438 
MOBY DICK; OR 
“I was speaking of the oil in the hold, sir.” 
“And I was not speaking or thinking of that at all. Begone ! Let 
it leak! I’m all aleak myself. Aye! leaks in leaks! not only full 
of leaky casks, but those leaky casks are in a leaky ship; and that’s a 
far worse plight than the Pequod’s, man. Yet I don’t stop to plug 
my leak ; for who can find it in the deep-loaded hull ; or how hope to 
plug it, even if found, in this life’s howling gale ? Starbuck ! I’ll not 
have the Burtons hoisted.” 
“What will the owners say, sir ?” 
“Let the owners stand on Nantucket beach and outyell the Typhoons. 
What cares Ahab ? Owners, owners ? Thou art always prating to 
me, Starbuck, about those miserly owners, as if the owners were my 
conscience. But look ye, the only real owner of anything is its com- 
mander; and hark ye, my conscience is in this ship’s keel — On deck!” 
“Captain Ahab,” said the reddening mate, moving further into the 
cabin, with a daring so strangely respectful and cautious that it al- 
most seemed not only every way seeking to avoid the slightest outward 
manifestation of itself, but within also seemed more than half distrust- 
ful of itself ; “a better man than I might well pass over in thee what 
he would quickly enough resent in a younger man ; ay, and in a happier, 
Captain Ahab.” 
“Devils! Dost thou then so much as dare to critically think of 
me? — On deck!” 
“Nay, sir, not yet; I do entreat. And I do dare, sir — to be for- 
bearing! Shall we not understand each other better than hitherto, 
Captain Ahab?” 
Ahab seized a loaded musket from the rack (forming part of most 
South Sea men’s cabin furniture), and pointing it towards Starbuck, 
exclaimed: “There is one God that is Lord over the earth, and one 
Captain that is lord over the Pequod — On deck!” 
For an instant in the flashing eyes of the mate, and his fiery cheeks, 
you would have almost thought that he had really received the blaze of 
the levelled tube. But, mastering his emotion, he half calmly rose, and 
as he quitted the cabin, paused for an instant and said: “Thou hast 
outraged, not insulted me, sir ; but for that I ask thee not to beware of 
Starbuck; thou wouldst but laugh; but let Ahab beware of Ahab; be- 
ware of thyself, old man,” 
