CHAPTER 21 Going Aboard

Itwasnearlysixo'clock,butonlygreyimperfectmistydawn,whenwedrewnighthewharf.

"Therearesomesailorsrunningaheadthere,ifIseeright,"saidItoQueequeg,"itcan'tbeshadows;she'soffbysunrise,Iguess;comeon!"

"Avast!"criedavoice,whoseowneratthesametimecomingclosebehindus,laidahanduponbothourshoulders,andtheninsinuatinghimselfbetweenus,stoodstoopingforwardalittle,intheuncertaintwilight,strangelypeeringfromQueequegtome.ItwasElijah.

"Goingaboard?"

"Handsoff,willyou,"saidI.

"Lookeehere,"saidQueequeg,shakinghimself,"go'way!"

"Ain'tgoingaboard,then?"

"Yes,weare,"saidI,"butwhatbusinessisthatofyours?Doyouknow,Mr.Elijah,thatIconsideryoualittleimpertinent?"

"No,no,no;Iwasn'tawareofthat,"saidElijah,slowlyandwonderinglylookingfrommetoQueequeg,withthemostunaccountableglances.

"Elijah,"saidI,"youwillobligemyfriendandmebywithdrawing.WearegoingtotheIndianandPacificOceans,andwouldprefernottobedetained.

"Yebe,beye?Comingbackaforebreakfast?"

"He'scracked,Queequeg,"saidI,"comeon."

"Holloa!"criedstationaryElijah,hailinguswhenwehadremovedafewpaces.

"Nevermindhim,"saidI,"Queequeg,comeon."

Buthestoleuptousagain,andsuddenlyclappinghishandonmyshoulder,said—"Didyeseeanythinglookinglikemengoingtowardsthatshipawhileago?"

Struckbythisplainmatter-of-factquestion,Ianswered,saying,"Yes,IthoughtIdidseefourorfivemen;butitwastoodimtobesure."

"Verydim,verydim,"saidElijah."Morningtoye."Oncemorewequittedhim;butoncemorehecamesoftlyafterus;andtouchingmyshoulderagain,said,"Seeifyoucanfind'emnow,willye?

"Findwho?"

"Morningtoye!morningtoye!"herejoined,againmovingoff."Oh!Iwasgoingtowarnyeagainst—butnevermind,nevermind—it'sallone,allinthefamilytoo;—sharpfrostthismorning,ain'tit?Good-byetoye.Shan'tseeyeagainverysoon,Iguess;unlessit'sbeforetheGrandJury."Andwiththesecrackedwordshefinallydeparted,leavingme,forthemoment,innosmallwondermentathisfranticimpudence.

Atlast,steppingonboardthePequod,wefoundeverythinginprofoundquiet,notasoulmoving.Thecabinentrancewaslockedwithin;thehatcheswereallon,andlumberedwithcoilsofrigging.Goingforwardtotheforecastle,wefoundtheslideofthescuttleopen.Seeingalight,wewentdown,andfoundonlyanoldriggerthere,wrappedinatatteredpea-jacket.Hewasthrownatwholelengthupontwochests,hisfacedownwardsandinclosedinhisfoldedarms.Theprofoundestslumbersleptuponhim.

"Thosesailorswesaw,Queequeg,wherecantheyhavegoneto?"saidI,lookingdubiouslyatthesleeper.Butitseemedthat,whenonthewharf,QueequeghadnotatallnoticedwhatInowalludedto;henceIwouldhavethoughtmyselftohavebeenopticallydeceivedinthatmatter,wereitnotforElijah'sotherwiseinexplicablequestion.ButIbeatthethingdown;andagainmarkingthesleeper,jocularlyhintedtoQueequegthatperhapswehadbestsitupwiththebody;tellinghimtoestablishhimselfaccordingly.Heputhishanduponthesleeper'srear,asthoughfeelingifitwassoftenough;andthen,withoutmoreado,satquietlydownthere.

"Gracious!Queequeg,don'tsitthere,"saidI.

"Oh!perrydoodseat,"saidQueequeg,"mycountryway;won'thurthimface."

"Face!"saidI,"callthathisface?verybenevolentcountenancethen;buthowhardhebreathes,he'sheavinghimself;getoff,Queequeg,youareheavy,it'sgrindingthefaceofthepoor.Getoff,Queequeg!Look,he'lltwitchyouoffsoon.Iwonderhedon'twake."

Queequegremovedhimselftojustbeyondtheheadofthesleeper,andlightedhistomahawkpipe.Isatatthefeet.Wekeptthepipepassingoverthesleeper,fromonetotheother.Meanwhile,uponquestioninghiminhisbrokenfashion,Queequeggavemetounderstandthat,inhisland,owingtotheabsenceofsetteesandsofasofallsorts,theking,chiefs,andgreatpeoplegenerally,wereinthecustomoffatteningsomeofthelowerordersforottomans;andtofurnishahousecomfortablyinthatrespect,youhadonlytobuyupeightortenlazyfellows,andlaythemroundinthepiersandalcoves.Besides,itwasveryconvenientonanexcursion;muchbetterthanthosegardenchairswhichareconvertibleintowalking-sticks;uponoccasion,achiefcallinghisattendant,anddesiringhimtomakeasetteeofhimselfunderaspreadingtree,perhapsinsomedampmarshyplace.

Whilenarratingthesethings,everytimeQueequegreceivedthetomahawkfromme,heflourishedthehatchet-sideofitoverthesleeper'shead.

"What'sthatfor,Queequeg?"

"Perryeasy,kill-e;oh!perryeasy!"

Hewasgoingonwithsomewildreminiscencesabouthistomahawk-pipe,which,itseemed,hadinitstwousesbothbrainedhisfoesandsoothedhissoul,whenweweredirectlyattractedtothesleepingrigger.Thestrongvapornowcompletelyfillingthecontractedhole,itbegantotelluponhim.Hebreathedwithasortofmuffledness;thenseemedtroubledinthenose;thenrevolvedoveronceortwice;thensatupandrubbedhiseyes.

"Holloa!"hebreathedatlast,"whobeyesmokers?"

"Shippedmen,"answeredI,"whendoesshesail?"

"Aye,aye,yearegoinginher,beye?Shesailstoday.TheCaptaincameaboardlastnight."

"WhatCaptain?—Ahab?"

"Whobuthimindeed?"

IwasgoingtoaskhimsomefurtherquestionsconcerningAhab,whenweheardanoiseondeck.

"Holloa!Starbuck'sastir,"saidtherigger."He'salivelychiefmate,that;goodman,andapious;butallalivenow,Imustturnto."Andsosayinghewentondeck,andwefollowed.

Itwasnowclearsunrise.Soonthecrewcameonboardintwosandthrees;theriggersbestirredthemselves;themateswereactivelyengaged;andseveraloftheshorepeoplewerebusyinbringingvariouslastthingsonboard.MeanwhileCaptainAhabremainedinvisiblyenshrinedwithinhiscabin.