CHAPTER 27 Knights and Squires

Stubbwasthesecondmate.HewasanativeofCapeCod;andhence,accordingtolocalusage,wascalledaCape-Cod-man.Ahappy-go-lucky;neithercravennorvaliant;takingperilsastheycamewithanindifferentair;andwhileengagedinthemostimminentcrisisofthechase,toilingaway,calmandcollectedasajourneymanjoinerengagedfortheyear.Good-humored,easy,andcareless,hepresidedoverhiswhale-boatasifthemostdeadlyencounterwerebutadinner,andhiscrewallinvitedguests.Hewasasparticularaboutthecomfortablearrangementofhispartoftheboat,asanoldstage-driverisaboutthesnugnessofhisbox.Whenclosetothewhale,intheverydeath-lockofthefight,hehandledhisunpityinglancecoollyandoff-handedly,asawhistlingtinkerhishammer.Hewouldhumoverhisoldrigadigtuneswhileflankandflankwiththemostexasperatemonster.Longusagehad,forthisStubb,convertedthejawsofdeathintoaneasychair.Whathethoughtofdeathitself,thereisnotelling.Whetherheeverthoughtofitatall,mightbeaquestion;but,ifheeverdidchancetocasthismindthatwayafteracomfortabledinner,nodoubt,likeagoodsailor,hetookittobeasortofcallofthewatchtotumblealoft,andbestirthemselvesthere,aboutsomethingwhichhewouldfindoutwhenheobeyedtheorder,andnotsooner.

What,perhaps,withotherthings,madeStubbsuchaneasy-going,unfearingman,socheerilytrudgingoffwiththeburdenoflifeinaworldfullofgravepedlars,allbowedtothegroundwiththeirpacks;whathelpedtobringaboutthatalmostimpiousgood-humorofhis;thatthingmusthavebeenhispipe.For,likehisnose,hisshort,blacklittlepipewasoneoftheregularfeaturesofhisface.Youwouldalmostassoonhaveexpectedhimtoturnoutofhisbunkwithouthisnoseaswithouthispipe.Hekeptawholerowofpipestherereadyloaded,stuckinarack,withineasyreachofhishand;and,wheneverheturnedin,hesmokedthemalloutinsuccession,lightingonefromtheothertotheendofthechapter;thenloadingthemagaintobeinreadinessanew.For,whenStubbdressed,insteadoffirstputtinghislegsintohistrowsers,heputhispipeintohismouth.

Isaythiscontinualsmokingmusthavebeenonecause,atleast,ofhispeculiardisposition;foreveryoneknowsthatthisearthlyair,whetherashoreorafloat,isterriblyinfectedwiththenamelessmiseriesofthenumberlessmortalswhohavediedexhalingit;andasintimeofthecholera,somepeoplegoaboutwithacamphoratedhandkerchieftotheirmouths;so,likewise,againstallmortaltribulations,Stubb'stobaccosmokemighthaveoperatedasasortofdisinfectingagent.

ThethirdmatewasFlask,anativeofTisbury,inMartha'sVineyard.Ashort,stout,ruddyyoungfellow,verypugnaciousconcerningwhales,whosomehowseemedtothinkthatthegreatleviathanshadpersonallyandhereditarilyaffrontedhim;andthereforeitwasasortofpointofhonorwithhim,todestroythemwheneverencountered.Soutterlylostwashetoallsenseofreverenceforthemanymarvelsoftheirmajesticbulkandmysticways;andsodeadtoanythinglikeanapprehensionofanypossibledangerfromencounteringthem;thatinhispooropinion,thewondrouswhalewasbutaspeciesofmagnifiedmouse,oratleastwater-rat,requiringonlyalittlecircumventionandsomesmallapplicationoftimeandtroubleinordertokillandboil.Thisignorant,unconsciousfearlessnessofhismadehimalittlewaggishinthematterofwhales;hefollowedthesefishforthefunofit;andathreeyears'voyageroundCapeHornwasonlyajollyjokethatlastedthatlengthoftime.Asacarpenter'snailsaredividedintowroughtnailsandcutnails;somankindmaybesimilarlydivided.LittleFlaskwasoneofthewroughtones;madetoclinchtightandlastlong.TheycalledhimKing-PostonboardofthePequod;because,inform,hecouldbewelllikenedtotheshort,squaretimberknownbythatnameinArcticwhalers;andwhichbythemeansofmanyradiatingsidetimbersinsertedintoit,servestobracetheshipagainsttheicyconcussionsofthosebatteringseas.

Nowthesethreemates—Starbuck,Stubb,andFlask,weremomentousmen.TheyitwaswhobyuniversalprescriptioncommandedthreeofthePequod'sboatsasheadsmen.InthatgrandorderofbattleinwhichCaptainAhabwouldprobablymarshalhisforcestodescendonthewhales,thesethreeheadsmenwereascaptainsofcompanies.Or,beingarmedwiththeirlongkeenwhalingspears,theywereasapickedtriooflancers;evenastheharpooneerswereflingersofjavelins.

Andsinceinthisfamousfishery,eachmateorheadsman,likeaGothicKnightofold,isalwaysaccompaniedbyhisboat-steererorharpooneer,whoincertainconjuncturesprovideshimwithafreshlance,whentheformeronehasbeenbadlytwisted,orelbowedintheassault;andmoreover,astheregenerallysubsistsbetweenthetwo,acloseintimacyandfriendliness;itisthereforebutmeet,thatinthisplacewesetdownwhothePequod'sharpooneerswere,andtowhatheadsmaneachofthembelonged.

FirstofallwasQueequeg,whomStarbuck,thechiefmate,hadselectedforhissquire.ButQueequegisalreadyknown.

NextwasTashtego,anunmixedIndianfromGayHead,themostwesterlypromontoryofMartha'sVineyard,wheretherestillexiststhelastremnantofavillageofredmen,whichhaslongsuppliedtheneighboringislandofNantucketwithmanyofhermostdaringharpooneers.Inthefishery,theyusuallygobythegenericnameofGay-Headers.Tashtego'slong,lean,sablehair,hishighcheekbones,andblackroundingeyes—foranIndian,Orientalintheirlargeness,butAntarcticintheirglitteringexpression—allthissufficientlyproclaimedhimaninheritoroftheunvitiatedbloodofthoseproudwarriorhunters,who,inquestofthegreatNewEnglandmoose,hadscoured,bowinhand,theaboriginalforestsofthemain.Butnolongersnuffinginthetrailofthewildbeastsofthewoodland,Tashtegonowhuntedinthewakeofthegreatwhalesofthesea;theunerringharpoonofthesonfitlyreplacingtheinfalliblearrowofthesires.Tolookatthetawnybrawnofhislithesnakylimbs,youwouldalmosthavecreditedthesuperstitionsofsomeoftheearlierPuritans,andhalf-believedthiswildIndiantobeasonofthePrinceofthePowersoftheAir.TashtegowasStubbthesecondmate'ssquire.

ThirdamongtheharpooneerswasDaggoo,agigantic,coal-blacknegro-savage,withalion-liketread—anAhasuerustobehold.Suspendedfromhisearsweretwogoldenhoops,solargethatthesailorscalledthemring-bolts,andwouldtalkofsecuringthetop-sailhalyardstothem.InhisyouthDaggoohadvoluntarilyshippedonboardofawhaler,lyinginalonelybayonhisnativecoast.AndneverhavingbeenanywhereintheworldbutinAfrica,Nantucket,andthepaganharborsmostfrequentedbywhalemen;andhavingnowledformanyyearstheboldlifeofthefisheryintheshipsofownersuncommonlyheedfulofwhatmannerofmentheyshipped;Daggooretainedallhisbarbaricvirtues,anderectasagiraffe,movedaboutthedecksinallthepompofsixfeetfiveinhissocks.Therewasacorporealhumilityinlookingupathim;andawhitemanstandingbeforehimseemedawhiteflagcometobegtruceofafortress.Curioustotell,thisimperialnegro,AhasuerusDaggoo,wastheSquireoflittleFlask,wholookedlikeachessmanbesidehim.AsfortheresidueofthePequod'scompany,beitsaid,thatatthepresentdaynotoneintwoofthemanythousandmenbeforethemastemployedintheAmericanwhalefishery,areAmericansborn,thoughprettynearlyalltheofficersare.HereinitisthesamewiththeAmericanwhalefisheryaswiththeAmericanarmyandmilitaryandmerchantnavies,andtheengineeringforcesemployedintheconstructionoftheAmericanCanalsandRailroads.Thesame,Isay,becauseinallthesecasesthenativeAmericanliberallyprovidesthebrains,therestoftheworldasgenerouslysupplyingthemuscles.NosmallnumberofthesewhalingseamenbelongtotheAzores,wheretheoutwardboundNantucketwhalersfrequentlytouchtoaugmenttheircrewsfromthehardypeasantsofthoserockyshores.Inlikemanner,theGreenlandwhalerssailingoutofHullorLondon,putinattheShetlandIslands,toreceivethefullcomplementoftheircrew.Uponthepassagehomewards,theydropthemthereagain.Howitis,thereisnotelling,butIslandersseemtomakethebestwhalemen.TheywerenearlyallIslandersinthePequod,Isolatoestoo,Icallsuch,notacknowledgingthecommoncontinentofmen,buteachIsolatolivingonaseparatecontinentofhisown.Yetnow,federatedalongonekeel,whatasettheseIsolatoeswere!AnAnacharsisClootzdeputationfromalltheislesofthesea,andalltheendsoftheearth,accompanyingOldAhabinthePequodtolaytheworld'sgrievancesbeforethatbarfromwhichnotverymanyofthemevercomeback.BlackLittlePip—heneverdid—oh,no!hewentbefore.PoorAlabamaboy!OnthegrimPequod'sforecastle,yeshallerelongseehim,beatinghistambourine;prelusiveoftheeternaltime,whensentfor,tothegreatquarter-deckonhigh,hewasbidstrikeinwithangels,andbeathistambourineinglory;calledacowardhere,hailedaherothere!