Moby-Dick; or, The Whale is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for vengeance against Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg on the ship's previous voyage.Melville, Herman, 1819-1891
It was like holding an enemys sharp two-edged sword by the blade, and that enemy all the time striving to wrest it out of your clutch.
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Wet the line! wet the line! cried Stubb to the tub oarsman (him seated by the tub) who, snatching off his hat, dashed sea-water into it.* More turns were taken, so that the line began holding its place. The boat now ew through the boiling water like a shark all ns. Stubb and Tashtego here changed places stem for sterna staggering business truly in that rocking commotion. Partly to show the indispensableness of this act, it may here be stated, that, in the old Dutch shery, a mop was used to dash the running line with water; in many other ships, a wooden piggin, or bailer, is set apart for that purpose. Your hat, however, is the most convenient.
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From the vibrating line extending the entire length of the upper part of the boat, and from its now being more tight than a harpstring, you would have thought the craft had two keelsone cleaving the water, the other the airas the boat churned on through both opposing elements at once. A continual cascade played at the bows; a ceaseless whirling eddy in her wake; and, at the slightest motion from within, even but of a little nger, the vibrating, cracking craft canted over her spasmodic gunwale into the sea. Thus they rushed; each man with might and main clinging to his seat, to prevent being tossed to the foam; and the tall form of Tashtego at the steering oar crouching almost double, in order to bring down his centre of gravity. Whole Atlantics and Pacics seemed passed as they shot on their way, till at length the whale somewhat slackened his ight.
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Haul inhaul in! cried Stubb to the bowsman! and, facing round towards the whale, all hands began pulling the boat up to him, while yet the boat was being towed on. Soon ranging up by his ank, Stubb, rmly planting his knee in the clumsy cleat, darted dart after dart into the ying sh; at the word of command, the boat alternately sterning out of the way of the whales horrible wallow, and then ranging up for another ing.
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