But only by the replacing of the cap
was that omen accounted good. Ahab's hat was never restored;
the wild hawk flew on and on with it; far in advance of the prow:
and at last disappeared; while from the point of that disappearance,
a minute black spot was dimly discerned, falling from that vast
height into the sea.
CHAPTER 131
The Pequod Meets The Delight
The intense Pequod sailed on; the rolling waves and days went by;
the life-buoy-coffin still lightly swung; and another ship,
most miserably misnamed the Delight, was descried.
As she drew nigh, all eyes were fixed upon her broad beams,
called shears, which, in some whaling-ships, cross the quarter-deck
at the height of eight or nine feet; serving to carry the spare,
unrigged, or disabled boats.
Upon the stranger's shears were beheld the shattered, white ribs,
and some few splintered planks, of what had once been a whale-boat;
but you now saw through this wreck, as plainly as you see through
the peeled, half-unhinged, and bleaching skeleton of a horse.
"Hast seen the White Whale?"
"Look!" replied the hollow-cheeked captain from his taffrail;
and with his trumpet he pointed to the wreck.
"Hast killed him?"
"The harpoon is not yet forged that will ever will do that,"
answered the other, sadly glancing upon a rounded hammock on
the deck, whose gathered sides some noiseless sailors were busy
in sewing together.
Pages:
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863