375 
THE WHITE WHALE 
worked rather slow and talked very fast, and seemed in anything but 
a good humour. All their noses upwardly projected from their faces 
like so many jib-booms. How and then pairs of them would drop 
their work, and run up to the masthead to get some fresh air. Some 
thinking they would catch the plague, dipped oakum in coal-tar, and at 
intervals held it to their nostrils. Others having broken the stems of 
their pipes almost short off at the bowl, were vigorously puffing tobacco- 
smoke, so that it constantly filled their olfactories. 
Stubb was struck by a shower of outcries and anathemas proceeding 
from the captain’s round-house abaft ; and looking in that direction saw 
a fiery face thrust from behind the door, which was held ajar from 
within. This was the tormented surgeon, who, after in vain remon- 
strating against the proceedings of the day, had betaken himself to 
the captain‘s round-house ( cabinet he called it) to avoid the pest; but 
still, could not help yelling out his entreaties and indignations at times. 
Marking all this, Stubb argued well for his scheme, and turning to 
the Guernsey man had a little chat with him, during which the stranger 
mate expressed his detestation of his captain as a conceited ignoramus, 
who had brought them all into so unsavoury, unprofitable a pickle. 
Sounding him carefully, Stubb further perceived that the Guernsey man 
had not the slightest suspicion concerning the ambergris. He there- 
fore held his peace on that head, but otherwise was quite frank and con- 
fidential with him, so that the two quickly concocted a little plan for 
both circumventing and satirising the captain, without his at all dream- 
ing of distrusting their sincerity. According to this little plan of theirs, 
the Guernsey man, under cover of an interpreter’s office, was to tell 
the captain what he pleased, but as coming from Stubb; and as for 
Stubb, he was to utter any nonsense that should come uppermost in him 
during the interview. 
By this time their destined victim appeared from his cabin. He 
was a small and dark, but rather delicate-looking man for a sea-captain, 
with large whiskers and moustache, however; and wore a red cotton 
velvet vest with watch-seals at his side. To this gentleman, Stubb was 
now politely introduced by the Guernsey man, who at once ostenta- 
tiously put on the aspect of interpreting between them. 
“What shall I say to him first ?” said he. 
“Why,” said Stubb, eyeing the velvet vest and the watch and seals, 
