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Melville, Herman, 1819-1891

"Moby Dick: or, the White Whale"

Skin your eyes for him, men; look sharp for white water;
if ye see but a bubble, sing out."
All this while Tashtego, Daggoo, and Queequeg had looked on with even
more intense interest and surprise than the rest, and at the mention
of the wrinkled brow and crooked jaw they had started as if each was
separately touched by some specific recollection.
"Captain Ahab," said Tashtego, "that white whale must be the same
that some call Moby Dick."
"Moby Dick?" shouted Ahab. "Do ye know the white whale then, Tash?"
"Does he fan-tail a little curious, sir, before he goes down?"
said the Gay-Header deliberately.
"And has he a curious spout, too," said Daggoo, "very bushy,
even for a parmacetty, and mighty quick, Captain Ahab?"
"And he have one, two, tree--oh! good many iron in him hide,
too, Captain," cried Queequeg disjointedly, "all twiske-tee be-twisk,
like him--him-" faltering hard for a word, and screwing his hand
round and round as though uncorking a bottle--"like him--him-"
"Corkscrew!" cried Ahab, "aye, Queequeg, the harpoons lie
all twisted and wrenched in him; aye, Daggoo, his spout is
a big one, like a whole shock of wheat, and white as a pile
of our Nantucket wool after the great annual sheep-shearing;
aye, Tashtego, and he fan-tails like a split jib in a squall.


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