EPILOGUE

"ANDIONLYAMESCAPEDALONETOTELLTHEE"Job.

Thedrama'sdone.Whythenheredoesanyonestepforth?—Becauseonedidsurvivethewreck.

Itsochanced,thataftertheParsee'sdisappearance,IwashewhomtheFatesordainedtotaketheplaceofAhab'sbowsman,whenthatbowsmanassumedthevacantpost;thesame,who,whenonthelastdaythethreemenweretossedfromoutoftherockingboat,wasdroppedastern.So,floatingonthemarginoftheensuingscene,andinfullsightofit,whenthehalfspentsuctionofthesunkshipreachedme,Iwasthen,butslowly,drawntowardstheclosingvortex.WhenIreachedit,ithadsubsidedtoacreamypool.Roundandround,then,andevercontractingtowardsthebutton-likeblackbubbleattheaxisofthatslowlywheelingcircle,likeanotherIxionIdidrevolve.Till,gainingthatvitalcentre,theblackbubbleupwardburst;andnow,liberatedbyreasonofitscunningspring,and,owingtoitsgreatbuoyancy,risingwithgreatforce,thecoffinlife-buoyshotlengthwisefromthesea,fellover,andfloatedbymyside.Buoyedupbythatcoffin,foralmostonewholedayandnight,Ifloatedonasoftanddirgelikemain.Theunharmingsharks,theyglidedbyasifwithpadlocksontheirmouths;thesavagesea-hawkssailedwithsheathedbeaks.Onthesecondday,asaildrewnear,nearer,andpickedmeupatlast.Itwasthedevious-cruisingRachel,thatinherretracingsearchafterhermissingchildren,onlyfoundanotherorphan.

TheEnd