CHAPTER 130 The Hat

Andnowthatatthepropertimeandplace,aftersolongandwideapreliminarycruise,Ahab,—allotherwhalingwatersswept—seemedtohavechasedhisfoeintoanocean-fold,toslayhimthemoresecurelythere;now,thathefoundhimselfhardbytheverylatitudeandlongitudewherehistormentingwoundhadbeeninflicted;nowthatavesselhadbeenspokenwhichontheverydayprecedinghadactuallyencounteredMobyDick;—andnowthatallhissuccessivemeetingswithvariousshipscontrastinglyconcurredtoshowthedemoniacindifferencewithwhichthewhitewhaletorehishunters,whethersinningorsinnedagainst;nowitwasthattherelurkedasomethingintheoldman'seyes,whichitwashardlysufferableforfeeblesoulstosee.Astheunsettingpolarstar,whichthroughthelivelong,arctic,sixmonths'nightsustainsitspiercing,steady,centralgaze;soAhab'spurposenowfixedlygleameddownupontheconstantmidnightofthegloomycrew.Itdomineeredabovethemso,thatalltheirbodings,doubts,misgivings,fears,werefaintohidebeneaththeirsouls,andnotsproutforthasinglespearorleaf.

Inthisforeshadowingintervaltoo,allhumor,forcedornatural,vanished.Stubbnomorestrovetoraiseasmile;Starbucknomorestrovetocheckone.Alike,joyandsorrow,hopeandfear,seemedgroundtofinestdust,andpowdered,forthetime,intheclampedmortarofAhab'sironsoul.Likemachines,theydumblymovedaboutthedeck,everconsciousthattheoldman'sdespoteyewasonthem.

Butdidyoudeeplyscanhiminhismoresecretconfidentialhours;whenhethoughtnoglancebutonewasonhim;thenyouwouldhaveseenthatevenasAhab'seyessoawedthecrew's,theinscrutableParsee'sglanceawedhis;orsomehow,atleast,insomewildway,attimesaffectedit.Suchanadded,glidingstrangenessbegantoinvestthethinFedallahnow;suchceaselessshudderingsshookhim;thatthemenlookeddubiousathim;halfuncertain,asitseemed,whetherindeedhewereamortalsubstance,orelseatremulousshadowcastuponthedeckbysomeunseenbeing'sbody.Andthatshadowwasalwayshoveringthere.Fornotbynight,even,hadFedallahevercertainlybeenknowntoslumber,orgobelow.Hewouldstandstillforhours:butneversatorleaned;hiswanbutwondrouseyesdidplainlysay—Wetwowatchmenneverrest.

Nor,atanytime,bynightordaycouldthemarinersnowstepuponthedeck,unlessAhabwasbeforethem;eitherstandinginhispivot-hole,orexactlypacingtheplanksbetweentwoundeviatinglimits,—themainmastandthemizen;orelsetheysawhimstandinginthecabin-scuttle,—hislivingfootadvanceduponthedeck,asiftostep;hishatslouchedheavilyoverhiseyes;sothathowevermotionlesshestood,howeverthedaysandnightswereaddedon,thathehadnotswunginhishammock;yethiddenbeneaththatslouchinghat,theycouldnevertellunerringlywhether,forallthis,hiseyeswerereallyclosedattimes;orwhetherhewasstillintentlyscanningthem;nomatter,thoughhestoodsointhescuttleforawholehouronthestretch,andtheunheedednight-dampgatheredinbeadsofdewuponthatstone-carvedcoatandhat.Theclothesthatthenighthadwet,thenextday'ssunshinedrieduponhim;andso,dayafterday,andnightafternight;hewentnomorebeneaththeplanks;whateverhewantedfromthecabinthatthinghesentfor.

Heateinthesameopenair;thatis,histwoonlymeals,—breakfastanddinner:supperhenevertouched;norreapedhisbeard;whichdarklygrewallgnarled,asunearthedrootsoftreesblownover,whichstillgrowidlyonatnakedbase,thoughperishedintheupperverdure.Butthoughhiswholelifewasnowbecomeonewatchondeck;andthoughtheParsee'smysticwatchwaswithoutintermissionashisown;yetthesetwoneverseemedtospeak—onemantotheother—unlessatlongintervalssomepassingunmomentousmattermadeitnecessary.Thoughsuchapotentspellseemedsecretlytojointhetwain;openly,andtotheawe-struckcrew,theyseemedpole-likeasunder.Ifbydaytheychancedtospeakoneword;bynight,dumbmenwereboth,sofarasconcernedtheslightestverbalinterchange.Attimes,forlongesthours,withoutasinglehail,theystoodfarpartedinthestarlight;Ahabinhisscuttle,theParseebythemainmast;butstillfixedlygazinguponeachother;asifintheParseeAhabsawhisforethrownshadow,inAhabtheParseehisabandonedsubstance.

Andyet,somehow,didAhab—inhisownproperself,asdaily,hourly,andeveryinstant,commandinglyrevealedtohissubordinates,—Ahabseemedanindependentlord;theParseebuthisslave.Stillagainbothseemedyokedtogether,andanunseentyrantdrivingthem;theleanshadesidingthesolidrib.ForbethisParseewhathemay,allribandkeelwassolidAhab.

Atthefirstfaintestglimmeringofthedawn,hisironvoicewasheardfromaft,—"Manthemast-heads!"—andallthroughtheday,tillaftersunsetandaftertwilight,thesamevoiceeveryhour,atthestrikingofthehelmsman'sbell,washeard—"Whatd'yesee?—sharp!sharp!"

Butwhenthreeorfourdayshadslidedby,aftermeetingthechildren-seekingRachel;andnospouthadyetbeenseen;themonomaniacoldmanseemeddistrustfulofhiscrew'sfidelity;atleast,ofnearlyallexceptthePaganharpooneers;heseemedtodoubt,even,whetherStubbandFlaskmightnotwillinglyoverlookthesighthesought.Butifthesesuspicionswerereallyhis,hesagaciouslyrefrainedfromverballyexpressingthem,howeverhisactionsmightseemtohintthem.

"Iwillhavethefirstsightofthewhalemyself,"—hesaid."Aye!Ahabmusthavethedoubloon!"andwithhisownhandsheriggedanestofbasketedbowlines;andsendingahandaloft,withasinglesheavedblock,tosecuretothemain-masthead,hereceivedthetwoendsofthedownward-reevedrope;andattachingonetohisbasketpreparedapinfortheotherend,inordertofastenitattherail.Thisdone,withthatendyetinhishandandstandingbesidethepin,helookedrounduponhiscrew,sweepingfromonetotheother;pausinghisglancelonguponDaggoo,Queequeg,Tashtego;butshunningFedallah;andthensettlinghisfirmrelyingeyeuponthechiefmate,said,—"Taketherope,sir—Igiveitintothyhands,Starbuck."Thenarranginghispersoninthebasket,hegavethewordforthemtohoisthimtohisperch,Starbuckbeingtheonewhosecuredtheropeatlast;andafterwardsstoodnearit.Andthus,withonehandclingingroundtheroyalmast,Ahabgazedabroadupontheseaformilesandmiles,—ahead,astern,thisside,andthat,—withinthewideexpandedcirclecommandedatsogreataheight.

Wheninworkingwithhishandsatsomeloftyalmostisolatedplaceintherigging,whichchancestoaffordnofoothold,thesailoratseaishoisteduptothatspot,andsustainedtherebytherope;underthesecircumstances,itsfastenedendondeckisalwaysgiveninstrictchargetosomeonemanwhohasthespecialwatchofit.Becauseinsuchawildernessofrunningrigging,whosevariousdifferentrelationsaloftcannotalwaysbeinfalliblydiscernedbywhatisseenofthematthedeck;andwhenthedeck-endsoftheseropesarebeingeveryfewminutescastdownfromthefastenings,itwouldbebutanaturalfatality,if,unprovidedwithaconstantwatchman,thehoistedsailorshouldbysomecarelessnessofthecrewbecastadriftandfallallswoopingtothesea.SoAhab'sproceedingsinthismatterwerenotunusual;theonlystrangethingaboutthemseemedtobe,thatStarbuck,almosttheoneonlymanwhohadeverventuredtoopposehimwithanythingintheslightestdegreeapproachingtodecision—oneofthosetoo,whosefaithfulnessonthelook-outhehadseemedtodoubtsomewhat;—itwasstrange,thatthiswastheverymanheshouldselectforhiswatchman;freelygivinghiswholelifeintosuchanotherwisedistrustedperson'shands.

Now,thefirsttimeAhabwasperchedaloft;erehehadbeentheretenminutes;oneofthosered-billedsavagesea-hawkswhichsooftenflyincommodiouslycloseroundthemannedmast-headsofwhalemenintheselatitudes;oneofthesebirdscamewheelingandscreamingroundhisheadinamazeofuntrackablyswiftcirclings.Thenitdartedathousandfeetstraightupintotheair;thenspiralizeddownwards,andwenteddyingagainroundhishead.

Butwithhisgazefixeduponthedimanddistanthorizon,Ahabseemednottomarkthiswildbird;nor,indeed,wouldanyoneelsehavemarkeditmuch,itbeingnouncommoncircumstance;onlynowalmosttheleastheedfuleyeseemedtoseesomesortofcunningmeaninginalmosteverysight.

"Yourhat,yourhat,sir!"suddenlycriedtheSicilianseaman,whobeingpostedatthemizen-mast-head,stooddirectlybehindAhab,thoughsomewhatlowerthanhislevel,andwithadeepgulfofairdividingthem.

Butalreadythesablewingwasbeforetheoldman'seyes;thelonghookedbillathishead:withascream,theblackhawkdartedawaywithhisprize.

AneagleflewthriceroundTarquin'shead,removinghiscaptoreplaceit,andthereuponTanaquil,hiswife,declaredthatTarquinwouldbekingofRome.Butonlybythereplacingofthecapwasthatomenaccountedgood.Ahab'shatwasneverrestored;thewildhawkflewonandonwithit;farinadvanceoftheprow:andatlastdisappeared;whilefromthepointofthatdisappearance,aminuteblackspotwasdimlydiscerned,fallingfromthatvastheightintothesea.