CHAPTER 126 The Life-Buoy

Steeringnowsouth-eastwardbyAhab'slevelledsteel,andherprogresssolelydeterminedbyAhab'slevellogandline;thePequodheldonherpathtowardstheEquator.Makingsolongapassagethroughsuchunfrequentedwaters,descryingnoships,anderelong,sidewaysimpelledbyunvaryingtradewinds,overwavesmonotonouslymild;alltheseseemedthestrangecalmthingspreludingsomeriotousanddesperatescene.

Atlast,whentheshipdrewneartotheoutskirts,asitwere,oftheEquatorialfishing-ground,andinthedeepdarknessthatgoesbeforethedawn,wassailingbyaclusterofrockyislets;thewatch—thenheadedbyFlask—wasstartledbyacrysoplaintivelywildandunearthly—likehalf-articulatedwailingsoftheghostsofallHerod'smurderedInnocents—thatoneandall,theystartedfromtheirreveries,andforthespaceofsomemomentsstood,orsat,orleanedalltransfixedlylistening,likethecarvedRomanslave,whilethatwildcryremainedwithinhearing.TheChristianorcivilizedpartofthecrewsaiditwasmermaids,andshuddered;butthepaganharpooneersremainedunappalled.YetthegreyManxman—theoldestmarinerofall—declaredthatthewildthrillingsoundsthatwereheard,werethevoicesofnewlydrownedmeninthesea.

Belowinhishammock,Ahabdidnothearofthistillgreydawn,whenhecametothedeck;itwasthenrecountedtohimbyFlask,notunaccompaniedwithhinteddarkmeanings.Hehollowlylaughed,andthusexplainedthewonder.

Thoserockyislandstheshiphadpassedweretheresortofgreatnumbersofseals,andsomeyoungsealsthathadlosttheirdams,orsomedamsthathadlosttheircubs,musthaverisennightheshipandkeptcompanywithher,cryingandsobbingwiththeirhumansortofwail.Butthisonlythemoreaffectedsomeofthem,becausemostmarinerscherishaverysuperstitiousfeelingaboutseals,arisingnotonlyfromtheirpeculiartoneswhenindistress,butalsofromthehumanlookoftheirroundheadsandsemi-intelligentfaces,seenpeeringlyuprisingfromthewateralongside.Inthesea,undercertaincircumstances,sealshavemorethanoncebeenmistakenformen.

Butthebodingsofthecrewweredestinedtoreceiveamostplausibleconfirmationinthefateofoneoftheirnumberthatmorning.Atsun-risethismanwentfromhishammocktohismast-headatthefore;andwhetheritwasthathewasnotyethalfwakedfromhissleep(forsailorssometimesgoaloftinatransitionstate),whetheritwasthuswiththeman,thereisnownotelling;but,bethatasitmay,hehadnotbeenlongathisperch,whenacrywasheard—acryandarushing—andlookingup,theysawafallingphantomintheair;andlookingdown,alittletossedheapofwhitebubblesintheblueofthesea.

Thelife-buoy—alongslendercask—wasdroppedfromthestern,whereitalwayshungobedienttoacunningspring;butnohandrosetoseizeit,andthesunhavinglongbeatuponthiscaskithadshrunken,sothatitslowlyfilled,andthatparchedwoodalsofilledatitseverypore;andthestuddediron-boundcaskfollowedthesailortothebottom,asiftoyieldhimhispillow,thoughinsoothbutahardone.

AndthusthefirstmanofthePequodthatmountedthemasttolookoutfortheWhiteWhale,ontheWhiteWhale'sownpeculiarground;thatmanwasswallowedupinthedeep.Butfew,perhaps,thoughtofthatatthetime.Indeed,insomesort,theywerenotgrievedatthisevent,atleastasaportent;fortheyregardedit,notasaforeshadowingofevilinthefuture,butasthefulfilmentofanevilalreadypresaged.Theydeclaredthatnowtheyknewthereasonofthosewildshriekstheyhadheardthenightbefore.ButagaintheoldManxmansaidnay.

Thelostlife-buoywasnowtobereplaced;Starbuckwasdirectedtoseetoit;butasnocaskofsufficientlightnesscouldbefound,andasinthefeverisheagernessofwhatseemedtheapproachingcrisisofthevoyage,allhandswereimpatientofanytoilbutwhatwasdirectlyconnectedwithitsfinalend,whateverthatmightprovetobe;therefore,theyweregoingtoleavetheship'ssternunprovidedwithabuoy,whenbycertainstrangesignsandinuendoesQueequeghintedahintconcerninghiscoffin.

"Alife-buoyofacoffin!"criedStarbuck,starting.

"Ratherqueer,that,Ishouldsay,"saidStubb.

"Itwillmakeagoodenoughone,"saidFlask,"thecarpenterherecanarrangeiteasily."

"Bringitup;there'snothingelseforit,"saidStarbuck,afteramelancholypause."Rigit,carpenter;donotlookatmeso—thecoffin,Imean.Dostthouhearme?Rigit."

"AndshallInaildownthelid,sir?"movinghishandaswithahammer.

"Aye."

"AndshallIcaulktheseams,sir?"movinghishandaswithacaulking-iron.

"Aye.""AndshallIthenpayoverthesamewithpitch,sir?"movinghishandaswithapitch-pot."Away!whatpossessestheetothis?Makealifebuoyofthecoffin,andnomore.—Mr.Stubb,Mr.Flask,comeforwardwithme."

"Hegoesoffinahuff.Thewholehecanendure;atthepartshebaulks.NowIdon'tlikethis.ImakealegforCaptainAhab,andhewearsitlikeagentleman;butImakeabandboxforQueequeg,andhewon'tputhisheadintoit.Areallmypainstogofornothingwiththatcoffin?AndnowI'morderedtomakealife-buoyofit.It'sliketurninganoldcoat;goingtobringthefleshontheothersidenow.Idon'tlikethiscobblingsortofbusiness—Idon'tlikeitatall;it'sundignified;it'snotmyplace.Lettinkers'bratsdotinkerings;wearetheirbetters.Iliketotakeinhandnonebutclean,virgin,fair-and-squaremathematicaljobs,somethingthatregularlybeginsatthebeginning,andisatthemiddlewhenmidway,andcomestoanendattheconclusion;notacobbler'sjob,that'satanendinthemiddle,andatthebeginningattheend.It'stheoldwoman'strickstobegivingcobblingjobs.Lord!whatanaffectionalloldwomenhavefortinkers.Iknowanoldwomanofsixty-fivewhoranawaywithabald-headedyoungtinkeronce.Andthat'sthereasonIneverwouldworkforlonelywidowoldwomenashore,whenIkeptmyjob-shopintheVineyard;theymighthavetakenitintotheirlonelyoldheadstorunoffwithme.Butheigh-ho!therearenocapsatseabutsnow-caps.Letmesee.Naildownthelid;caulktheseams;payoverthesamewithpitch;battenthemdowntight,andhangitwiththesnap-springovertheship'sstern.Wereeversuchthingsdonebeforewithacoffin?Somesuperstitiousoldcarpenters,now,wouldbetiedupintherigging,eretheywoulddothejob.ButI'mmadeofknottyAroostookhemlock;Idon'tbudge.Crupperedwithacoffin!Sailingaboutwithagrave-yardtray!Butnevermind.Weworkersinwoodsmakebridal-bedsteadsandcard-tables,aswellascoffinsandhearses.Weworkbythemonth,orbythejob,orbytheprofit;notforustoaskthewhyandwhereforeofourwork,unlessitbetooconfoundedcobbling,andthenwestashitifwecan.Hem!I'lldothejob,now,tenderly.I'llhaveme—let'ssee—howmanyintheship'scompany,alltold?ButI'veforgotten.Anyway,I'llhavemethirtyseparate,Turk's-headedlife-lines,eachthreefeetlonghangingallroundtothecoffin.Then,ifthehullgodown,there'llbethirtylivelyfellowsallfightingforonecoffin,asightnotseenveryoftenbeneaththesun!Comehammer,caulking-iron,pitch-pot,andmarlingspike!Let'stoit."