CHAPTER128ThePequodMeetsTheRachel

nextday,alargeship,therachel,wasdescried,bearingdirectlydownuponthepequod,allhersparsthicklyclusteringwithmen.atthetimethepequodwasmakinggoodspeedthroughthewater;butasthebroad-wingedwindwardstrangershotnightoher,theboastfulsailsallfelltogetherasblankbladdersthatareburst,andalllifefledfromthesmittenhull.

"badnews;shebringsbadnews,"mutteredtheoldmanxman.buterehercommander,who,withtrumpettomouth,stoodupinhisboat;erehecouldhopefullyhail,ahab'svoicewasheard.

"hastseenthewhitewhale?"

"aye,yesterday.haveyeseenawhale-boatadrift?"throttlinghisjoy,ahabnegativelyansweredthisunexpectedquestion;andwouldthenhavefainboardedthestranger,whenthestrangercaptainhimself,havingstoppedhisvessel'sway,wasseendescendingherside.afewkeenpulls,andhisboathooksoonclinchedthepequod'smain-chains,andhesprangtothedeck.immediatelyhewasrecognisedbyahabforanantucketerheknew.butnoformalsalutationwasexchanged.

"wherewashe?—notkilled!—notkilled!"criedahab,closelyadvancing."howwasit?"

itseemedthatsomewhatlateontheafternoonofthedayprevious,whilethreeofthestranger'sboatswereengagedwithashoalofwhales,whichhadledthemsomefourorfivemilesfromtheship;andwhiletheywereyetinswiftchasetowindward,thewhitehumpandheadofmobydickhadsuddenlyloomedupoutofthewater,notveryfartoleeward;whereupon,thefourthedboat—areservedone—hadbeeninstantlyloweredinchase.afterakeensailbeforethewind,thisfourthboat—theswiftestkeeledofall—seemedtohaveeededinfastening—atleast,aswellasthemanatthemast-headcouldtellanythingaboutit.inthedistancehesawthediminisheddottedboat;andthenaswiftgleamofbubblingwhitewater;andafterthatnothingmore;whenceitwasconcludedthatthestrickenwhalemusthaveindefinitelyrunawaywithhispursuers,asoftenhappens.therewassomeapprehension,butnopositivealarm,asyet.therecallsignalswereplacedintheing;darknesscameon;andforcedtopickupherthreefartowindwardboats—eregoinginquestofthefourthoneinthepreciselyoppositedirection—theshiphadnotonlybeennecessitatedtoleavethatboattoitsfatetillnearmidnight,but,forthetime,toincreaseherdistancefromit.buttherestofhercrewbeingatlastsafeaboard,shecrowdedallsail—stunsailonstunsail—afterthemissingboat;kindlingafireinhertry-potsforabeacon;andeveryothermanaloftonthelook-out.butthoughwhenshehadthussailedasufficientdistancetogainthepresumedplaceoftheabsentoneswhenlastseen;thoughshethenpausedtolowerherspareboatstopullallaroundher;andnotfindinganything,hadagaindashedon;againpaused,andloweredherboats;andthoughshehadthuscontinueddoingtilldaylight;yetnottheleastglimpseofthemissingkeelhadbeenseen.

thestorytold,thestrangercaptainimmediatelywentontorevealhisobjectinboardingthepequod.hedesiredthatshiptounitewithhisowninthesearch;bysailingovertheseasomefourorfivemilesapart,onparallellines,andsosweepingadoublehorizon,asitwere.

"iwillwagersomethingnow,"whisperedstubbtoflask,"thatsomeoneinthatmissingboatworeoffthatcaptain'sbestcoat;mayhap,hiswatch—he'ssocursedanxioustogetitback.whoeverheardoftwopiouswhale-shipscruisingafteronemissingwhaleboatintheheightofthewhalingseason?see,flask,onlyseehowpalehelooks—paleintheverybuttonsofhiseyes—look—itwasn'tthecoat—itmusthavebeenthe—"

"myboy,myownboyisamongthem.forgod'ssake—ibeg,iconjure"—hereexclaimedthestrangercaptaintoahab,whothusfarhadbuticilyreceivedhispetition."foreight-and-fortyhoursletmecharteryourship—iwillgladlypayforit,androundlypayforit—iftherebenootherway—foreight-and-fortyhoursonly—onlythat—youmust,oh,youmust,andyoushalldothisthing."

"hisson!"criedstubb,"oh,it'shissonhe'slost!itakebackthecoatandwatch—whatsaysahab?wemustsavethatboy."

"he'sdrownedwiththereston'em,lastnight,"saidtheoldmanxsailorstandingbehindthem;"iheard;allofyeheardtheirspirits."

now,asitshortlyturnedout,whatmadethisincidentoftherachel'sthemoremelancholy,wasthecircumstance,thatnotonlywasoneofthecaptain'ssonsamongthenumberofthemissingboat'screw;butamongthenumberoftheotherboat'screws,atthesametime,butontheotherhand,separatedfromtheshipduringthedarkvicissitudesofthechase,therehadbeenstillanotherson;asthatforatime,thewretchedfatherwasplungedtothebottomofthecruellestperplexity;whichwasonlysolvedforhimbyhischiefmate'sinstinctivelyadoptingtheordinaryprocedureofawhale-shipinsuchemergencies,thatis,whenplacedbetweenjeopardizedbutdividedboats,alwaystopickupthemajorityfirst.butthecaptain,forsomeunknownconstitutionalreason,hadrefrainedfrommentioningallthis,andnottillforcedtoitbyahab'sicinessdidhealludetohisoneyetmissingboy;alittlelad,buttwelveyearsold,whosefatherwiththeearnestbutunmisgivinghardihoodofanantucketer'spaternallove,hadthusearlysoughttoinitiatehimintheperilsandwondersofavocationalmostimmemoriallythedestinyofallhisrace.nordoesitunfrequentlyoccur,thatnantucketcaptainswillsendasonofsuchtenderageawayfromthem,foraprotractedthreeorfouryears'voyageinsomeothershipthantheirown;sothattheirfirstknowledgeofawhaleman'scareershallbeunenervatedbyanychancedisplayofafather'snaturalbutuntimelypartiality,orundueapprehensivenessandconcern.

meantime,nowthestrangerwasstillbeseechinghispoorboonofahab;andahabstillstoodlikeananvil,receivingeveryshock,butwithouttheleastquiveringofhisown.

"iwillnotgo,"saidthestranger,"tillyousayayetome.dotomeasyouwouldhavemedotoyouinthelikecase.foryoutoohaveaboy,captainahab—thoughbutachild,andnestlingsafelyathomenow—achildofyouroldagetoo—yes,yes,yourelent;iseeit—run,run,men,now,andstandbytosquareintheyards."

"avast,"criedahab—"touchnotarope-yarn";theninavoicethatprolonginglymouldedeveryword—"captaingardiner,iwillnotdoit.evennowilosetime.good-bye,good-bye.godblessye,man,andmayiforgivemyself,butimustgo.mr.starbuck,lookatthebinnaclewatch,andinthreeminutesfromthispresentinstantwarnoffallstrangers:thenbraceforwardagain,andlettheshipsailasbefore."

hurriedlyturning,withavertedface,hedescendedintohiscabin,leavingthestrangecaptaintransfixedatthisunconditionalandutterrejectionofhissoearnestsuit.butstartingfromhisenchantment,gardinersilentlyhurriedtotheside;morefellthansteppedintohisboat,andreturnedtohisship.

soonthetwoshipsdivergedtheirwakes;andlongasthestrangevesselwasinview,shewasseentoyawhitherandthitherateverydarkspot,howeversmall,onthesea.thiswayandthatheryardswereswunground;starboardandlarboard,shecontinuedtotack;nowshebeatagainstaheadsea;andagainitpushedherbeforeit;whileallthewhile,hermastsandyardswerethicklyclusteredwithmen,asthreetallcherrytrees,whentheboysarecherryingamongtheboughs.butbyherstillhaltingcourseandwinding,woefulway,youplainlysawthatthisshipthatsoweptwithspray,stillremainedwithoutcomfort.shewasrachel,weepingforherchildren,becausetheywerenot.