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MOBY DICK; OR 
one hand holding on to the heavy tackles, so that if the head should 
drop, he would still remain suspended; the negro having cleared the 
foul line, rammed down the bucket into the now collapsed well, mean- 
ing that the buried harpooneer should grasp it, and so be hoisted 
out. 
“In heaven’s name, man,” cried Stubb, “are you ramming home a 
cartridge there ? — Avast ! How will that help him ; j amming that 
iron-bound bucket on top of his head ? Avast, will ye !” 
“Stand clear of the tackle!” cried a voice like the bursting of a 
rocket. 
Almost in the same instant, with a thunder-boom, the enormous 
mass dropped into the sea, like Niagara’s Table Rock into the whirl- 
pool ; the suddenly relieved hull rolled away from- it, to far down her 
glittering copper; and all caught their breath, as half-swinging — now 
over the sailor’s heads, and now over the water — Daggoo, through a 
thick mist of spray, was dimly beheld clinging to the pendulous 
tackles, while poor, buried-alive Tashtego was sinking utterly down 
to the bottom of the sea ! But hardly had the blinding vapour cleared 
away, when a naked figure with a boarding-sword in its hand, was for 
one swift moment seen hovering over the bulwarks. The next, a 
loud splash announced that my brave Queequeg had dived to the 
rescue. One packed rush was made to the side, and every eye counted 
every ripple, as moment followed moment, and no sign of either the 
sinker or the diver could be seen. Some hands now jumped into a 
boat alongside, and pushed a little off from the ship. 
“Ha ! ha !” cried Daggoo, all at once, from his now quiet, swinging 
perch overhead; and looking farther off from the side, we saw an 
arm thrust upright from the blue waves ; a sight strange to see, as an 
arm thrust forth from the grass over a grave. 
“Both! both! — it is both!” — cried Daggoo again with a joyful 
shout; and soon after, Queequeg was seen boldly striking out with 
one hand, and with the other clutching the long hair of the Indian. 
Drawn into the waiting boat, they were quickly brought to the deck; 
but Tashtego was long in coming to, and Queequeg did not look very 
brisk. 
Now, how had this noble rescue been accomplished? Why, diving 
