CHAPTER18HisMark

aswewerewalkingdowntheendofthewharftowardstheship,queequegcarryinghisharpoon,captainpeleginhisgruffvoiceloudlyhailedusfromhiswigwam,sayinghehadnotsuspectedmyfriendwasacannibal,andfurthermoreannouncingthatheletnocannibalsonboardthatcraft,unlesstheypreviouslyproducedtheirpapers.

"whatdoyoumeanbythat,captainpeleg?"saidi,nowjumpingonthebulwarks,andleavingmycomradestandingonthewharf.

"imean,"hereplied,"hemustshowhispapers."

"yes,"saidcaptainbildadinhishollowvoice,stickinghisheadfrombehindpeleg's,outofthewigwam."hemustshowthathe'sconverted.sonofdarkness,"headded,turningtoqueequeg,"artthouatpresentincommunionwithanychristianchurch?"

"why,"saidi,"he'samemberofthefirstcongregationalchurch."herebeitsaid,thatmanytattooedsavagessailinginnantucketshipsatlastcometobeconvertedintothechurches.

"firstcongregationalchurch,"criedbildad,"what!thatworshipsindeacondeuteronomycoleman'smeeting-house?"andsosaying,takingouthisspectacles,herubbedthemwithhisgreatyellowbandanahandkerchief,andputtingthemonverycarefully,cameoutofthewigwam,andleaningstifflyoverthebulwarks,tookagoodlonglookatqueequeg.

"howlonghathhebeenamember?"hethensaid,turningtome;"notverylong,iratherguess,youngman."

"no,"saidpeleg,"andhehasn'tbeenbaptizedrighteither,oritwouldhavewashedsomeofthatdevil'sblueoffhisface."

"dotell,now,"criedbildad,"isthisphilistinearegularmemberofdeacondeuteronomy'smeeting?ineversawhimgoingthere,andipassiteverylord'sday."

"idon'tknowanythingaboutdeacondeuteronomyorhismeeting,"saidi;"alliknowis,thatqueequeghereisabornmemberofthefirstcongregationalchurch.heisadeaconhimself,queequegis."

"youngman,"saidbildadsternly,"thouartskylarkingwithme—explainthyself,thouyounghittite.whatchurchdosttheemean?answerme."

findingmyselfthushardpushed,ireplied."imean,sir,thesameancientcatholicchurchtowhichyouandi,andcaptainpelegthere,andqueequeghere,andallofus,andeverymother'ssonandsoulofusbelong;thegreatandeverlastingfirstcongregationofthiswholeworshippingworld;weallbelongtothat;onlysomeofuscherishsomequeercrotchetsnowaystouchingthegrandbelief;inthatwealljoinhands."

"splice,thoumean'stsplicehands,"criedpeleg,drawingnearer."youngman,you'dbettershipforamissionary,insteadofafore-masthand;ineverheardabettersermon.deacondeuteronomy—whyfathermapplehimselfcouldn'tbeatit,andhe'sreckonedsomething.comeaboard,comeaboard;nevermindaboutthepapers.isay,tellquohogthere—what'sthatyoucallhim?tellquohogtostepalong.bythegreatanchor,whataharpoonhe'sgotthere!lookslikegoodstuffthat;andhehandlesitaboutright.isay,quohog,orwhateveryournameis,didyoueverstandintheheadofawhale-boat?didyoueverstrikeafish?

withoutsayingaword,queequeg,inhiswildsortofway,jumpeduponthebulwarks,fromthenceintothebowsofoneofthewhale-boatshangingtotheside;andthenbracinghisleftknee,andpoisinghisharpoon,criedoutinsomesuchwayasthis:—

"cap'ain,youseehimsmalldroptaronwaterdere?youseehim?well,sposehimonewhaleeye,well,den!"andtakingsharpaimatit,hedartedtheironrightoveroldbildad'sbroadbrim,cleanacrosstheship'sdecks,andstrucktheglisteningtarspotoutofsight.

"now,"saidqueequeg,quietlyhaulingintheline,"spos-eehimwhale-eeye;why,dadwhaledead."

"quick,bildad,"saidpeleg,hispartner,who,aghastattheclosevicinityoftheflyingharpoon,hadretreatedtowardsthecabingangway."quick,isay,youbildad,andgettheship'spapers.wemusthavehedgehogthere,imeanquohog,inoneofourboats.lookye,quohog,we'llgiveyetheninetiethlay,andthat'smorethaneverwasgivenaharpooneeryetoutofnantucket."

sodownwewentintothecabin,andtomygreatjoyqueequegwassoonenrolledamongthesameship'scompanytowhichimyselfbelonged.

whenallpreliminarieswereoverandpeleghadgoteverythingreadyforsigning,heturnedtomeandsaid,"iguess,quohogtheredon'tknowhowtowrite,doeshe?isay,quohog,blastye!dostthousignthynameormakethymark?"

butatthisquestion,queequeg,whohadtwiceorthricebeforetakenpartinsimilarceremonies,lookednowaysabashed;buttakingtheofferedpen,copieduponthepaper,intheproperplace,anexactcounterpartofaqueerroundfigurewhichwastattooeduponhisarm;sothatthroughcaptainpeleg'sobstinatemistaketouchinghisappellative,itstoodsomethinglikethis:—

quohog.hisxmark.

meanwhilecaptainbildadsatearnestlyandsteadfastlyeyeingqueequeg,andatlastrisingsolemnlyandfumblinginthehugepocketsofhisbroad-skirteddrabcoat,tookoutabundleoftracts,andselectingoneentitled"thelatterdaycoming;ornotimetolose,"placeditinqueequeg'shands,andthengraspingthemandthebookwithbothhis,lookedearnestlyintohiseyes,andsaid,"sonofdarkness,imustdomydutybythee;iampartownerofthisship,andfeelconcernedforthesoulsofallitscrew;ifthoustillclingesttothypaganways,whichisadlyfear,ibeseechthee,remainnotforayeabelialbondsman.spurntheidolbell,andthehideousdragon;turnfromthewrathtocome;mindthineeye,isay;oh!goodnessgracious!steerclearofthefierypit!

somethingofthesaltseayetlingeredinoldbildad'slanguage,heterogeneouslymixedwithscripturalanddomesticphrases.

"avastthere,avastthere,bildad,avastnowspoilingourharpooneer,"criedpeleg."piousharpooneersnevermakegoodvoyagers—ittakesthesharkoutof'em;noharpooneerisworthastrawwhoaintprettysharkish.therewasyoungnatswaine,oncethebravestboat-headeroutofallnantucketandthevineyard;hejoinedthemeeting,andnevercametogood.hegotsofrightenedabouthisplaguysoul,thatheshrinkedandsheeredawayfromwhales,forfearofafter-claps,incasehegotstoveandwenttodavyjones."

"peleg!peleg!"saidbildad,liftinghiseyesandhands,"thouthyself,asimyself,hastseenmanyaperiloustime;thouknowest,peleg,whatitistohavethefearofdeath;how,then,can'stthouprateinthisungodlyguise.thoubeliestthineownheart,peleg.tellme,whenthissamepequodherehadherthreemastsoverboardinthattyphoononjapan,thatsamevoyagewhenthouwentmatewithcaptainahab,did'stthounotthinkofdeathandthejudgmentthen?"

"hearhim,hearhimnow,"criedpeleg,marchingacrossthecabin,andthrustinghishandsfardownintohispockets,—"hearhim,allofye.thinkofthat!wheneverymomentwethoughttheshipwouldsink!deathandthejudgmentthen?what?withallthreemastsmakingsuchaneverlastingthunderingagainsttheside;andeveryseabreakingoverus,foreandaft.thinkofdeathandthejudgmentthen?no!notimetothinkaboutdeaththen.lifewaswhatcaptainahabandiwasthinkingof;andhowtosaveallhands—howtorigjury-masts—howtogetintothenearestport;thatwaswhatiwasthinkingof."

bildadsaidnomore,butbuttoninguphiscoat,stalkedondeck,wherewefollowedhim.therehestood,veryquietlyoverlookingsomesailmakerswhoweremendingatop-sailinthewaist.nowandthenhestoopedtopickupapatch,orsaveanendoftarredtwine,whichotherwisemighthavebeenwasted.