72 
MOBY DICK; OR 
intention of withdrawing. He seemed quite used to impenitent Peleg 
and his ways. As for Peleg, after letting off his rage as he had, 
there seemed no more left in him, and he, too, sat down like a lamb, 
though he twitched a little as if still nervously agitated. “Whew!” 
he whistled at last — “the squall’s gone off to leeward, I think. Bildad, 
thou used to he good at sharpening a lance, mend that pen, will 
ye. My jack-knife here needs the grindstone. That’s he; thank ye, 
Bildad. How then, my young man, Ishmael’s thy name, didn’t ye 
say? Well then, down ye go here, Ishmael, for the three hundredth 
lay.” 
“Captain Peleg,” said I, “I have a friend with me who wants to 
ship too — shall I bring him down to-morrow?” 
“To be sure,” said Peleg. “Fetch him along, and we’ll look at 
him.” 
“What lay does he want?” groaned Bildad, glancing up from the 
book in which he had again been burying himself. 
“Oh! never thee mind about that, Bildad,” said Peleg. “Has he 
ever whaled it any?” turning to me. 
“Killed more whales than I can count, Captain Peleg.” 
“Well, bring him along then.” 
And, after signing the papers, off I went ; nothing doubting hut that 
I had done a good morning’s work, and that the Pequod was the identical 
ship that Yojo had provided to carry Queequeg and me round the 
Cape. 
But I had not proceeded far, when I began to bethink me that the 
captain with whom I was to sail yet remained unseen by me; though, 
indeed, in many cases, a whale ship will be completely fitted out, 
and receive all her crew on hoard, ere the captain makes himself 
visible by arriving to take command. For sometimes these voyages 
are so prolonged, and the short intervals at home so exceedingly brief, 
that if the captain have a family, or any absorbing concernment of 
that sort, he does not trouble himself much about his ship in port, 
but leaves her to the owners till all is ready for sea. However, it is 
always as well to have a look at him before irrevocably committing 
yourself into his hands. Turning back I accosted Captain Peleg, in- 
quiring where Captain Ahafc was to bq fo\md. 
