HAZARDS AND COMPENSATIONS 209 



onset, all the while puffing the smoke from his mouth. Like desper- 

 adoes they tugged and they strained, till the welcome cry was heard — 

 "Stand up, Tashtego! — give it to him!" The harpoon was hurled. 

 "Stern all!" The oarsmen backed water; the same moment some- 

 thing went hot and hissing along every one of their wrists. It was 

 the magical line. An instant before, Stubb had swiftly caught two 

 additional turns with it round the loggerhead, whence, by reason of its 

 increased rapid circlings, a hempen blue smoke now jetted up and 

 mingled with the steady fumes from his pipe . . . 



"Wet the line! wet the line!" cried Stubb to the tub oarsman (him 

 seated by the tub) who, snatching off his hat, dashed the seawater into 

 it. More turns were taken, so that the line began holding its place. 

 The boat now flew through the boiling water like a shark — all fins. 

 Stubb and Tashtego here changed places — stem for stern — a stag- 

 gering business truly in that rocking commotion. 



From the vibrating line extending the entire length of the upper 

 part of the boat, and from its now being more tight than a harpstring, 

 you would have thought the craft had two keels — one cleaving the 

 water, the other the air — as the boat churned on through both oppos- 

 ing elements at once. A continual cascade played at the bows; a 

 ceaseless whirling eddy in her wake ; and, at the slightest motion from 

 within, even but of a finger, the vibrating, cracking craft canted over 

 her spasmodic gunwale into the sea. Thus they rushed: each man 

 with might and main clinging to his seat, to prevent being tossed to 

 the foam; and the tall form of Tashtego at the steering-oar crouch- 

 ing ' almost double, in order to bring down his center of gravity. 

 Whole Atlantics and Pacifies seemed passed as they shot on their way, 

 till at length the whale somewhat slackened his flight. 



"Haul in — haul in!" cried Stubb to the bowsman, and, facing 

 round towards the whale, all hands began pulling the boat up to him, 

 while yet the boat was being towed on. Soon ranging up by his 

 flank, Stubb, firmly planting his knee in the clumsy cleat, darted dart 

 after dart into the flying fish; at the word of command, the boat al- 

 ternately sterning out of the way of the whale's horrible wallow, and 

 then ranging up for another fling. 



The red tide now poured from all sides of the monster like brooks 

 down a hill. His tormented body rolled not in brine but in blood, 

 which bubbled and seethed for furlongs behind in their wake. The 

 slanting sun playing upon this crimson pond in the sea, sent back its re- 

 flection into every face, so that they all glowed to each other like red 

 men. And all the while, jet after jet of white smoke was agonizingly 

 shot from the spiracle of the whale, and vehement puff after puff 

 from the mouth of the excited headsman; as at every dart, hauling in 

 upon his crooked lance (by the line attached to it), Stubb straightened 

 it again and again by a few rapid blows against the gunwale, then 

 again and again sent it into the whale. 



