CHAPTER51TheSpirit-Spout

days,weekspassed,andundereasysail,theivorypequodhadslowlysweptacrossfourseveralcruising-grounds;thatofftheazores;offthecapedeverdes;ontheplate(socalled),beingoffthemouthoftheriodelaplata;andthecarrolground,anunstaked,waterylocality,southerlyfromst.helena.

itwaswhileglidingthroughtheselatterwatersthatonesereneandmoonlightnight,whenallthewavesrolledbylikescrollsofsilver;and,bytheirsoft,suffusingseethings,madewhatseemedasilverysilence,notasolitude;onsuchasilentnightasilveryjetwasseenfarinadvanceofthewhitebubblesatthebow.litupbythemoon,itlookedcelestial;seemedsomeplumedandglitteringgoduprisingfromthesea.fedallahfirstdescriedthisjet.forofthesemoonlightnights,itwashiswonttomounttothemain-masthead,andstandalook-outthere,withthesameprecisionasifithadbeenday.andyet,thoughherdsofwhaleswereseenbynight,notonewhalemaninahundredwouldventurealoweringforthem.youmaythinkwithwhatemotions,then,theseamenbeheldthisoldorientalperchedaloftatsuchunusualhours;histurbanandthemoon,companionsinonesky.butwhen,afterspendinghisuniformintervalthereforseveralessivenightswithoututteringasinglesound;when,afterallthissilence,hisunearthlyvoicewasheardannouncingthatsilvery,moon-litjet,everyrecliningmarinerstartedtohisfeetasifsomewingedspirithadlightedintheing,andhailedthemortalcrew."theresheblows!"hadthetrumpofjudgmentblown,theycouldnothavequiveredmore;yetstilltheyfeltnoterror;ratherpleasure.forthoughitwasamostunwontedhour,yetsoimpressivewasthecry,andsodeliriouslyexciting,thatalmosteverysoulonboardinstinctivelydesiredalowering.

walkingthedeckwithquick,side-lungingstrides,ahabcommandedthet'gallantsailsandroyalstobeset,andeverystunsailspread.thebestmanintheshipmusttakethehelm.then,witheverymastheadmanned,thepiled-upcraftrolleddownbeforethewind.thestrange,upheaving,liftingtendencyofthetaffrailbreezefillingthehollowsofsomanysails,madethebuoyant,hoveringdecktofeellikeairbeneaththefeet;whilestillsherushedalong,asiftwoantagonisticinfluenceswerelinginher—onetomountdirecttoheaven,theothertodriveyawinglytosomehorizontalgoal.andhadyouwatchedahab'sfacethatnight,youwouldhavethoughtthatinhimalsotwodifferentthingswerewarring.whilehisonelivelegmadelivelyechoesalongthedeck,everystrokeofhisdeadlimbsoundedlikeacoffin-tap.onlifeanddeaththisoldmanwalked.butthoughtheshipsoswiftlysped,andthoughfromeveryeye,likearrows,theeagerglancesshot,yetthesilveryjetwasnomoreseenthatnight.everysailorsworehesawitonce,butnotasecondtime.

thismidnight-spouthadalmostgrownaforgottenthing,when,somedaysafter,lo!atthesamesilenthour,itwasagainannounced:againitwasdescriedbyall;butuponmakingsailtoovertakeit,oncemoreitdisappearedasifithadneverbeen.andsoitservedusnightafternight,tillnooneheededitbuttowonderatit.mysteriouslyjettedintotheclearmoonlight,orstarlight,asthecasemightbe;disappearingagainforonewholeday,ortwodays,orthree;andsomehowseemingateverydistinctrepetitiontobeadvancingstillfurtherandfurtherinourvan,thissolitaryjetseemedforeveralluringuson.

norwiththeimmemorialsuperstitionoftheirrace,andinaccordancewiththepreternaturalness,asitseemed,whichinmanythingsinvestedthepequod,weretherewantingsomeoftheseamenwhosworethatwheneverandwhereverdescried;athoweverremotetimes,orinhoweverfarapartlatitudesandlongitudes,thatunnearablespoutwascastbyoneself-samewhale;andthatwhale,mobydick.foratime,therereigned,too,asenseofpeculiardreadatthisflittingapparition,asifitweretreacherouslybeckoningusonandon,inorderthatthemonstermightturnrounduponus,andrendusatlastintheremotestandmostsavageseas.

thesetemporaryapprehensions,sovaguebutsoawful,derivedawondrouspotencyfromthecontrastingserenityoftheweather,inwhich,beneathallitsblueblandness,somethoughttherelurkedadevilishcharm,asfordaysanddayswevoyagedalong,throughseassowearily,lonesomelymild,thatallspace,inrepugnancetoourvengefulerrand,seemedvacatingitselfoflifebeforeoururn-likeprow.

but,atlast,whenturningtotheeastward,thecapewindsbeganhowlingaroundus,andweroseandfelluponthelong,troubledseasthatarethere;whentheivory-tuskedpequodsharplybowedtotheblast,andgoredthedarkwavesinhermadness,till,likeshowersofsilverchips,thefoam-flakesflewoverherbulwarksthenallthisdesolatevacuityoflifewentaway,butgaveplacetosightsmoredismalthanbefore.

closetoourbows,strangeformsinthewaterdartedhitherandthitherbeforeus;whilethickinourrearflewtheinscrutablesea-ravens.andeverymorning,perchedonourstays,rowsofthesebirdswereseen;andspiteofourhootings,foralongtimeobstinatelyclungtothehemp,asthoughtheydeemedourshipsomedrifting,uninhabitedcraft;athingappointedtodesolation,andthereforefitroosting-placefortheirhomelessselves.andheavedandheaved,stillunrestinglyheavedtheblacksea,asifitsvasttideswereaconscience;andthegreatmundanesoulwereinanguishandremorseforthelongsinandsufferingithadbred.

capeofgoodhope,dotheycallye?rathercapetormentoso,ascalledofyore;forlongalluredbytheperfidioussilencesthatbeforehadattendedus,wefoundourselveslaunchedintothistormentedsea,whereguiltybeingstransformedintothosefowlsandthesefish,seemedcondemnedtoswimoneverlastinglywithoutanyhaveninstore,orbeatthatblackairwithoutanyhorizon.butcalm,snow-white,andunvarying;stilldirectingitsfountainoffeatherstothesky;stillbeckoningusonfrombefore,thesolitaryjetwouldattimesbedescried.

duringallthisblacknessoftheelements,ahab,thoughassumingforthetimethealmostcontinualcommandofthedrenchedanddangerousdeck,manifestedthegloomiestreserve;andmoreseldomthaneveraddressedhismates.intempestuoustimeslikethese,aftereverythingaboveandalofthasbeensecured,nothingmorecanbedonebutpassivelytoawaittheissueofthegale.thencaptainandcrewbecomepracticalfatalists.so,withhisivoryleginsertedintoitsaccustomedhole,andwithonehandfirmlygraspingashroud,ahabforhoursandhourswouldstandgazingdeadtowindward,whileanoccasionalsquallofsleetorsnowwouldallbutcongealhisveryeyelashestogether.meantime,thecrewdrivenfromtheforwardpartoftheshipbytheperilousseasthatburstinglybrokeoveritsbows,stoodinalinealongthebulwarksinthewaist;andthebettertoguardagainsttheleapingwaves,eachmanhadslippedhimselfintoasortofbowlinesecuredtotherail,inwhichheswungasinaloosenedbelt.fewornowordswerespoken;andthesilentship,asifmannedbypaintedsailorsinwax,dayafterdaytoreonthroughalltheswiftmadnessandgladnessofthedemoniacwaves.bynightthesamemutenessofhumanitybeforetheshrieksoftheoceanprevailed;stillinsilencethemenswunginthebowlines;stillwordlessahabstooduptotheblast.evenwhenweariednatureseemeddemandingreposehewouldnotseekthatreposeinhishammock.nevercouldstarbuckforgettheoldman'saspect,whenonenightgoingdownintothecabintomarkhowthebarometerstood,hesawhimwithclosedeyessittingstraightinhisfloor-screwedchair;therainandhalf-meltedsleetofthestormfromwhichhehadsometimebeforeemerged,stillslowlydrippingfromtheunremovedhatandcoat.onthetablebesidehimlayunrolledoneofthosechartsoftidesandcurrentswhichhavepreviouslybeenspokenof.hislanternswungfromhistightlyclenchedhand.thoughthebodywaserect,theheadwasthrownbacksothattheclosedeyeswerepointedtowardstheneedleofthetell-talethatswungfromabeamintheceiling.[1]

terribleoldman!thoughtstarbuckwithashudder,sleepinginthisgale,stillthousteadfastlyeyestthypurpose.

[1]thecabin-compassiscalledthetell-tale,becausewithoutgoingtothecompassatthehelm,thecaptain,whilebelow,caninformhimselfofthecourseoftheship.