262 
MOBY DICK; OR 
“There go flukes !” was the cry, an announcement immediately 
followed by Stubb’ s producing his match and igniting his pipe, for 
now a respite was granted. After the full interval of his sounding 
had elapsed, the whale rose again, and being now in advance of the 
smoker’s boat, and much nearer to it than to any of the others, Stubb 
counted upon the honour of the capture. It was obvious now, that the 
whale had at length become aware* of his pursuers. All silence 
or cautiousness was therefore no longer of use. Paddles were dropped, 
and oars came loudly into play. And still puffing at his pipe, Stubb 
cheered on his crew to the assault. ' 
Yes, a mighty change had come over the fish. All alive to his 
jeopardy, he was going “head out”; that part obliquely projecting 
from the mad yeast which he brewed . 1 
“Start her, start her, my men! Don’t hurry yourselves; take 
plenty of time — but start her; start her like thunderclaps, that’s all,” 
cried Stubb, spluttering out the smoke as he spoke. “Start her, now; 
give ’em the long and strong stroke, Tashtego. Start her, Tash, my 
boy — start her, all ; but keep cool, keep cool — cucumbers is the 
word — easy, easy — only start her like grim death and grinning 
devils, and raise the buried dead perpendicular out of their graves, 
boys — that’s all. Start her!” 
“Woo-hoo! Wa-hee!” screamed the Gay-Header in reply, raising 
some old war-whoop to the skies; as every oarsman in the strained 
boat involuntarily bounced forward with the one tremendous leading 
stroke which the eager Indian gave. 
But his wild screams were answered by others quite as wild. “Kee- 
hee ! Kee-hee!” yelled Daggoo, straining forwards and backwards on his 
seat, like a pacing tiger in his cage. 
“Ka-la Koo-loo!” howled Queequeg, as if smacking his lips over 
1 It will be seen in some other place of what a very light substance the 
entire interior of the sperm whale’s enormous head consists. Though appar- 
ently the most massive, it is by far the most buoyant part about him. So 
that with ease he elevates it in the air, and invariably does so when going at 
his utmost speed. Besides, such is the breadth of the upper part of the front 
of his head, and such the tapering cut-water formation of the lower part, that 
by obliquely elevating his head, he thereby may be said to transform him- 
self from a bluff-bowed, sluggish galliot into a sharp-pointed New York pilot 
boat. 
