"
"He says, Monsieur," said the Guernsey-man, in French,
turning to his captain, "that only yesterday his ship spoke
a vessel, whose captain and chief-mate, with six sailors,
had all died of a fever caught from a blasted whale they
had brought alongside."
Upon this the captain started, and eagerly desired to know more.
"What now?" said the Guernsey-man to Stubb.
"Why, since he takes it so easy, tell him that now I
have eyed him carefully, I'm quite certain that he's no
more fit to command a whale-ship than a St. Jago monkey.
In fact, tell him from me he's a baboon."
"He vows and declares, Monsieur, that the other whale,
the dried one, is far more deadly than the blasted one;
in fine, Monsieur, he conjures us, as we value our lives,
to cut loose from these fish."
Instantly the captain ran forward, and in a loud voice commanded
his crew to desist from hoisting the cutting-tackles, and at once
cast loose the cables and chains confining the whales to the ship.
"What now?" said the Guernsey-man, when the Captain had returned to them.
"Why, let me see; yes, you may as well tell him now that--that--in fact,
tell him I've diddled him, and (aside to himself) perhaps somebody else.
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