Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-12-18
one tremendous leading stroke which the eager

one tremendous leading stroke which the eager
Indian gave. . ~. ..-r ,...-.-.....
But his wild screams were answered by 9th
ersi quite as wild. 'Kee-hee! Kee-hea =!
yelled Daggoo, straining forward and back
wards on his seat. like a pacing tiger in his
cage. 7-b ar .ti7f tia -r eo-zer va,
Ka-la! Koo-loop howled Queequeg, as
if smackng his lips over monthfal of Grena-
adier's steak. And thus with oars and yells
the keels cut the water. Meanwhile, Stubb
retaining his place in the van, still encouraged
his men to the onset. Like desperadoes they
tugged and they strained, till the welcome cry
was heard-'Stand up, Tashtego give il to
him. The harpoon was hurled. Stern all!
The oarsmen backed water the same moment
something went hot and kissing along every
one Of their wrists. It was the magical line
An instant before, Stubb had swifll.-;, caught
two additional turns with it round the logger
head, whence, by reason of its increased rapid
circlings, a hempen blue smoke now jetted up
and mingled with the steady fumes from his
pipe. AS the line passed round and round the
loggerhead, SO also, just before reaching that
point, it blisteringly passed through and
through both Of Stubbs' hands, from which
the hand-cloths, or squares of quilted canvas,
sometimes worn at these times, had acciden-
tally dropped. 1t was like holding an enemy s
sharp two-edged sword by the blade, and that
enemy all the time striving to wrest i out of
your clutch.
'Wet the line wet the lne!' cried Stubb
to the tub oarsman (him seated by the tub)
who, snatching off his hat, dashed the sea-wa-
ter into it. More turns were taken, SO that
the line began holding its place. The boat
now flew through the boiling water like a
shark all fins. Slubb and Tashtego here
changed places-stem for stern-a staggering
business truly in that rocking commotien.
From the vibrating line extending the entire
length of the upper part of the boat, and from
its now being more tight than harps,ring,
you would have thought the craft had two
keels-the one cleaving the water, the other the
air-as the boat churned on through both op-
posing elements at once. A continual cascade
played at the bows; ceaseless whirling eddy
in her wake; and, at the slightest motion from
within, even but of little finger, the vibrat-
ing, cracking craft canted over her spasmodic
gunwale into the sea. Thus they rushed !;
each man with might and main clinging TO his
seat, to prevent being tossed to the foam; and
the tall form of Tashtego at the steering oar,
crouching almost double, in order to bring
down his centre of gravity. Whole Ailantics
and Pacifcs seemed passed as they shot on
their way, till at length the whale somewhat
slackened his flight
Haul in-haul in = cried Stubb to the
bowsman and facing round towards the whale,
all hands began pulling the boat up to him,
while yet the boat was being towed. Soon
ranging up by his flank, Stubb, firmly planting
his knee in the clumsy cleat, darted dart after
dart into the flying fish; at the word of COM
mand, the boat alternately sternng ost of the
way of the whales horrible wallow, and then
ranging up for another fling. ...
| 1
monster like brooks down hill. His tor
mented body rolled not in brine but in blood,
which bubbled and see,hed for furlongs behind
in their wake. The slanting sun playing upon
this crimson pond in the sea, sent back its re-
Election into every face, so that they all glowed
to each other like red men. And all the while
jet after jet of white smoke was asonizingly
shot from the spirace of the whale, and vehe-
ment puff after puff from the mouth of the ex-
cited headsman as at every dart, hauling in
upon his crooked lance (by the line attached to
i.) Stubb Strengthened it again and again, by a
few rapid blows against the gunwale, then
again and again sent it into the whale.
Pull up-pull up he now cried to the
bowsman, as the waning whale relaxed in his
wrath. 'Pul up.-close to- and the boat
ranged along the fsh's flank. When reaching
far over the bow, Stnbb slowly churned his
long sharp lance into the fish, and kept il
there, carefully churning and churning, as il
cautiously seeking to feel after some gold watch
that the whale might have swallowed, and
which he was fearful Of breaking ere he could
hook it out But that gold watch he sought
was the innermost life of the fish. And now
it is struck; for. starting from his trance into
that unspeakable thing called his furry the
monster horribly wallowed in his blood, over
wrapped himself in impenetrable, mad, boiling
spray, SO that the imperiled craft instantly
dropping astern, had much ado blindly 10
struggle out from that phrensied twilight into
the clear air Of the day.
And new abaiing in his furry, the whale
once more rolled out into view surging from
side to side spasmodcally dilating and con-
tracing his spout-hoIe, with sharp, cracking,
agonized respirations. At last, gush after
gush of cloited red gore, as if it had been the
purple lees of red wine, shot into the frighted
air and falling back again, ran dripping down
his motionless hanks into the sea. His heart
had burst
Hes dead, Mr.. Stubb,' said Daggoo.
Yes; both pipes smoked out!' and with
drawing his own from his mouth, Stubb scat.
tered the dead ashes over the water !; and for a
moment, stood ,houghtfully eyeing the vast
corpse he had made.'' r.u at5.a la...a-l
| Indian Council on the Plains.