"Against the wind he now steers for the open jaw," murmured Starbuck
to himself, as he coiled the new-hauled main-brace upon the rail.
"God keep us, but already my bones feel damp within me, and from
the inside wet my flesh. I misdoubt me that I disobey my God
in obeying him!"
"Stand by to sway me up!" cried Ahab, advancing to the hempen basket.
"We should meet him soon."
"Aye, aye, sir," and straightway Starbuck did Ahab's bidding,
and once more Ahab swung on high.
A whole hour now passed; gold-beaten out to ages.
Time itself now held long breaths with keen suspense.
But at last, some three points off the weather bow, Ahab descried
the spout again, and instantly from the three mast-heads
three shrieks went up as if the tongues of fire had voiced it.
"Forehead to forehead I meet thee, this third time, Moby Dick!
On deck there!--brace sharper up; crowd her into the wind's eye.
He's too far off to lower yet, Mr. Starbuck. The sails shake!
Stand over that helmsman with a top-maul! So, so; he travels fast,
and I must down. But let me have one more good round look aloft
here at the sea; there's time for that. An old, old sight, and yet
somehow so young; aye, and not changed a wink since I first saw it,
a boy, from the sand-hills of Nantucket! The same--the same!--
the same to Noah as to me.
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