CHAPTER19TheProphet

"shipmates,haveyeshippedinthatship?"

queequegandihadjustleftthepequod,andweresaunteringawayfromthewater,forthemomenteachoccupiedwithhisownthoughts,whentheabovewordswereputtousbyastranger,who,pausingbeforeus,levelledhismassiveforefingeratthevesselinquestion.hewasbutshabbilyapparelledinfadedjacketandpatchedtrowsers;aragofablackhandkerchiefinvestinghisneck.aconfluentsmallpoxhadinalldirectionsflowedoverhisface,andleftitlikethecomplicatedribbedbedofatorrent,whentherushingwatershavebeendriedup.

"haveyeshippedinher?"herepeated.

"youmeantheshippequod,isuppose,"saidi,tryingtogainalittlemoretimeforanuninterruptedlookathim.

"aye,thepequod—thatshipthere,"hesaid,drawingbackhiswholearm,andthenrapidlyshovingitstraightoutfromhim,withthefixedbayonetofhispointedfingerdartedfullattheobject.

"yes,"saidi,"wehavejustsignedthearticles."

"anythingdownthereaboutyoursouls?"

"aboutwhat?"

"oh,perhapsyouhav'n'tgotany,"hesaidquickly."nomatterthough,iknowmanychapsthathav'n'tgotany,—goodluckto'em;andtheyareallthebetteroffforit.asoul'sasortofafifthwheeltoawagon.

"whatareyoujabberingabout,shipmate?"saidi.

"he'sgotenough,though,tomakeupforalldeficienciesofthatsortinotherchaps,"abruptlysaidthestranger,placinganervousemphasisuponthewordhe.

"queequeg,"saidi,"let'sgo;thisfellowhasbrokenloosefromsomewhere;he'stalkingaboutsomethingandsomebodywedon'tknow."

"stop!"criedthestranger."yesaidtrue—yehav'n'tseenoldthunderyet,haveye?"

"who'soldthunder?"saidi,againrivetedwiththeinsaneearnestnessofhismanner.

"captainahab."

"what!thecaptainofourship,thepequod?"

"aye,amongsomeofusoldsailorchaps,hegoesbythatname.yehav'n'tseenhimyet,haveye?"

"no,wehav'n't.he'ssicktheysay,butisgettingbetter,andwillbeallrightagainbeforelong."

"allrightagainbeforelong!"laughedthestranger,withasolemnlyderisivesortoflaugh."lookye;whencaptainahabisallright,thenthisleftarmofminewillbeallright;notbefore."

"whatdoyouknowabouthim?"

"whatdidtheytellyouabouthim?saythat!"

"theydidn'ttellmuchofanythingabouthim;onlyi'veheardthathe'sagoodwhale-hunter,andagoodcaptaintohiscrew."

"that'strue,that'strue—yes,bothtrueenough.butyoumustjumpwhenhegivesanorder.stepandgrowl;growlandgo—that'sthewordwithcaptainahab.butnothingaboutthatthingthathappenedtohimoffcapehorn,longago,whenhelaylikedeadforthreedaysandnights;nothingaboutthatdeadlyskrimmagewiththespaniardaforethealtarinsanta?—heardnothingaboutthat,eh?nothingaboutthesilvercalabashhespatinto?andnothingabouthislosinghisleglastvoyage,accordingtotheprophecy.didn'tyehearawordaboutthemmattersandsomethingmore,eh?no,idon'tthinkyedid;howcouldye?whoknowsit?notallnantucket,iguess.buthows'ever,mayhap,ye'veheardtellabouttheleg,andhowhelostit;aye,yehaveheardofthat,idaresay.ohyes,thateveryoneknowsa'most—imeantheyknowhe'sonlyoneleg;andthataparmacettitooktheotheroff."

"myfriend,"saidi,"whatallthisgibberishofyoursisabout,idon'tknow,andidon'tmuchcare;foritseemstomethatyoumustbealittledamagedinthehead.butifyouarespeakingofcaptainahab,ofthatshipthere,thepequod,thenletmetellyou,thatiknowallaboutthelossofhisleg."

"allaboutit,eh—sureyoudo?—all?"

"prettysure."

withfingerpointedandeyelevelledatthepequod,thear-likestrangerstoodamoment,asifinatroubledreverie;thenstartingalittle,turnedandsaid:—"ye'veshipped,haveye?namesdownonthepapers?well,well,what'ssigned,issigned;andwhat'stobe,willbe;andthenagain,perhapsitwon'tbe,afterall.anyhow,it'sallfixedandarrangeda'ready;andsomesailorsorothermustgowithhim,isuppose;aswelltheseasanyothermen,godpity'em!morningtoye,shipmates,morning;theineffableheavensblessye;i'msorryistoppedye."

"lookhere,friend,"saidi,"ifyouhaveanythingimportanttotellus,outwithit;butifyouareonlytryingtobamboozleus,youaremistakeninyourgame;that'sallihavetosay."

"andit'ssaidverywell,andiliketohearachaptalkupthatway;youarejustthemanforhim—thelikesofye.morningtoye,shipmates,morning!oh!whenyegetthere,tell'emi'veconcludednottomakeoneof'em."

"ah,mydearfellow,youcan'tfoolusthatway—youcan'tfoolus.itistheeasiestthingintheworldforamantolookasifhehadagreatsecretinhim."

"morningtoye,shipmates,morning."

"morningitis,"saidi."comealong,queequeg,let'sleavethiscrazyman.butstop,tellmeyourname,willyou?"

"elijah."

elijah!thoughti,andwewalkedaway,bothcommenting,aftereachother'sfashion,uponthisedoldsailor;andagreedthathewasnothingbutahumbug,tryingtobeabugbear.butwehadnotgoneperhapsaboveahundredyards,whenchancingtoturnacorner,andlookingbackasididso,whoshouldbeseenbutelijahfollowingus,thoughatadistance.somehow,thesightofhimstruckmeso,thatisaidnothingtoqueequegofhisbeingbehind,butpassedonwithmycomrade,anxioustoseewhetherthestrangerwouldturnthesamecornerthatwedid.hedid;andthenitseemedtomethathewasingus,butwithwhatintenticouldnotforthelifeofmeimagine.thiscircumstance,coupledwithhisambiguous,half-hinting,half-revealing,shroudedsortoftalk,nowbegatinmeallkindsofvaguewondermentsandhalf-apprehensions,andallconnectedwiththepequod;andcaptainahab;andtheleghehadlost;andthecapehornfit;andthesilvercalabash;andwhatcaptainpeleghadsaidofhim,whenilefttheshipthedayprevious;andthepredictionofthesquawtistig;andthevoyagewehadboundourselvestosail;andahundredothershadowythings.

iwasresolvedtosatisfymyselfwhetherthisedelijahwasreallyingusornot,andwiththatintentcrossedthewaywithqueequeg,andonthatsideofitretracedoursteps.butelijahpassedon,withoutseemingtonoticeus.thisrelievedme;andoncemore,andfinallyasitseemedtome,ipronouncedhiminmyheart,ahumbug.