CHAPTER61StubbKillsaWhale

iftostarbucktheapparitionofthesquidwasathingofportents,toqueequegitwasquiteadifferentobject.

"whenyouseehim'quid,"saidthesavage,honinghisharpooninthebowofhishoistedboat,"thenyouquickseehim'parmwhale."

thenextdaywasexceedinglystillandsultry,andwithnothingspecialtoengagethem,thepequod'screwcouldhardlyresistthespellofsleepinducedbysuchavacantsea.forthispartoftheindianoceanthroughwhichwethenwerevoyagingisnotwhatwhalemencallalivelyground;thatis,itaffordsfewerglimpsesofporpoises,dolphins,flying-fish,andothevivaciousdenizensofmorestirringwaters,thanthoseofftheriodelaplata,orthein-shoregroundoffperu.

itwasmyturntostandattheforemast-head;andwithmyshouldersleaningagainsttheslackenedroyalshrouds,toandfroiidlyswayedinwhatseemedanenchantedair.noresolutioncouldwithstandit;inthatdreamymoodlosingallconsciousness,atlastmysoulwentoutofmybody;thoughmybodystillcontinuedtoswayasapendulumwill,longafterthepowerwhichfirstmoveditiswithdrawn.

ereforgetfulnessaltogethercameoverme,ihadnoticedthattheseamenatthemainandmizzen-mastheadswerealreadydrowsy.sothatatlastallthreeofuslifelesslyswungfromthespars,andforeveryswingthatwemadetherewasanodfrombelowfromtheslumberinghelmsman.thewaves,too,noddedtheirindolentcrests;andacrossthewidetranceofthesea,eastnoddedtowest,andthesunoverall.

suddenlybubblesseemedburstingbeneathmyclosedeyes;likevicesmyhandsgraspedtheshrouds;someinvisible,graciousagencypreservedme;withashockicamebacktolife.andlo!closeunderourlee,notfortyfathomsoff,agiganticspermwhalelayrollinginthewaterlikethecapsizedhullofafrigate,hisbroad,glossyback,ofanethiopianhue,glisteninginthesun'srayslikeamirror.butlazilyundulatinginthetroughofthesea,andeverandanontranquillyspoutinghisvaporyjet,thewhalelookedlikeaportlyburghersmokinghispipeofawarmafternoon.butthatpipe,poorwhale,wasthylast.asifstruckbysomeenchanter'swand,thesleepyshipandeverysleeperinitallatoncestartedintowakefulness;andmorethanascoreofvoicesfromallpartsofthevessel,simultaneouslywiththethreenotesfromaloft,shoutedforththeaccustomedcry,asthegreatfishslowlyandregularlyspoutedthesparklingbrineintotheair.

"clearawaytheboats!luff!"criedahab.andobeyinghisownorder,hedashedthehelmdownbeforethehelmsmancouldhandlethespokes.

thesuddenexclamationsofthecrewmusthavealarmedthewhale;anderetheboatsweredown,majesticallyturning,heswamawaytotheleeward,butwithsuchasteadytranquillity,andmakingsofewripplesasheswam,thatthinkingafterallhemightnotasyetbealarmed,ahabgaveordersthatnotanoarshouldbeused,andnomanmustspeakbutinwhispers.soseatedlikeontarioindiansonthegunwalesoftheboats,weswiftlybutsilentlypaddledalong;thecalmnotadmittingofthenoiselesssailsbeingset.presently,aswethusglidedinchase,themonsterperpendicularlyflittedhistailfortyfeetintotheair,andthensankoutofsightlikeatowerswallowedup.

"theregoflukes!"wasthecry,anannouncementimmediatelyfollowedbystubb'sproducinghismatchandignitinghispipe,fornowarespitewasgranted.afterthefullintervalofhissoundinghadelapsed,thewhaleroseagain,andbeingnowinadvanceofthesmoker'sboat,andmuchnearertoitthantoanyoftheothers,stubbcounteduponthehonorofthecapture.itwasobvious,now,thatthewhalehadatlengthbecomeawareofhispursuers.allsilenceofcautiousnesswasthereforenolongerofuse.paddlesweredropped,andoarscameloudlyintoplay.andstillpuffingathispipe,stubbcheeredonhiscrewtotheassault.

yes,amightychangehadcomeoverthefish.allalivetohisjeopardy,hewasgoing"headout";thatpartobliquelyprojectingfromthemadyeastwhichhebrewed.[1]

"starther,starther,mymen!don'thurryyourselves;takeplentyoftime—butstarther;startherlikethunder-claps,that'sall,"criedstubb,splutteringoutthesmokeashespoke."starther,now;give'emthelongandstrongstroke,tashtego.starther,tash,myboy—starther,all;butkeepcool,keepcool—cucumbersistheword—easy,easy—onlystartherlikegrimdeathandgrinningdevils,andraisetheburieddeadperpendicularoutoftheirgraves,boys—that'sall.starther!"

"woo-hoo!wa-hee!"screamedthegay-headerinreply,raisingsomeoldwar-whooptotheskies;aseveryoarsmaninthestrainedboatinvoluntarilybouncedforwardwiththeonetremendousleadingstrokewhichtheeagerindiangave.

buthiswildscreamswereansweredbyothersquiteaswild."kee-hee!kee-hee!"yelledoo,strainingforwardsandbackwardsonhisseat,likeapacingtigerinhiscage.

"ka-la!koo-loo!"howledqueequeg,asifsmackinghislipsoveramouthfulofgrenadier'ssteak.andthuswithoarsandyellsthekeelscutthesea.meanwhile,stubbretaininghisplaceinthevan,stillencouragedhismentotheonset,allthewhilepuffingthesmokefromhismouth.likedesperadoestheyedandtheystrained,tillthewelcomecrywasheard—"standup,tashtego!—giveittohim!"theharpoonwashurled."sternall!"theoarsmenbackedwater;thesamemomentsomethingwenthotandhissingalongeveryoneoftheirwrists.itwasthemagicalline.aninstantbefore,stubbhadswiftlycaughttwoadditionalturnswithitroundtheerhead,whence,byreasonofitsincreasedrapidcirclings,ahempenbluesmokenowjettedupandmingledwiththesteadyfumesfromhispipe.asthelinepassedroundandroundtheerhead;soalso,justbeforereachingthatpoint,itblisteringlypassedthroughandthroughbothofstubb'shands,fromwhichthehand-cloths,orsquaresofquiltedcanvassometimeswornatthesetimes,hadaccidentallydropped.itwaslikeholdinganenemy'ssharptwoedgedswordbytheblade,andthatenemyallthetimestrivingtowrestitoutofyourclutch.

"wettheline!wettheline!"criedstubbtothetuboarsman(himseatedbythetub)who,snatchingoffhishat,dashedsea-waterintoit.[2]moreturnsweretaken,sothatthelinebeganholdingitsplace.theboatnowflewthroughtheboilingwaterlikeasharkallfins.stubbandtashtegoherechangedplaces—stemforstern—aeringbusinesstrulyinthatrockingcommotion.

fromthevibratinglineextendingtheentirelengthoftheupperpartoftheboat,andfromitsnowbeingmoretightthanaharpstring,youwouldhavethoughtthecrafthadtwokeels—onecleavingthewater,theothertheair—astheboatchurnedonthroughbothopposingelementsatonce.acontinualcascadeplayedatthebows;aceaselesswhirlingeddyinherwake;and,attheslightestmotionfromwithin,evenbutofalittlefinger,thevibrating,crackingcraftcantedoverherspasmodicgunwaleintothesea.thustheyrushed;eachmanwithmightandmainclingingtohisseat,topreventbeingtossedtothefoam;andthetallformoftashtegoatthesteeringoarcrouchingalmostdouble,inordertobringdownhiscentreofgravity.wholeatlanticsandpacificsseemedpassedastheyshotontheirway,tillatlengththewhalesomewhatslackenedhisflight.

"haulin—haulin!"criedstubbtothebowsman!and,facingroundtowardsthewhale,allhandsbeganpullingtheboatuptohim,whileyettheboatwasbeingtowedon.soonrangingupbyhisflank,stubb,firmlyplantinghiskneeintheclumsycleat,darteddartafterdartintotheflyingfish;atthewordofcommand,theboatalternatelysterningoutofthewayofthewhale'shorriblewallow,andthenrangingupforanotherfling.

theredtidenowpouredfromallsidesofthemonsterlikebrooksdownahill.histormentedbodyrollednotinbrinebutinblood,whichbubbledandseethedforfurlongsbehindintheirwake.theslantingsunplayinguponthiscrimsonpondinthesea,sentbackitsreflectionintoeveryface,sothattheyallglowedtoeachotherlikeredmen.andallthewhile,jetafterjetofwhitesmokewasagonizinglyshotfromthespiracleofthewhale,andvehementpuffafterpufffromthemouthoftheexcitedheadsman;asateverydart,haulinginuponhiscrookedlance(bythelineattachedtoit),stubbstraighteneditagainandagain,byafewrapidblowsagainstthegunwale,thenagainandagainsentitintothewhale.

"pullup—pullup!"henowcriedtothebowsman,asthewaningwhalerelaxedinhiswrath."pullup!—closeto!"andtheboatrangedalongthefish'sflank.whenreachingfaroverthebow,stubbslowlychurnedhislongsharplanceintothefish,andkeptitthere,carefullychurningandchurning,asifcautiouslyseekingtofeelaftersomegoldwatchthatthewhalemighthaveswallowed,andwhichhewasfearfulofbreakingerehecouldhookitout.butthatgoldwatchhesoughtwastheinnermostlifeofthefish.andnowitisstruck;for,startingfromhistranceintothatunspeakablethingcalledhis"flurry,"themonsterhorriblywallowedinhisblood,overwrappedhimselfinimpenetrable,mad,boilingspray,sothattheimperilledcraft,instantlydroppingastern,hadmuchadoblindlytoleoutfromthatphrensiedtwilightintotheclearairoftheday.

andnowabatinginhisflurry,thewhaleoncemorerolledoutintoview;surgingfromsidetoside;spasmodicallydilatingandcontractinghisspout-hole,withsharp,cracking,agonizedrespirations.atlast,gushaftergushofclottedredgore,asifithadbeenthepurpleleesofredwine,shotintothefrightedair;andfallingbackagain,randrippingdownhismotionlessflanksintothesea.hishearthadburst!

"he'sdead,mr.stubb,"saidoo.

"yes;bothpipessmokedout!"andwithdrawinghisownfromhismouth,stubbscatteredthedeadashesoverthewater;and,foramoment,stoodthoughtfullyeyeingthevastcorpsehehadmade.

[1]itwillbeseeninsomeotherplaceofwhataverylightsubstancetheentireinteriorofthespermwhale'senormousheadconsists.thoughapparentlythemostmassive,itisbyfarthemostbuoyantpartabouthim.sothatwitheaseheelevatesitintheair,andinvariablydoessowhengoingathisutmostspeed.besides,suchisthebreadthoftheupperpartofthefrontofhishead,andsuchthetaperingcut-waterformationofthelowerpart,thatbyobliquelyelevatinghishead,hetherebymaybesaidtotransformhimselffromabluff-bowedishgalliotintoasharppointednewyorkpilot-boat.

[2]partlytoshowtheindispensablenessofthisact,itmayherebestated,that,intheolddutchfishery,amopwasusedtodashtherunninglinewithwater;inmanyotherships,awoodenin,orbailer,issetapartforthatpurpose.yourhat,however,isthemostconvenient.