Whale Hunting 239 



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. As the line passed round and round 

 the loggerhead, so also, just before reaching that 

 point, it blisteringly passed through and through 

 both of Stubb's hands, from which the hand-cloths, 

 or squares of quilted canvas sometimes worn at 

 these times, had accidentally dropped. It was like 

 holding an enemy's sharp two-edged sword by 

 the blade, and that enemy all the time striving to 

 wrest it out of your clutch. 



" Wet the line, wet the line ! " cried Stubb to 

 the tub-oarsmen, who, snatching off his hat, dashed 

 the sea-water 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 staggering business truly in 

 that rocky commotion. From the vibrating line 

 extending the entire length of the upper part of 

 the boat, and from its now being more tight than 

 harp-string, you would have thought the craft had 

 two keels — one cleaving the water, the other the 

 air — as the boat churned on through both opposing 

 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 little 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 crouching almost double, in order 

 to bring down his centre of gravity. . . . 



