CHAPTER108AhabandtheCarpenter

thedeck—firstnightwatch.

carpenterstandingbeforehisvice-bench,andbythelightoftwolanternsbusilyfilingtheivoryjoistfortheleg,whichjoistisfirmlyfixedinthevice.slabsofivory,leatherstraps,pads,screws,andvarioustoolsofallsortslyingaboutthebench.forward,theredflameoftheforgeisseen,wheretheblacksmithisatwork.

dratthefile,anddratthebone!thatishardwhichshouldbesoft,andthatissoftwhichshouldbehard.sowego,whofileoldjawsandshinbones.let'stryanother.aye,now,thisworksbetter(sneezes).halloa,thisbonedustis(sneezes)—whyit's(sneezes)—yesit's(sneezes)—blessmysoul,itwon'tletmespeak!thisiswhatanoldfellowgetsnowforworkingindeadlumber.sawalivetree,andyoudon'tgetthisdust;amputatealivebone,andyoudon'tgetit(sneezes).come,come,youoldsmut,there,bearahand,andlet'shavethatferuleandbuckle-screw;i'llbereadyforthempresently.luckynow(sneezes)there'snoknee-jointtomake;thatmightpuzzlealittle;butamereshinbone—whyit'seasyasmakinghop-poles;onlyishouldliketoputagoodfinishon.time,time;ifibutonlyhadthetime,icouldturnhimoutasneatalegnowasever(sneezes)scrapedtoaladyinaparlor.thosebuckskinlegsandcalvesoflegsi'veseeninshopwindowswouldn'tcompareatall.theysoakwater,theydo;andofcoursegetrheumatic,andhavetobedoctored(sneezes)withwashesandlotions,justlikelivelegs.there;beforeisawitoff,now,imustcallhisoldmogulship,andseewhetherthelengthwillbeallright;tooshort,ifanything,iguess.ha!that'stheheel;weareinluck;herehecomes,orit'ssomebodyelse,that'scertain.

ahab(advancing).(duringtheensuingscene,thecarpentercontinuessneezingattimes.)

well,manmaker!

justintime,sir.ifthecaptainpleases,iwillnowmarkthelength.letmemeasure,sir.

measuredforaleg!good.well,it'snotthefirsttime.aboutit!there;keepthyfingeronit.thisisacogentvicethouhasthere,carpenter;letmefeelitsgriponce.so,so;itdoespinchsome.

oh,sir,itwillbreakbones—beware,beware!

nofear;ilikeagoodgrip;iliketofeelsomethinginthisslipperyworldthatcanhold,man.what'sprometheusaboutthere?—theblacksmith,imean—what'sheabout?

hemustbeforgingthebuckle-screw,sir,now.

right.it'sapartnership;hesuppliesthemusclepart.hemakesafierceredflamethere!

aye,sir;hemusthavethewhiteheatforthiskindoffinework.

um-m.sohemust.idodeemitnowamostmeaningthing,thatthatoldgreek,prometheus,whomademen,theysay,shouldhavebeenablacksmith,andanimatedthemwithfire;forwhat'smadeinfiremustproperlybelongtofire;andsohell'sprobable.howthesootflies!thismustbetheremainderthegreekmadetheafricansof.carpenter,whenhe'sthroughwiththatbuckle,tellhimtoforgeapairofsteelshoulder-blades;there'sapedlaraboardwithacrushingpack.

sir?

hold;whileprometheusisaboutit,i'llorderacompletemanafteradesirablepattern.imprimis,fiftyfeethighinhissocks;then,chestmodelledafterthethamestunnel;then,legswithrootsto'em,tostayinoneplace;then,armsthreefeetthroughthewrist;noheartatall,brassforehead,andaboutaquarterofanacreoffinebrains;andletmesee—shalliordereyestoseeoutwards?no,butputasky-lightontopofhisheadtoilluminateinwards.there,taketheorder,andaway.

now,what'shespeakingabout,andwho'shespeakingto,ishouldliketoknow?shallikeepstandinghere?(aside).

'tisbutindifferentarchitecturetomakeablinddome;here'sone.no,no,no;imusthavealantern.

ho,ho!that'sit,hey?herearetwo,sir;onewillservemyturn.

whatartthouthrustingthatthief-catcherintomyfacefor,man?thrustedlightisworsethanpresentedpistols.

ithought,sir,thatyouspoketocarpenter.

carpenter?whythat's—butno;—averytidy,and,imaysay,anextremelygentlemanlikesortofbusinessthouartinhere,carpenter;—orwould'stthouratherworkinclay?

sir?—clay?clay,sir?that'smud;weleaveclaytoditchers,sir.

thefellow'simpious!whatartthousneezingabout?

boneisratherdusty,sir.

takethehint,then;andwhenthouartdead,neverburythyselfunderlivingpeople'snoses.

sir?—oh!ah!—iguessso;—yes—oh,dear!

lookye,carpenter,idaresaythoucallestthyselfarightgoodworkmanlikeworkman,eh?well,then,willitspeakthoroughlywellforthywork,if,whenicometomountthislegthoumakest,ishallneverthelessfeelanotherleginthesameidenticalplacewithit;thatis,carpenter,myoldlostleg;thefleshandbloodone,imean.canstthounotdrivethatoldadamaway?

truly,sir,ibegintounderstandsomewhatnow.yes,ihaveheardsomethingcuriousonthatscore,sir;howthatadismastedmanneverentirelylosesthefeelingofhisoldspar,butitwillbestillprickinghimattimes.mayihumblyaskifitbereallyso,sir?

itis,man.look,putthyliveleghereintheplacewheremineoncewas;so,now,hereisonlyonedistinctlegtotheeye,yettwotothesoul.wherethoufeelesttinglinglife;there,exactlythere,theretoahair,doi.is'tariddle?

ishouldhumblycallitaposer,sir.

hist,then.howdostthouknowthatsomeentire,living,thinkingthingmaynotbeinvisiblyanduninterpenetratinglystandingpreciselywherethounowstandest;aye,andstandingthereinthyspite?inthymostsolitaryhours,then,dostthounotfeareavesdroppers?hold,don'tspeak!andifistillfeelthesmartofmycrushedleg,thoughitbenowsolongdissolved;then,whymaystnotthou,carpenter,feelthefierypainsofhellforever,andwithoutabody?hah!

goodlord!truly,sir,ifitcomestothat,imustcalculateoveragain;ithinkididn'tcarryasmallfigure,sir.

lookye,pudding-headsshouldnevergrantpremises.—howlongbeforethelegisdone?

perhapsanhour,sir.

bungleawayatitthen,andbringittome(turnstogo).oh,life!hereiam,proudasgreekgod,andyetstandingdebtortothisblockheadforabonetostandon!cursedbethatmortalinter-indebtednesswhichwillnotdoawaywithledgers.iwouldbefreeasair;andi'mdowninthewholeworld'sbooks.iamsorich,icouldhavegivenbidforbidwiththewealthiestpr?toriansattheauctionoftheromanempire(whichwastheworld's);andyetioweforthefleshinthetongueibragwith.byheavens!i'llgetacrucible,andintoit,anddissolvemyselfdowntoonesmall,compendiousvertebra.so.

carpenter(resuminghiswork).

well,well,well!stubbknowshimbestofall,andstubbalwayssayshe'squeer;saysnothingbutthatonesufficientlittlewordqueer;he'squeer,saysstubb;he'squeer—queer,queer;andkeepsdinningitintomr.starbuckallthetime—queer—sir—queer,queer,veryqueer.andhere'shisleg!yes,nowthatithinkofit,here'shisbedfellow!hasastickofwhale'sjaw-boneforawife!andthisishisleg;he'llstandonthis.whatwasthatnowaboutonelegstandinginthreeplaces,andallthreeplacesstandinginonehell—howwasthat?oh!idon'twonderhelookedsoscornfulatme!i'masortofstrange-thoughtedsometimes,theysay;butthat'sonlyhaphazard-like.then,ashort,littleoldbodylikeme,shouldneverundertaketowadeoutintodeepwaterswithtall,heron-builtcaptains;thewaterchucksyouunderthechinprettyquick,andthere'sagreatcryforlife-boats.andhere'stheheron'sleg!longandslim,sureenough!now,formostfolksonepairoflegslastsalifetime,andthatmustbebecausetheyusethemmercifully,asatender-heartedoldladyusesherroly-polyoldcoach-horses.butahab;ohhe'saharddriver.look,drivenonelegtodeath,andspavinedtheotherforlife,andnowwearsoutbonelegsbythecord.halloa,there,yousmut!bearahandtherewiththosescrews,andlet'sfinishitbeforetheresurrectionfellowcomesa-callingwithhishornforalllegs,trueorfalse,asbrewery-mengoroundcollectingoldbeerbarrels,tofill'emupagain.whatalegthisis!itlookslikearealliveleg,fileddowntonothingbutthecore;he'llbestandingonthisto-morrow;he'llbetakingaltitudesonit.halloa!ialmostforgotthelittleovalslate,smoothedivory,wherehefiguresupthelatitude.so,so;chisel,file,andsand-paper,now!