantitofthetruedeath-temper.ahoy,there!tashtego,queequeg,oo!whatsayye,pagans!willyegivemeasmuchbloodaswillcoverthisbarb?"holdingithighup.aclusterofdarknodsreplied,yes.threepuncturesweremadeintheheathenflesh,andthewhitewhale'sbarbswerethentempered.

"egononbaptizoteinnominepatris,sedinnominediaboli!"deliriouslyhowledahab,asthemalignantironscorchinglydevouredthebaptismalblood.

now,musteringthesparepolesfrombelow,andselectingoneofhickory,withthebarkstillinvestingit,ahabfittedtheendtothesocketoftheiron.acoilofnewtow-linewasthenunwound,andsomefathomsofittakentothewindlass,andstretchedtoagreattension.pressinghisfootuponit,tilltheropehummedlikeaharp-string,theneagerlybendingoverit,andseeingnostrandings,ahabexclaimed,"good!andnowfortheseizings."

atoneextremitytheropewasunstranded,andtheseparatespreadyarnswereallbraidedandwovenroundthesocketoftheharpoon;thepolewasthendrivenhardupintothesocket;fromthelowerendtheropewastracedhalf-wayalongthepole'slength,andfirmlysecuredso,withintertwistingsoftwine.thisdone,pole,iron,andrope—likethethreefates—remainedinseparable,andahabmoodilystalkedawaywiththeweapon;thesoundofhisivoryleg,andthesoundofthehickorypole,bothhollowlyringingalongeveryplank.butereheenteredhiscabin,light,unnatural,half-bantering,yetmostpiteoussoundwasheard.oh,pip!thywretchedlaugh,thyidlebutunrestingeye;allthystrangemummeriesnotunmeaninglyblendedwiththeblacktragedyofthemelancholyship,andmockedit!