Flask?"
"How old do you suppose Fedallah is, Stubb?"
"Do you see that mainmast there?" pointing to the ship; "well, that's
the figure one; now take all the hoops in the Pequod's hold,
and string 'em along in a row with that mast, for oughts,
do you see; well, that wouldn't begin to be Fedallah's age.
Nor all the coopers in creation couldn't show hoops enough
to make oughts enough."
"But see here, Stubb, I thought you a little boasted just now,
that you meant to give Fedallah a sea-toss, if you got a good chance.
Now, if he's so old as all those hoops of yours come to, and if he is
going to live for ever, what good will it do to pitch him overboard--
tell me that?
"Give him a good ducking, anyhow."
"But he'd crawl back."
"Duck him again; and keep ducking him."
"Suppose he should take it into his head to duck you, though--
yes, and drown you--what then?"
"I should like to see him try it; I'd give him such a pair of black eyes
that he wouldn't dare to show his face in the admiral's cabin again
for a long while, let alone down in the orlop there, where he lives,
and hereabouts on the upper decks where he sneaks so much.
Damn the devil, Flask; do you suppose I'm afraid of the devil?
Who's afraid of him, except the old governor who daresn't catch
him and put him in double-darbies, as he deserves, but lets him
go about kidnapping people; aye, and signed a bond with him,
that all the people the devil kidnapped, he'd roast for him?
There's a governor!"
"Do you suppose Fedallah wants to kidnap Captain Ahab?"
"Do I suppose it? You'll know it before long, Flask.
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