CHAPTER 13 Wheelbarrow

Nextmorning,Monday,afterdisposingoftheembalmedheadtoabarber,forablock,Isettledmyownandcomrade'sbill;using,however,mycomrade'smoney.Thegrinninglandlord,aswellastheboarders,seemedamazinglytickledatthesuddenfriendshipwhichhadsprungupbetweenmeandQueequeg—especiallyasPeterCoffin'scockandbullstoriesabouthimhadpreviouslysomuchalarmedmeconcerningtheverypersonwhomInowcompaniedwith.

Weborrowedawheelbarrow,andembarkingourthings,includingmyownpoorcarpet-bag,andQueequeg'scanvassackandhammock,awaywewentdownto"theMoss,"thelittleNantucketpacketschoonermooredatthewharf.Asweweregoingalongthepeoplestared;notatQueequegsomuch—fortheywereusedtoseeingcannibalslikehimintheirstreets,—butatseeinghimandmeuponsuchconfidentialterms.Butweheededthemnot,goingalongwheelingthebarrowbyturns,andQueequegnowandthenstoppingtoadjustthesheathonhisharpoonbarbs.Iaskedhimwhyhecarriedsuchatroublesomethingwithhimashore,andwhetherallwhalingshipsdidnotfindtheirownharpoons.Tothis,insubstance,hereplied,thatthoughwhatIhintedwastrueenough,yethehadaparticularaffectionforhisownharpoon,becauseitwasofassuredstuff,welltriedinmanyamortalcombat,anddeeplyintimatewiththeheartsofwhales.Inshort,likemanyinlandreapersandmowers,whogointothefarmers'meadowsarmedwiththeirownscythes—thoughinnowiseobligedtofurnishthem—evenso,Queequeg,forhisownprivatereasons,preferredhisownharpoon.

Shiftingthebarrowfrommyhandtohis,hetoldmeafunnystoryaboutthefirstwheelbarrowhehadeverseen.ItwasinSagHarbor.Theownersofhisship,itseems,hadlenthimone,inwhichtocarryhisheavychesttohisboardinghouse.Nottoseemignorantaboutthething—thoughintruthhewasentirelyso,concerningtheprecisewayinwhichtomanagethebarrow—Queequegputshischestuponit;lashesitfast;andthenshouldersthebarrowandmarchesupthewharf."Why,"saidI,"Queequeg,youmighthaveknownbetterthanthat,onewouldthink.Didn'tthepeoplelaugh?"

Uponthis,hetoldmeanotherstory.ThepeopleofhisislandofRokovoko,itseems,attheirweddingfeastsexpressthefragrantwaterofyoungcocoanutsintoalargestainedcalabashlikeapunchbowl;andthispunchbowlalwaysformsthegreatcentralornamentonthebraidedmatwherethefeastisheld.NowacertaingrandmerchantshiponcetouchedatRokovoko,anditscommander—fromallaccounts,averystatelypunctiliousgentleman,atleastforaseacaptain—thiscommanderwasinvitedtotheweddingfeastofQueequeg'ssister,aprettyyoungprincessjustturnedoften.Well;whenalltheweddingguestswereassembledatthebride'sbamboocottage,thisCaptainmarchesin,andbeingassignedthepostofhonor,placedhimselfoveragainstthepunchbowl,andbetweentheHighPriestandhismajestytheKing,Queequeg'sfather.Gracebeingsaid,—forthosepeoplehavetheirgraceaswellaswe—thoughQueequegtoldmethatunlikeus,whoatsuchtimeslookdownwardstoourplatters,they,onthecontrary,copyingtheducks,glanceupwardstothegreatGiverofallfeasts—Grace,Isay,beingsaid,theHighPriestopensthebanquetbytheimmemorialceremonyoftheisland;thatis,dippinghisconsecratedandconsecratingfingersintothebowlbeforetheblessedbeveragecirculates.SeeinghimselfplacednextthePriest,andnotingtheceremony,andthinkinghimself—beingCaptainofaship—ashavingplainprecedenceoveramereislandKing,especiallyintheKing'sownhouse—theCaptaincoollyproceedstowashhishandsinthepunchbowl;—takingitIsupposeforahugefinger-glass."Now,"saidQueequeg,"whatyoutinknow?—Didn'tourpeoplelaugh?"

Atlast,passagepaid,andluggagesafe,westoodonboardtheschooner.Hoistingsail,itglideddowntheAcushnetriver.Ononeside,NewBedfordroseinterracesofstreets,theirice-coveredtreesallglitteringintheclear,coldair.Hugehillsandmountainsofcasksoncaskswerepileduponherwharves,andsidebysidetheworld-wanderingwhaleshipslaysilentandsafelymooredatlast;whilefromotherscameasoundofcarpentersandcoopers,withblendednoisesoffiresandforgestomeltthepitch,allbetokeningthatnewcruiseswereonthestart;thatonemostperilousandlongvoyageended,onlybeginsasecond;andasecondended,onlybeginsathird,andsoon,foreverandforaye.Suchistheendlessness,yea,theintolerablenessofallearthlyeffort.

Gainingthemoreopenwater,thebracingbreezewaxedfresh;thelittleMosstossedthequickfoamfromherbows,asayoungcolthissnortings.HowIsnuffedthatTartarair!—howIspurnedthatturnpikeearth!—thatcommonhighwayalloverdentedwiththemarksofslavishheelsandhoofs;andturnedmetoadmirethemagnanimityoftheseawhichwillpermitnorecords.

Atthesamefoam-fountain,Queequegseemedtodrinkandreelwithme.Hisduskynostrilsswelledapart;heshowedhisfiledandpointedteeth.On,onweflew;andouroffinggained,theMossdidhomagtotheblast;duckedanddivedherbowsasaslavebeforetheSultan.Sidewaysleaning,wesidewaysdarted;everyropeyarntinglinglikeawire;thetwotallmastsbucklinglikeIndiancanesinlandtornadoes.Sofullofthisreelingscenewerewe,aswestoodbytheplungingbowsprit,thatforsometimewedidnotnoticethejeeringglancesofthepassengers,alubberlikeassembly,whomarvelledthattwofellowbeingsshouldbesocompanionable;asthoughawhitemanwereanythingmoredignifiedthanawhitewashednegro.Butthereweresomeboobiesandbumpkinsthere,who,bytheirintensegreenness,musthavecomefromtheheartandcentreofallverdure.Queequegcaughtoneoftheseyoungsaplingsmimickinghimbehindhisback.Ithoughtthebumpkin'shourofdoomwascome.Droppinghisharpoon,thebrawnysavagecaughthiminhisarms,andbyanalmostmiraculousdexterityandstrength,senthimhighupbodilyintotheair;thenslightlytappinghissterninmid-somerset,thefellowlandedwithburstinglungsuponhisfeet,whileQueequeg,turninghisbackuponhim,lightedhistomahawkpipeandpassedittomeforapuff.

"Capting!Capting!"yelledthebumpkin,runningtowardsthatofficer;"Capting,Capting,here'sthedevil."

"Hallo,yousir,"criedtheCaptain,agauntribofthesea,stalkinguptoQueequeg,"whatinthunderdoyoumeanbythat?Don'tyouknowyoumighthavekilledthatchap?"

"Whathimsay?"saidQueequeg,ashemildlyturnedtome.

"Hesay,"saidI,"thatyoucamenearkill-ethatmanthere,"pointingtothestillshiveringgreenhorn.

"Kill-e,"criedQueequeg,twistinghistattooedfaceintoanunearthlyexpressionofdisdain,"ah!himbevysmall-efish-e;Queequegnokill-esosmall-efish-e;Queequegkill-ebigwhale!"

"Lookyou,"roaredtheCaptain,"I'llkill-eyou,youcannibal,ifyoutryanymoreofyourtricksaboardhere;somindyoureye."

Butitsohappenedjustthen,thatitwashightimefortheCaptaintomindhisowneye.Theprodigiousstrainuponthemain-sailhadpartedtheweathersheet,andthetremendousboomwasnowflyingfromsidetoside,completelysweepingtheentireafterpartofthedeck.ThepoorfellowwhomQueequeghadhandledsoroughly,wassweptoverboard;allhandswereinapanic;andtoattemptsnatchingattheboomtostayit,seemedmadness.Itflewfromrighttoleft,andbackagain,almostinonetickingofawatch,andeveryinstantseemedonthepointofsnappingintosplinters.Nothingwasdone,andnothingseemedcapableofbeingdone;thoseondeckrushedtowardsthebows,andstoodeyeingtheboomasifitwerethelowerjawofanexasperatedwhale.Inthemidstofthisconsternation,Queequegdroppeddeftlytohisknees,andcrawlingunderthepathoftheboom,whippedholdofarope,securedoneendtothebulwarks,andthenflingingtheotherlikealasso,caughtitroundtheboomasitsweptoverhishead,andatthenextjerk,thesparwasthatwaytrapped,andallwassafe.Theschoonerwasrunintothewind,andwhilethehandswereclearingawaythesternboat,Queequeg,strippedtothewaist,dartedfromthesidewithalonglivingarcofaleap.Forthreeminutesormorehewasseenswimminglikeadog,throwinghislongarmsstraightoutbeforehim,andbyturnsrevealinghisbrawnyshouldersthroughthefreezingfoam.Ilookedatthegrandandgloriousfellow,butsawnoonetobesaved.Thegreenhornhadgonedown.Shootinghimselfperpendicularlyfromthewater,Queequeg,nowtookaninstant'sglancearoundhim,andseemingtoseejusthowmatterswere,diveddownanddisappeared.Afewminutesmore,andheroseagain,onearmstillstrikingout,andwiththeotherdraggingalifelessform.Theboatsoonpickedthemup.Thepoorbumpkinwasrestored.AllhandsvotedQueequeganobletrump;thecaptainbeggedhispardon.FromthathourIclovetoQueequeglikeabarnacle;yea,tillpoorQueequegtookhislastlongdive.

Wasthereeversuchunconsciousness?HedidnotseemtothinkthatheatalldeservedamedalfromtheHumaneandMagnanimousSocieties.Heonlyaskedforwater—freshwater—somethingtowipethebrineoff;thatdone,heputondryclothes,lightedhispipe,andleaningagainstthebulwarks,andmildlyeyeingthosearoundhim,seemedtobesayingtohimself—"It'samutual,joint-stockworld,inallmeridians.WecannibalsmusthelptheseChristians."