294 
MOBY DICK; OR 
On the occasion in question, Queequeg figured in, the Highland costume 
— a shirt and socks — in which to my eyes, at least, he appeared to un- 
common advantage; and no one had a better chance to observe him, 
as will presently be seen. 
Being the savage’s bowman, that is, the person who pulled the bow- 
oar in his boat (the second one from forward), it was my cheerful 
duty to attend upon him while taking that hard-scrabble scramble 
upon the dead whale’s back. You have seen Italian organ-boys hold- 
ing a dancing-ape by a long cord. Just so, from the ship’s steep 
side, did I hold Queequeg down there in the sea, by what is tech- 
nically called in the fishery a monkey-rope, attached to a strong strip 
of canvas belted round his waist. 
It was a humorously perilous business for both of us. For, before 
we proceed further, it must be said that the monkey-rope was fast at 
both ends ; fast to Queequeg’ s broad canvas belt ; and fast to my narrow 
leather one. So that for better or for worse, we two, for the time, 
were wedded; and should poor Queequeg sink to rise no more, then 
both usage and honour demanded, that instead of cutting the cord, 
it should drag me down in his wake. So, then, an elongated Siamese 
ligature united us. Queequeg was my own inseparable twin brother, 
nor could I any way get rid of the dangerous liabilities which the 
hempen bond entailed. 
So strongly and metaphysically did I conceive of my situation then, 
that while earnestly watching his motions, I seemed distinctly to per- 
ceive that my own individuality was now merged in a joint-stock com- 
pany of two ; that my free will had received a mortal wound ; and that 
another’s mistake or misfortune might plunge innocent me into un- 
merited disaster and death. Therefore, I saw that here was a sort 
of interregnum in Providence ; for its even-handed equity never could 
have sanctioned so gross an injustice. And yet still further pon- 
dering — while I jerked him now and then from between the whale and 
the ship, which would threaten to jam him — still further pondering, 
I say, I saw that this situation of mine was the precise situation 
of every mortal that breathes; only, in most cases, he, one way or 
other, has this Siamese connection with a plurality of other mortals. 
If your banker breaks, you snap ; if your apothecary by mistake sends 
