CHAPTER 18 His Mark

Aswewerewalkingdowntheendofthewharftowardstheship,Queequegcarryinghisharpoon,CaptainPeleginhisgruffvoiceloudlyhailedusfromhiswigwam,sayinghehadnotsuspectedmyfriendwasacannibal,andfurthermoreannouncingthatheletnocannibalsonboardthatcraft,unlesstheypreviouslyproducedtheirpapers.

"Whatdoyoumeanbythat,CaptainPeleg?"saidI,nowjumpingonthebulwarks,andleavingmycomradestandingonthewharf.

"Imean,"hereplied,"hemustshowhispapers."

"Yes,"saidCaptainBildadinhishollowvoice,stickinghisheadfrombehindPeleg's,outofthewigwam."Hemustshowthathe'sconverted.Sonofdarkness,"headded,turningtoQueequeg,"artthouatpresentincommunionwithanyChristianchurch?"

"Why,"saidI,"he'samemberofthefirstCongregationalChurch."Herebeitsaid,thatmanytattooedsavagessailinginNantucketshipsatlastcometobeconvertedintothechurches.

"FirstCongregationalChurch,"criedBildad,"what!thatworshipsinDeaconDeuteronomyColeman'smeeting-house?"andsosaying,takingouthisspectacles,herubbedthemwithhisgreatyellowbandanahandkerchief,andputtingthemonverycarefully,cameoutofthewigwam,andleaningstifflyoverthebulwarks,tookagoodlonglookatQueequeg.

"Howlonghathhebeenamember?"hethensaid,turningtome;"notverylong,Iratherguess,youngman."

"No,"saidPeleg,"andhehasn'tbeenbaptizedrighteither,oritwouldhavewashedsomeofthatdevil'sblueoffhisface."

"Dotell,now,"criedBildad,"isthisPhilistinearegularmemberofDeaconDeuteronomy'smeeting?Ineversawhimgoingthere,andIpassiteveryLord'sday."

"Idon'tknowanythingaboutDeaconDeuteronomyorhismeeting,"saidI;"allIknowis,thatQueequeghereisabornmemberoftheFirstCongregationalChurch.Heisadeaconhimself,Queequegis."

"Youngman,"saidBildadsternly,"thouartskylarkingwithme—explainthyself,thouyoungHittite.Whatchurchdosttheemean?answerme."

Findingmyselfthushardpushed,Ireplied."Imean,sir,thesameancientCatholicChurchtowhichyouandI,andCaptainPelegthere,andQueequeghere,andallofus,andeverymother'ssonandsoulofusbelong;thegreatandeverlastingFirstCongregationofthiswholeworshippingworld;weallbelongtothat;onlysomeofuscherishsomequeercrotchetsnowaystouchingthegrandbelief;inthatwealljoinhands."

"Splice,thoumean'stsplicehands,"criedPeleg,drawingnearer."Youngman,you'dbettershipforamissionary,insteadofafore-masthand;Ineverheardabettersermon.DeaconDeuteronomy—whyFatherMapplehimselfcouldn'tbeatit,andhe'sreckonedsomething.Comeaboard,comeaboard;nevermindaboutthepapers.Isay,tellQuohogthere—what'sthatyoucallhim?tellQuohogtostepalong.Bythegreatanchor,whataharpoonhe'sgotthere!lookslikegoodstuffthat;andhehandlesitaboutright.Isay,Quohog,orwhateveryournameis,didyoueverstandintheheadofawhale-boat?didyoueverstrikeafish?

Withoutsayingaword,Queequeg,inhiswildsortofway,jumpeduponthebulwarks,fromthenceintothebowsofoneofthewhale-boatshangingtotheside;andthenbracinghisleftknee,andpoisinghisharpoon,criedoutinsomesuchwayasthis:—

"Cap'ain,youseehimsmalldroptaronwaterdere?Youseehim?well,sposehimonewhaleeye,well,den!"andtakingsharpaimatit,hedartedtheironrightoveroldBildad'sbroadbrim,cleanacrosstheship'sdecks,andstrucktheglisteningtarspotoutofsight.

"Now,"saidQueequeg,quietlyhaulingintheline,"spos-eehimwhale-eeye;why,dadwhaledead."

"Quick,Bildad,"saidPeleg,hispartner,who,aghastattheclosevicinityoftheflyingharpoon,hadretreatedtowardsthecabingangway."Quick,Isay,youBildad,andgettheship'spapers.WemusthaveHedgehogthere,ImeanQuohog,inoneofourboats.Lookye,Quohog,we'llgiveyetheninetiethlay,andthat'smorethaneverwasgivenaharpooneeryetoutofNantucket."

Sodownwewentintothecabin,andtomygreatjoyQueequegwassoonenrolledamongthesameship'scompanytowhichImyselfbelonged.

WhenallpreliminarieswereoverandPeleghadgoteverythingreadyforsigning,heturnedtomeandsaid,"Iguess,Quohogtheredon'tknowhowtowrite,doeshe?Isay,Quohog,blastye!dostthousignthynameormakethymark?"

Butatthisquestion,Queequeg,whohadtwiceorthricebeforetakenpartinsimilarceremonies,lookednowaysabashed;buttakingtheofferedpen,copieduponthepaper,intheproperplace,anexactcounterpartofaqueerroundfigurewhichwastattooeduponhisarm;sothatthroughCaptainPeleg'sobstinatemistaketouchinghisappellative,itstoodsomethinglikethis:—

Quohog.hisXmark.

MeanwhileCaptainBildadsatearnestlyandsteadfastlyeyeingQueequeg,andatlastrisingsolemnlyandfumblinginthehugepocketsofhisbroad-skirteddrabcoat,tookoutabundleoftracts,andselectingoneentitled"TheLatterDayComing;orNoTimetoLose,"placeditinQueequeg'shands,andthengraspingthemandthebookwithbothhis,lookedearnestlyintohiseyes,andsaid,"Sonofdarkness,Imustdomydutybythee;Iampartownerofthisship,andfeelconcernedforthesoulsofallitscrew;ifthoustillclingesttothyPaganways,whichIsadlyfear,Ibeseechthee,remainnotforayeaBelialbondsman.SpurntheidolBell,andthehideousdragon;turnfromthewrathtocome;mindthineeye,Isay;oh!goodnessgracious!steerclearofthefierypit!

SomethingofthesaltseayetlingeredinoldBildad'slanguage,heterogeneouslymixedwithScripturalanddomesticphrases.

"Avastthere,avastthere,Bildad,avastnowspoilingourharpooneer,"criedPeleg."Piousharpooneersnevermakegoodvoyagers—ittakesthesharkoutof'em;noharpooneerisworthastrawwhoaintprettysharkish.TherewasyoungNatSwaine,oncethebravestboat-headeroutofallNantucketandtheVineyard;hejoinedthemeeting,andnevercametogood.Hegotsofrightenedabouthisplaguysoul,thatheshrinkedandsheeredawayfromwhales,forfearofafter-claps,incasehegotstoveandwenttoDavyJones."

"Peleg!Peleg!"saidBildad,liftinghiseyesandhands,"thouthyself,asImyself,hastseenmanyaperiloustime;thouknowest,Peleg,whatitistohavethefearofdeath;how,then,can'stthouprateinthisungodlyguise.Thoubeliestthineownheart,Peleg.Tellme,whenthissamePequodherehadherthreemastsoverboardinthattyphoononJapan,thatsamevoyagewhenthouwentmatewithCaptainAhab,did'stthounotthinkofDeathandtheJudgmentthen?"

"Hearhim,hearhimnow,"criedPeleg,marchingacrossthecabin,andthrustinghishandsfardownintohispockets,—"hearhim,allofye.Thinkofthat!Wheneverymomentwethoughttheshipwouldsink!DeathandtheJudgmentthen?What?Withallthreemastsmakingsuchaneverlastingthunderingagainsttheside;andeveryseabreakingoverus,foreandaft.ThinkofDeathandtheJudgmentthen?No!notimetothinkaboutDeaththen.LifewaswhatCaptainAhabandIwasthinkingof;andhowtosaveallhands—howtorigjury-masts—howtogetintothenearestport;thatwaswhatIwasthinkingof."

Bildadsaidnomore,butbuttoninguphiscoat,stalkedondeck,wherewefollowedhim.Therehestood,veryquietlyoverlookingsomesailmakerswhoweremendingatop-sailinthewaist.Nowandthenhestoopedtopickupapatch,orsaveanendoftarredtwine,whichotherwisemighthavebeenwasted.