CHAPTER SEVEN

Men Overboard

Ahab's tiger-yellow men seemed to be made of steel and whalebone. Like five strong hammers they rowed with hard, regular pulls on their oars. Fedallah, at one end of the boat, pulled the harpooner's oar, while at the other end Ahab steadily managed the steering oar to direct the boat.

"Flask!" called Ahab across to the other boat. "Move your boat more to the leeward side, man."

"Yes sir." Flask moved his large oar round. "Row hard, men!" he shouted. "I can see the whales right ahead, boys! Roar and row as strong as thunder!"

Meanwhile, Stubb was helping his men to row in a very different and rather funny way. He'd start with the most funny jokes and even tell stories to them. His tone was half-angry and half-joking.

"Row, row, my little ones!" shouted Stubb. "Why aren't your backs broken, boys? Don't worry about those five in that boat over there with Ahab. Hurrah for the golden cup of sperm oil. The devil comes and takes you lazy-bones away; you're all asleep! Wake up and row! Take out your knife and start rowing with the blade between your teeth. That's more like it now!"

Starbuck, in another boat, had a different way. He whispered commands in a low, strong voice, "Pull, pull, my good boys." He wasn't one to say much to his crew, and they didn't say anything at all to him.

The sight was all wonder and awe—the roaring waves of the sea, the boats moving to the top of a watery hill then sliding down its other side, the winds tossing them about. The cries of the harpooners was mixed with the loud, quick breathing of the rowers. Behind the boats came the Pequod with her full sails, following like a mother chicken chasing after her screaming babies. It was exciting!

Starbuck now started to chase three whales as our boat rushed along in the rising wind and mist. Suddenly, as quick as lightning, he whispered to Queequeg. "Stand up!"

Queequeg jumped to his feet and waited for Starbuck's command. Then we heard, "That's his hump. There, there! Give it to him!"

Queequeg's harpoon made a rushing sound ... and then there was confusion. It seemed like an invisible push coming from the back of our boat. Then something rolled like an earthquake beneath us, tossing all of us helplessly into the sea. The wind, our boat, and the harpoon seemed to all mix together, and the whale, only touched by the iron, escaped.

After some swimming, we were able to pick up our floating oars and climb back into the lonely boat. Because of the storm we couldn't see the Pequod. The mist was getting deeper and it was no use to cry for help. Soon, the dawn came on, and we sat in our boat soaked with water, shaking from the cold, and without hope.

It was Queequeg who first heard a noise. He jumped to his feet, putting his hand to his ear. In the silence we heard a very soft creaking sound. Then, before any of us knew what was happening, the Pequod appeared, heading toward us!

We all jumped into the sea just seconds before our boat was crushed by the Pequod. Again we had to swim for our lives in the tossing sea. Finally, the crew saw us and we were safely taken up on board. On deck we learned that the three other boats had gotten back all right.

"Queequeg," I said, still shaking from the cold, "my dear friend, does this happen often?"

He calmly told me that yes it did. Stubb and Flask also agreed.

Because these three men thought it rather normal to be overturned in a small boat, and because that they saw nothing strange in Starbuck going after a whale in the middle of a huge storm; and also because of Ahab's mad desire to hunt for the White Whale, I decided to be sensible.

"Queequeg," I said, "I am going below deck to make a rough copy of my will. Come along. You shall be my lawyer and advisor."

(end of section)