It was his death stroke. For, by this time, so spent was he by loss
of blood, that he helplessly rolled away from the wreck he had made;
lay panting on his side, impotently flapped with his stumped fin,
then over and over slowly revolved like a waning world;
turned up the white secrets of his belly; lay like a log,
and died. It was most piteous, that last expiring spout.
As when by unseen hands the water is gradually drawn off
from some mighty fountain, and with half-stifled melancholy
gurglings the spray-column lowers and lowers to the ground--
so the last long dying spout of the whale.
Soon, while the crews were awaiting the arrival of the ship,
the body showed symptoms of sinking with all its treasures unrifled.
Immediately, by Starbuck's orders, lines were secured to it at
different points, so that ere long every boat was a buoy; the sunken
whale being suspended a few inches beneath them by the cords.
By very heedful management, when the ship drew nigh, the whale was
transferred to her side, and was strongly secured there by the stiffest
fluke-chains, for it was plain that unless artificially upheld,
the body would at once sink to the bottom.
It so chanced that almost upon first cutting into him with the spade,
the entire length of a corroded harpoon was found imbedded
in his flesh, on the lower part of the bunch before described.
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