CHAPTER 19 The Prophet

"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,thebeggar-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,uponthisraggedoldsailor;andagreedthathewasnothingbutahumbug,tryingtobeabugbear.Butwehadnotgoneperhapsaboveahundredyards,whenchancingtoturnacorner,andlookingbackasIdidso,whoshouldbeseenbutElijahfollowingus,thoughatadistance.Somehow,thesightofhimstruckmeso,thatIsaidnothingtoQueequegofhisbeingbehind,butpassedonwithmycomrade,anxioustoseewhetherthestrangerwouldturnthesamecornerthatwedid.Hedid;andthenitseemedtomethathewasdoggingus,butwithwhatintentIcouldnotforthelifeofmeimagine.Thiscircumstance,coupledwithhisambiguous,half-hinting,half-revealing,shroudedsortoftalk,nowbegatinmeallkindsofvaguewondermentsandhalf-apprehensions,andallconnectedwiththePequod;andCaptainAhab;andtheleghehadlost;andtheCapeHornfit;andthesilvercalabash;andwhatCaptainPeleghadsaidofhim,whenIlefttheshipthedayprevious;andthepredictionofthesquawTistig;andthevoyagewehadboundourselvestosail;andahundredothershadowythings.

IwasresolvedtosatisfymyselfwhetherthisraggedElijahwasreallydoggingusornot,andwiththatintentcrossedthewaywithQueequeg,andonthatsideofitretracedoursteps.ButElijahpassedon,withoutseemingtonoticeus.Thisrelievedme;andoncemore,andfinallyasitseemedtome,Ipronouncedhiminmyheart,ahumbug.