CHAPTER 123 The Musket

DuringthemostviolentshocksoftheTyphoon,themanatthePequod'sjaw-bonetillerhadseveraltimesbeenreelinglyhurledtothedeckbyitsspasmodicmotions,eventhoughpreventertackleshadbeenattachedtoit—fortheywereslack—becausesomeplaytothetillerwasindispensable.

Inaseveregalelikethis,whiletheshipisbutatossedshuttlecocktotheblast,itisbynomeansuncommontoseetheneedlesinthecompasses,atintervals,goroundandround.ItwasthuswiththePequod's;atalmosteveryshockthehelmsmanhadnotfailedtonoticethewhirlingvelocitywithwhichtheyrevolveduponthecards;itisasightthathardlyanyonecanbeholdwithoutsomesortofunwontedemotion.

Somehoursaftermidnight,theTyphoonabatedsomuch,thatthroughthestrenuousexertionsofStarbuckandStubb—oneengagedforwardandtheotheraft—theshiveredremnantsofthejibandforeandmain-top-sailswerecutadriftfromthespars,andwenteddyingawaytoleeward,likethefeathersofanalbatross,whichsometimesarecasttothewindswhenthatstorm-tossedbirdisonthewing.

Thethreecorrespondingnewsailswerenowbentandreefed,andastorm-trysailwassetfurtheraft;sothattheshipsoonwentthroughthewaterwithsomeprecisionagain;andthecourse—forthepresent,Eastsouth-east—whichhewastosteer,ifpracticable,wasoncemoregiventothehelmsman.Forduringtheviolenceofthegale,hehadonlysteeredaccordingtoitsvicissitudes.Butashewasnowbringingtheshipasnearhercourseaspossible,watchingthecompassmeanwhile,lo!agoodsign!thewindseemedcomingroundastern;aye,thefoulbreezebecamefair!

Instantlytheyardsweresquared,tothelivelysongof"Ho!thefairwind!oh-ye-ho,cheerlymen!"thecrewsingingforjoy,thatsopromisinganeventshouldsosoonhavefalsifiedtheevilportentsprecedingit.

Incompliancewiththestandingorderofhiscommander—toreportimmediately,andatanyoneofthetwenty-fourhours,anydecidedchangeintheaffairsofthedeck,—Starbuckhadnosoonertrimmedtheyardstothebreeze—howeverreluctantlyandgloomily,—thanhemechanicallywentbelowtoappriseCaptainAhabofthecircumstance.

Ereknockingathisstate-room,heinvoluntarilypausedbeforeitamoment.Thecabinlamp—takinglongswingsthiswayandthat—wasburningfitfully,andcastingfitfulshadowsupontheoldman'sbolteddoor,—athinone,withfixedblindsinserted,inplaceofupperpanels.Theisolatedsubterraneousnessofthecabinmadeacertainhummingsilencetoreignthere,thoughitwashoopedroundbyalltheroaroftheelements.Theloadedmusketsintherackwereshininglyrevealed,astheystooduprightagainsttheforwardbulkhead.Starbuckwasanhonest,uprightman;butoutofStarbuck'sheart,atthatinstantwhenhesawthemuskets,therestrangelyevolvedanevilthought;butsoblentwithitsneutralorgoodaccompanimentsthatfortheinstanthehardlyknewitforitself.

"Hewouldhaveshotmeonce,"hemurmured,"yes,there'stheverymusketthathepointedatme;—thatonewiththestuddedstock;letmetouchit—liftit.Strange,thatI,whohavehandledsomanydeadlylances,strange,thatIshouldshakesonow.Loaded?Imustsee.Aye,aye;andpowderinthepan;—that'snotgood.Bestspillit?—wait.I'llcuremyselfofthis.I'llholdthemusketboldlywhileIthink.—Icometoreportafairwindtohim.Buthowfair?Fairfordeathanddoom,—that'sfairforMobyDick.It'safairwindthat'sonlyfairforthataccursedfish.—Theverytubehepointedatme!—theveryone;thisone—Iholdithere;hewouldhavekilledmewiththeverythingIhandlenow.—Ayeandhewouldfainkillallhiscrew.Doeshenotsayhewillnotstrikehissparstoanygale?Hashenotdashedhisheavenlyquadrant?andinthesesameperilousseas,gropeshenothiswaybymeredeadreckoningoftheerror-aboundinglog?andinthisveryTyphoon,didhenotswearthathewouldhavenolightning-rods?Butshallthiscrazedoldmanbetamelysufferedtodragawholeship'scompanydowntodoomwithhim?—Yes,itwouldmakehimthewilfulmurdererofthirtymenandmore,ifthisshipcometoanydeadlyharm;andcometodeadlyharm,mysoulswearsthisshipwill,ifAhabhavehisway.If,then,hewerethisinstant—putaside,thatcrimewouldnotbehis.Ha!ishemutteringinhissleep?Yes,justthere,—inthere,he'ssleeping.Sleeping?aye,butstillalive,andsoonawakeagain.Ican'twithstandthee,then,oldman.Notreasoning;notremonstrance;notentreatywiltthouhearkento;allthisthouscornest.Flatobediencetothyownflatcommands,thisisallthoubreathest.Aye,andsay'stthemenhavevow'dthyvow;say'stallofusareAhabs.GreatGodforbid!—Butistherenootherway?nolawfulway?—Makehimaprisonertobetakenhome?What!hopetowrestthisoldman'slivingpowerfromhisownlivinghands?Onlyafoolwouldtryit.Sayhewerepinionedeven;knottedalloverwithropesandhawsers;chaineddowntoring-boltsonthiscabinfloor;hewouldbemorehideousthanacagedtiger,then.Icouldnotendurethesight;couldnotpossiblyflyhishowlings;allcomfort,sleepitself,inestimablereasonwouldleavemeonthelongintolerablevoyage.What,then,remains?Thelandishundredsofleaguesaway,andlockedJapanthenearest.Istandalonehereuponanopensea,withtwooceansandawholecontinentbetweenmeandlaw.—Aye,aye,'tisso.—Isheavenamurdererwhenitslightningstrikesawould-bemurdererinhisbed,tinderingsheetsandskintogether?—AndwouldIbeamurderer,then,if"—andslowly,stealthily,andhalfsidewayslooking,heplacedtheloadedmusket'sendagainstthedoor.

"Onthislevel,Ahab'shammockswingswithin;hisheadthisway.Atouch,andStarbuckmaysurvivetohughiswifeandchildagain.—OhMary!Mary!—boy!boy!boy!—ButifIwaketheenottodeath,oldman,whocantelltowhatunsoundeddeepsStarbuck'sbodythisdayweekmaysink,withallthecrew!GreatGod,whereartThou?ShallI?shallI?—Thewindhasgonedownandshifted,sir;theforeandmaintopsailsarereefedandset;sheheadshercourse."

"Sternall!OhMobyDick,Iclutchthyheartatlast!"Suchwerethesoundsthatnowcamehurtlingfromouttheoldman'stormentedsleep,asifStarbuck'svoicehadcausedthelongdumbdreamtospeak.

Theyetlevelledmusketshooklikeadrunkard'sarmagainstthepanel;Starbuckseemedwrestlingwithanangel;butturningfromthedoor,heplacedthedeathtubeinitsrack,andlefttheplace.

"He'stoosoundasleep,Mr.Stubb;gothoudown,andwakehim,andtellhim.Imustseetothedeckhere.Thouknow'stwhattosay."