CHAPTER93TheCastaway

itwasbutsomefewdaysafterencounteringthefrenchman,thatamostsignificanteventbefellthemostinsignificantofthepequod'screw;aneventmostlamentable;andwhichendedinprovidingthesometimesmadlymerryandpredestinatedcraftwithalivingandeveraccompanyingprophecyofwhatevershatteredsequelmightproveherown.

now,inthewhaleship,itisnoteveryonethatgoesintheboats.somefewhandsarereservedcalledship-keepers,whoseprovinceitistoworkthevesselwhiletheboatsarepursuingthewhale.asageneralthing,theseship-keepersareashardyfellowsasthemencomprisingtheboats'crews.butiftherehappentobeanundulyslender,clumsy,ortimorouswightintheship,thatwightiscertaintobemadeashipkeeper.itwassointhepequodwiththelittlenegropippinbynick-name,pipbyabbreviation.poorpip!yehaveheardofhimbefore;yemustrememberhistambourineonthatdramaticmidnight,sogloomyjolly.

inouteraspect,pipanddough-boymadeamatch,likeablackponyandawhiteone,ofequaldevelopments,thoughofdissimilarcolour,driveninoneeccentricspan.butwhilehaplessdough-boywasbynaturedullandtorpidinhisintellects,pip,thoughovertender-hearted,wasatbottomverybright,withthatpleasant,genial,jollybrightnesspeculiartohistribe;atribe,whicheverenjoyallholidaysandfestivitieswithfiner,freerrelishthananyotherrace.forblacks,theyear'scalendarshouldshownaughtbutthreehundredandsixty-fivefourthofjulysandnewyear'sdays.norsmileso,whileiwritethatthislittleblackwasbrilliant,forevenblacknesshasitsbrilliancy;beholdyonlustrousebony,panelledinking'scabinets.butpiplovedlife,andalllife'speaceablesecurities;sothatthepanic-strikingbusinessinwhichhehadsomehowountablybecomeentrapped,hadmostsadlyblurredhisbrightness;though,aserelongwillbeseen,whatwasthustemporarilysubduedinhim,intheendwasdestinedtobeluridlyilluminedbystrangewildfires,thatfictitiouslyshowedhimofftotentimesthenaturallustrewithwhichinhisnativetollandcountyinconnecticut,hehadonceenlivenedmanyafiddler'sfroliconthegreen;andatmelodiouseven-tide,withhisgayha-ha!hadturnedtheroundhorizonintoonestar-belledtambourine.so,thoughintheclearairofday,suspendedagainstablue-veinedneck,thepurewatereddiamonddropwillhealthfulglow;yet,whenthecunningjewellerwouldshowyouthediamondinitsmostimpressivelustre,helaysitagainstagloomyground,andthenlightsitup,notbythesun,butbysomeunnaturalgases.thencomeoutthosefieryeffulgences,infernallysuperb;thentheevil-blazingdiamond,oncethedivinestsymbolofthecrystalskies,lookslikesomecrown-jewelstolenfromthekingofhell.butletustothestory.

itcametopass,thatintheambergrisaffairstubb'safter-oarsmanchancedsotosprainhishand,asforatimetobecomequitemaimed;and,temporarily,pipwasputintohisplace.

thefirsttimestubbloweredwithhim,pipevincedmuchnervousness;buthappily,forthattime,escapedclosecontactwiththewhale;andthereforecameoffnotaltogetherdiscreditably;thoughstubbobservinghim,tookcare,afterwards,toexhorthimtocherishhiscourageousnesstotheutmost,forhemightoftenfinditneedful.

nowuponthesecondlowering,theboatpaddleduponthewhale;andasthefishreceivedthedartediron,itgaveitscustomaryrap,whichhappened,inthisinstance,toberightunderpoorpip'sseat.theinvoluntaryconsternationofthemomentcausedhimtoleap,paddleinhand,outoftheboat;andinsuchaway,thatpartoftheslackwhalelinecomingagainsthischest,hebreasteditoverboardwithhim,soastobecomeentangledinit,whenatlastplumpingintothewater.thatinstantthestrickenwhalestartedonafiercerun,thelineswiftlystraightened;andpresto!poorpipcameallfoaminguptothechocksoftheboat,remorselesslyedtherebytheline,whichhadtakenseveralturnsaroundhischestandneck.

tashtegostoodinthebows.hewasfullofthefireofthehunt.hehatedpipforapoltroon.snatchingtheboat-knifefromitssheath,hesuspendeditssharpedgeovertheline,andturningtowardsstubb,exclaimedinterrogatively,"cut?"meantimepip'sblue,chokedfaceplainlylooked,do,forgod'ssake!allpassedinaflash.inlessthanhalfaminute,thisentirethinghappened.

"damnhim,cut!"roaredstubb;andsothewhalewaslostandpipwassaved.

sosoonasherecoveredhimself,thepoorlittlenegrowasassailedbyyellsandexecrationsfromthecrew.tranquillypermittingtheseirregularcursingstoevaporate,stubbtheninaplain,business-like,butstillhalfhumorousmanner,cursedpipofficially;andthatdone,unofficiallygavehimmuchwholesomeadvice.thesubstancewas,neverjumpfromaboat,pip,except—butalltherestwasindefinite,asthesoundestadviceeveris.now,ingeneral,sticktotheboat,isyourtruemottoinwhaling;butcaseswillsometimeshappenwhenleapfromtheboat,isstillbetter.moreover,asifperceivingatlastthatifheshouldgiveundilutedconscientiousadvicetopip,hewouldbeleavinghimtoowideamargintojumpinforthefuture;stubbsuddenlydroppedalladvice,andconcludedwithaperemptorycommand,"sticktotheboat,pip,orbythelord,iwon'tpickyouupifyoujump;mindthat.wecan'taffordtolosewhalesbythelikesofyou;awhalewouldsellforthirtytimeswhatyouwould,pip,inalabama.bearthatinmind,anddon'tjumpanymore."herebyperhapsstubbindirectlyhinted,thatthoughmanlovedhisfellow,yetmanisamoney-makinganimal,whichpropensitytooofteninterfereswithhisbenevolence.

butweareallinthehandsofthegods;andpipjumpedagain.itwasunderverysimilarcircumstancestothefirstperformance;butthistimehedidnotbreastouttheline;andhence,whenthewhalestartedtorun,pipwasleftbehindonthesea,likeahurriedtraveller'strunk.alas!stubbwasbuttootruetohisword.itwasabeautiful,bounteous,blueday;thespangledseacalmandcool,andflatlystretchingaway,allround,tothehorizon,likegold-beater'sskinhammeredouttotheextremest.bobbingupanddowninthatsea,pip'sebonheadshowedlikeaheadofcloves.noboat-knifewasliftedwhenhefellsorapidlyastern.stubb'sinexorablebackwasturneduponhim;andthewhalewaswinged.inthreeminutes,awholemileofshorelessoceanwasbetweenpipandstubb.outfromthecentreofthesea,poorpipturnedhiscrisp,curling,blackheadtothesun,anotherlonelycastaway,thoughtheloftiestandthebrightest.

now,incalmweather,toswimintheopenoceanisaseasytothepractisedswimmerastorideinaspring-carriageashore.buttheawfullonesomenessisintolerable.theintenseconcentrationofselfinthemiddleofsuchaheartlessimmensity,mygod!whocantellit?mark,howwhensailorsinadeadcalmbatheintheopensea—markhowcloselytheyhugtheirshipandonlycoastalonghersides.

buthadstubbreallyabandonedthepoorlittlenegrotohisfate?no;hedidnotmeanto,atleast.becausethereweretwoboatsinhiswake,andhesupposed,nodoubt,thattheywouldofcoursecomeuptopipveryquickly,andpickhimup;though,indeed,suchconsiderationstowardsoarsmenjeopardizedthroughtheirowntimidity,isnotalwaysmanifestedbythehuntersinallsimilarinstances;andsuchinstancesnotunfrequentlyoccur;almostinvariablyinthefishery,acoward,socalled,ismarkedwiththesameruthlessdetestationpeculiartomilitarynaviesandarmies.

butitsohappened,thatthoseboats,withoutseeingpip,suddenlyspyingwhalesclosetothemononeside,turned,andgavechase;andstubb'sboatwasnowsofaraway,andheandallhiscrewsointentuponhisfish,thatpip'sringedhorizonbegantoexpandaroundhimmiserably.bythemerestchancetheshipitselfatlastrescuedhim;butfromthathourthelittlenegrowentaboutthedeckanidiot;such,atleast,theysaidhewas.theseahadjeeringlykepthisfinitebodyup,butdrownedtheinfiniteofhissoul.notdrownedentirely,though.rathercarrieddownalivetowondrousdepths,wherestrangeshapesoftheunwarpedprimalworldglidedtoandfrobeforehispassiveeyes;andthemiser-merman,wisdom,revealedhishoardedheaps;andamongthejoyous,heartless,ever-juvenileeternities,pipsawthemultitudinous,god-omnipresent,coralinsects,thatoutofthefirmamentofwatersheavedthecolossalorbs.hesawgod'sfootuponthetreadleoftheloom,andspokeit;andthereforehisshipmatescalledhimmad.soman'sinsanityisheaven'ssense;andwanderingfromallmortalreason,mancomesatlasttothatcelestialthought,which,toreason,isabsurdandfrantic;andwealorwoe,feelsthenuncompromised,indifferentashisgod.

fortherest,blamenotstubbtoohardly.thethingiscommoninthatfishery;andinthesequelofthenarrative,itwillthenbeseenwhatlikeabandonmentbefellmyself.