301 
THE WHITE WHALE 
suppose lie can crawl into a port-hole? Tell me that, Mr. Flask.” 
“How old do you suppose Fedallah is, Stubb ?” 
“Do you see that mainmast there?” pointing to the ship; “well, 
that’s the figure one ; now take all the hoops in the Pequod’s hold, 
and string ’em along in a row with that mast, for oughts, do you 
see; well, that wouldn’t begin to be Fedallah’s age. Nor all the 
coopers in creation couldn’t show hoops enough to make oughts 
enough.” 
“But see here, Stubb, I thought you a little boasted just now, that 
you meant to give Fedallah a sea-toss, if you got a good chance. 
Now, if he’s so old as all those hoops of yours come to, and if he is 
going to live for ever, what good will it do to pitch him overboard — 
tell me that ?” 
“Give him a good ducking, anyhow.” 
“But he’d crawl back.” 
“Duck him again; and keep ducking him.” 
“Suppose he should take it into his head to duck you, though — yes, 
and drown you — what then ?” 
“I should like to see him try it ; I’d give him such a pair of black 
eyes that he wouldn’t dare to show his face in the admiral’s cabin again 
for a long while, let alone down in the orlop there, where he lives, 
and hereabouts on the upper decks where he sneaks so much. Damn 
the devil, Flask; do you suppose I’m afraid of the devil? Who’s 
afraid of him, except the old governor who daren’t catch him and 
put him in double-darbies, as he deserves, but lets him go about kid- 
napping people; aye, and signed a bond with him, that all the people 
the devil kidnapped he’d roast for him. There’s a governor!” 
“Do you suppose Fedallah wants to kidnap Captain Ahab ?” 
“Do I suppose it? You’ll know it before long, Flask. But I am 
going now to keep a sharp lookout on him; and if I see anything 
very suspicious going on, I’ll just take him by the nape of his neck, 
and say — Look here, Beelzebub, you don’t do it; and if he makes any 
fuss, by the Lord, I’ll make a grab into his pocket for his tail, take 
it to the capstan, and give him such a wrenching and heaving, that 
his tail will come short off at the stump — do you see; and then, I 
rather guess when he finds himself docked in that queer fashion, 
