CHAPTER50Ahab'sBoatandCrew.Fedallah

"whowouldhavethoughtit,flask!"criedstubb;"ifihadbutonelegyouwouldnotcatchmeinaboat,unlessmaybetostoptheplug-holewithmytimbertoe.oh!he'sawonderfuloldman!"

"idon'tthinkitsostrange,afterall,onthataccount,"saidflask."ifhislegwereoffatthehip,now,itwouldbeadifferentthing.thatwoulddisablehim;buthehasoneknee,andgoodpartoftheotherleft,youknow."

"idon'tknowthat,mylittleman;ineveryetsawhimkneel."

amongwhale-wisepeopleithasoftenbeenarguedwhether,consideringtheparamountimportanceofhislifetotheessofthevoyage,itisrightforawhalingcaptaintojeopardizethatlifeintheactiveperilsofthechase.sotamerlane'ssoldiersoftenarguedwithtearsintheireyes,whetherthatinvaluablelifeofhisoughttobecarriedintothethickestofthefight.

butwithahabthequestionassumedamodifiedaspect.consideringthatwithtwolegsmanisbutahobblingwightinalltimesofdanger;consideringthatthepursuitofwhalesisalwaysundergreatandextraordinarydifficulties;thateveryindividualmoment,indeed,thencomprisesaperil;underthesecircumstancesisitwiseforanymaimedmantoenterawhale-boatinthehunt?asageneralthing,thejointownersofthepequodmusthaveplainlythoughtnot.

ahabwellknewthatalthoughhisfriendsathomewouldthinklittleofhisenteringaboatincertaincomparativelyharmlessvicissitudesofthechase,forthesakeofbeingnearthesceneofactionandgivinghisordersinperson,yetforcaptainahabtohaveaboatactuallyapportionedtohimasaregularheadsmaninthehunt—aboveallforcaptainahabtobesuppliedwithfiveextramen,asthatsameboat'screw,hewellknewthatsuchgenerousconceitsneverenteredtheheadsoftheownersofthepequod.thereforehehadnotsolicitedaboat'screwfromthem,norhadheinanywayhintedhisdesiresonthathead.neverthelesshehadtakenprivatemeasuresofhisowntouchingallthatmatter.untilcabaco'spublisheddiscovery,thesailorshadlittleforeseenit,thoughtobesurewhen,afterbeingalittlewhileoutofport,allhandshadconcludedthecustomarybusinessoffittingthewhaleboatsforservice;whensometimeafterthisahabwasnowandthenfoundbestirringhimselfinthematterofmakingthole-pinswithhisownhandsforwhatwasthoughttobeoneofthespareboats,andevensolicitouslycuttingthesmallwoodenskewers,whichwhenthelineisrunningoutarepinnedoverthegrooveinthebow:whenallthiswasobservedinhim,andparticularlyhissolicitudeinhavinganextracoatofsheathinginthebottomoftheboat,asiftomakeitbetterwithstandthepointedpressureofhisivorylimb;andalsotheanxietyheevincedinexactlyshapingthethighboard,orclumsycleat,asitissometimescalled,thehorizontalpieceintheboat'sbowforbracingthekneeagainstindartingorstabbingatthewhale;whenitwasobservedhowoftenhestoodupinthatboatwithhissolitarykneefixedinthesemi-circulardepressioninthecleat,andwiththecarpenter'schiselgougedoutalittlehereandstraighteneditalittlethere;allthesethings,isay,hadawakenedmuchinterestandcuriosityatthetime.butalmosteverybodysupposedthatthisparticularpreparativeheedfulnessinahabmustonlybewithaviewtotheultimatechaseofmobydick;forhehadalreadyrevealedhisintentiontohuntthatmortalmonsterinperson.butsuchasuppositiondidbynomeansinvolvetheremotestsuspicionastoanyboat'screwbeingassignedtothatboat.

now,withthesubordinatephantoms,whatwonderremainedsoonwanedaway;forinawhalerwonderssoonwane.besides,nowandthensuchountableoddsandendsofstrangenationscomeupfromtheunknownnooksandash-holesoftheearthtomanthesefloatingoutlawsofwhalers;andtheshipsthemselvesoftenpickupsuchqueercastawaycreaturesfoundtossingabouttheopenseaonplanks,bitsofwreck,oars,whaleboats,canoes,blown-offjapanesejunks,andwhatnot;thatbeelzebubhimselfmightclimbupthesideandstepdownintothecabintochatwiththecaptain,anditwouldnotcreateanyunsubduableexcitementintheforecastle.

butbeallthisasitmay,certainitisthatwhilethesubordinatephantomssoonfoundtheirplaceamongthecrew,thoughstillasitweresomehowdistinctfromthem,yetthathair-turbanedfedallahremainedamuffledmysterytothelast.whencehecameinamannerlyworldlikethis,bywhatsortofountabletiehesoonevincedhimselftobelinkedwithahab'speculiarfortunes;nay,sofarastohavesomesortofahalf-hintedinfluence;heavenknows,butitmighthavebeenevenauthorityoverhim;allthisnoneknew.butonecannotsustainanindifferentairconcerningfedallah.hewassuchacreatureascivilized,domesticpeopleinthetemperatezoneonlyseeintheirdreams,andthatbutdimly;butthelikeofwhomnowandthenglideamongtheunchangingasiaticcommunities,especiallytheorientalislestotheeastofthecontinent—thoseinsulated,immemorial,unalterablecountries,whicheveninthesemoderndaysstillpreservemuchoftheghostlyaboriginalnessofearth'sprimalgenerations,whenthememoryofthefirstmanwasadistinctrecollection,andallmenhisdescendants,unknowingwhencehecame,eyedeachotherasrealphantoms,andaskedofthesunandthemoonwhytheywerecreatedandtowhatend;whenthough,accordingtogenesis,theangelsindeedconsortedwiththedaughtersofmen,thedevilsalso,addtheuncanonicalrabbins,indulgedinmundaneamours.