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.. < chapter cxxi 2 MIDNIGHT--THE FORECASTLE BULWARKS >

Stubb and Flask
mounted on them, and passing additional lashings over the anchors there
hanging. No, Stubb; you may pound that knot there as much as you please,
but you will never pound into me what you were just now saying. And how long
ago is it since you said the very contrary? Didn't you once say that whatever
ship Ahab sails in, that ship should pay something extra on its insurance
policy, just as though it were loaded with powder barrels aft and boxes of
lucifers forward? Stop, now; didn't you say so? Well, suppose I did? What
then? i've part changed my flesh since that time, why not my mind? Besides,
supposing we are loaded with powder barrels aft and lucifers forward; how
the devil could the lucifers get afire in this drenching spray here? Why, my
little man, you have pretty red hair, but you couldn't get afire now. Shake
yourself; you're Aquarius, or the water-bearer, Flask; might fill pitchers
at your coat collar. Don't you see, then, that for these extra risks the
Marine Insurance companies have extra guarantees? Here are hydrants,
Flask. But hark, again, and I'll answer ye the other thing. First take your
leg off from the crown of the anchor here, though, so I can pass the rope;
now listen. What's the mighty difference between holding a mast's
lightning-rod in the storm, and standing close by a mast that hasn't got any
lightning-rod at all in a storm? Don't you see, you timber-head, that no
harm can come to the holder of the rod, unless the mast is first struck?
What are you talking about, then? Not one ship in a hundred carries rods,
and Ahab, --aye, man, and all of us, --were in no more danger then, in my poor
opinion, than all the crews in ten thousand ships now sailing the seas. Why,
you King-Post, you, I suppose you would have every man in the world go about
..


with a small lightning-rod running up the corner of his hat, like a militia
officer's skewered feather, and trailing behind like his sash. Why don't ye
be sensible, Flask? it's easy to be sensible; why don't ye, then? any man
with half an eye can be sensible. I don't know that, Stubb. You sometimes
find it rather hard. Yes, when a fellow's soaked through, it's hard to be
sensible, that's a fact. And I am about drenched with this spray. Never
mind; catch the turn there, and pass it. Seems to me we are lashing down
these anchors now as if they were never going to be used again. tying these
two anchors here, Flask, seems like tying a man's hands behind him. And what
big generous hands they are, to be sure. These are your iron fists, hey?
What a hold they have, too! I wonder, Flask, whether the world is anchored
anywhere; if she is, she swings with an uncommon long cable, though. There,
hammer that knot down, and we've done. So; next to touching land, lighting
on deck is the most satisfactory. I say, just wring out my jacket skirts,
will ye? Thank ye. They laugh at long-togs so, Flask; but seems to me, a
long tailed coat ought always to be worn in all storms afloat. The tails
tapering down that way, serve to carry off the water, d'ye see. Same with
cocked hats; the cocks form gable-end eave-troughs, Flask. No more
monkey-jackets and tarpaulins for me; I must mount a swallow-tail, and drive
down a beaver; so. Halloa! whew! there goes my tarpaulin overboard; Lord,

Lord, that the winds that come from heaven should be so unmannerly! This is
a nasty night, lad.
..




  3 Responses to “Category : Various Text files
Archive   : MOBY.ZIP
Filename : MOBY.121

  1. Very nice! Thank you for this wonderful archive. I wonder why I found it only now. Long live the BBS file archives!

  2. This is so awesome! 😀 I’d be cool if you could download an entire archive of this at once, though.

  3. But one thing that puzzles me is the “mtswslnkmcjklsdlsbdmMICROSOFT” string. There is an article about it here. It is definitely worth a read: http://www.os2museum.com/wp/mtswslnk/