He seemed swimming with his utmost velocity, and now only intent
upon pursuing his own straight path in the sea.
"Oh! Ahab," cried Starbuck, "not too late is it, even now,
the third day, to desist. See! Moby Dick seeks thee not.
It is thou, thou, that madly seekest him!"
Setting sail to the rising wind, the lonely boat was
swiftly impelled to leeward, by both oars and canvas.
And at last when Ahab was sliding by the vessel, so near
as plainly to distinguish Starbuck's face as he leaned
over the rail, he hailed him to turn the vessel about,
and follow him, not too swiftly, at a judicious interval.
Glancing upwards he saw Tashtego, Queequeg, and Daggoo,
eagerly mounting to the three mast-heads; while the oarsmen
were rocking in the two staved boats which had but just been
hoisted to the side, and were busily at work in repairing them.
One after the other, through the port-holes, as he sped,
he also caught flying glimpses of Stubb and Flask,
busying themselves on deck among bundles of new irons and lances.
As he saw all this; as he heard the hammers in the broken boats;
far other hammers seemed driving a nail into his heart.
But he rallied. And now marking that the vane or flag
was gone from the main-mast-head, he shouted to Tashtego,
who had just gained that perch, to descend again for another flag,
and a hammer and nails, and so nail it to the mast.
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