chapter FOUR The Gold Coin
chapter FOUR
The Gold Coin
The days and nights passed and we went about our occupation. One of my duties was to stay at the masthead and look out for whales. Our masthead was not closed like a nest ; it was outdoors, and in bad upwind it was unmanageable to stay there. One night while I was on the masthead I could see Ahab walking back and away on the deck. He never seemed to sleep – he just walked, and that night his peg leg made an awful randomness. He seemed to be nervous and angry, and I wondered why .
The future good morning I found out why. I heard Starbuck call, “ All hands on pack of cards ! ” and the crew rushed onto the pack of cards wondering what had happened.
The consequence I saw the captain I knew something was wrong. The pain and anger in Ahab ‘s kernel were lento coming out .
He put his peg peg into the hole in the deck and when he was perfectly balanced he cried out, “ Tell me, men ! What do you do when you see a whale ? ” “ Shout out, sir ! ” cried the gang, looking up at the captain .
” good ! ” he cried. “ then what ? ” “ We lower the boats and go after him. ” Ahab looked at us with cutthroat gratification and suddenly pulled out a large amber coin. “ here is a spanish amber mint ! A sixteen- dollar while ! Do you see it ? Mr. Starbuck, give me the hammer ! ” He placed the glazed gold coin on the main mast and put a nail through it. The big aureate mint was now on the mast and glow in the sun .
” Whoever sees the flannel whale first gear will get the gold mint, ” cried Ahab .
” hurrah ! ” cried the men .
” now listen to me ! This is not an ordinary blank giant. The whale I ‘m looking for is a white-headed sperm whale with a unironed brow and a crook jaw. There are three holes in its dock and a distorted harpoon in its bulge – that ‘s my harpoon ! ” He paused and looked at our excite faces .
” Remember, it ‘s a white whale I want – white ! I must have it ! Look cautiously for it. even if you see a bubble of body of water, shout out ! And if it is the whale I ‘m looking for, the aureate mint is yours ! ” The crew cheered again and stared at the glazed gold coin. “ Captain Ahab, ” said Tashtego, “ is that white giant called Moby Dick ? ” “ Yes ! ” shouted Ahab ferociously. “ Do you know the ashen whale then, Tash ? ” “ Yes, ” replied Tashtego. “ He has a foreign way of diving. ” “ I know him besides, ” said Daggoo. “ His spout is bad and looks like a fountain. ” “ I saw him, ” said Queequeg. “ He has many harpoons in his body. ” A strange smile crossed Ahab ‘s face, a crazy, evil smile that scared me. “ Yes, you ‘ve seen him. You ‘ve seen Moby Dick ! ” “ Captain Ahab, ” said Starbuck looking at the captain cautiously, “ Was n’t this the whale that took off your branch ? ” “ Who told you that ? ” asked Ahab, his smile disappearance. “ Yes, Starbuck, it was Moby Dick who took off my leg. It was that hideous white whale ! ” And he let out a cry like a suffer animal.
He lifted his long arms, looked up at the flip and cried, ‘I ‘ll chase him around the Cape of Good Hope to Cape Horn – I ‘ll follow him all over the seas of the world, until he spouts black blood ! ” fire burned in his eyes and he stared at each one of us .
” This is why you men are here – to chase Moby Dick all over the worldly concern and hunt him until he dies. Are you brave enough to do this ? Are you with me ? ” “ Yes, we are ! ” shouted the harpooners and the sailors, who were excited and ready to hunt the awful beast. “ We ‘ll keep a sharp eye and a sharp harpoon vitamin a well ! ” said one of the harpooners .
” God bless you, men ! ” said Ahab, his voice shake .
The men cheered but Starbuck did not – his face was blue .
” Why such a deplorable expression, Mr Starbuck ? Are n’t you brave adequate to chase the ashen giant ? ” asked Ahab suspiciously .
” Oh, ” replied Starbuck, “ I ‘m weather enough to face his asymmetrical jaw and the jaw of death, besides. But I came on board this transport to hunt all whales, not good one whale. I did n’t come here to satisfy my captain ‘s retaliation. I came here to hunt whales for their petroleum. That ‘s my business – whale oil. And I ‘m here to make money on it. How many barrels of whale petroleum can we make on only one egg white giant ? ” “ Money ? Is that what ‘s worrying you – money ? Oh, my retaliation will make me richer here, ” cried Ahab hitting his thorax .
” That whale attacked you because it was his animal instinct, but you want him out of cruelty and revenge. That is rabies ! ” cried Starbuck.
” madness ! ” roared Ahab. “ Listen to me, homo ! Moby Dick looks like a stupid animal, but he ‘s not, he ‘s malefic – and that is what I hate. ” “ God help us ! ” murmured Starbuck .
” Moby Dick is in my mind every moment of the day. He ‘s in my dreams – his universe insults me. I ‘d strike the sun if it insulted me ! White is the color of evil. Ghosts, skeletons, masks – they ‘re all white. Moby Dick ‘s white and he ‘s evil ! I ‘m like a man in prison and he ‘s the wall – the wall that I have to destroy to be spare ! ” The two men stood face to face, and Ahab knew he was stronger. He stepped back slowly and said, “ God help us all. ” The men of the Pequod were excited and enthusiastic, and felt that Ahab ‘s mission was immediately their mission. “ Mates ! ” Ahab cried out. “ Bring your harpoons to me and cross them. ” Starbuck, Stubb and Flask brought their harpoons to cross them in front of Ahab. “ now swear this : death to Moby Dick ! God hunt us all if we do n’t kill Moby Dick ! ” Ahab then turned to the harpooners and said, “ nowadays, harpooners, use the heads of your harpoons as cups and drink to the death of Moby Dick. ” Before going to his cabin Ahab turned back and said to all of us, “ Remember that you have all made a promise. ” I trembled at the think of what had happened. Captain Ahab was folly itself. And we had sworn to his folly .
I, Ishmael, was one of that crowd and my shouts had gone up with the stay. I had sworn excessively .
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