Chapter 10 The Hunt One sunny, quiet afternoon, Queequeg and I were working on deck.
It was not difficult work.
We were weaving mats to use in the harpooning boats.
It was a simple task, and we were enjoying our time together.
Suddenly this peaceful moment was disturbed by shouting, "'Avast!' the voice cried.
"'Thar she blows!'
We all rushed to the side of the ship to see the whale.
It was enormous.
My heart began to beat wildly as I watched it swim past.
I was surprised that something so large could move so gracefully.
Water shot from its spout.
We then saw the others.
Whales traveled together in pods, and this pod was large.
They all swam in a group not far from our ship.
Each person rushed to take his post.
The three mates, Starbuck, Stubbs, and Flask, quickly got into their whale boats.
These small wooden vessels were about twenty feet long.
Each one had a single sail that helped it gain speed while men rowed after the whale.
Their harpooners and rowers jumped in with them.
There were usually about eight to ten men in a boat, including the six men rowing.
After they all piled in, the boats were lowered down the side of the ship into the water.
Captain Ahab got into his boat with his men, and we all took after the whales.
The boats took their turns, heading into the pod.
Each harpooner had to get close enough to throw his spear.
There was much shouting back and forth across the boats.
It was hard work rowing around these enormous beasts.
We all had to be on the lookout.
The whales rolled on their sides and dove under the water, sometimes taking a whale boat with them.
When a boat was in place among the whales, the men raised their oars, so they stuck up straight into the sky.
This kept them out of the way of the harpooner's view.
It also meant they were ready to drop the oars and row together at a moment's notice.
I was in Starbuck's boat with Queequeg, enjoying the action.
We had the first good shot at the whale.
I was filled with excitement, and I held my breath as my good friend prepared himself.
Starbuck shouted to Queequeg, now, he called, now is the time.
Queequeg stood up and held the harpoon above his head.
With great strength, he threw it at the whale.
The harpoon sailed through the air and over the water.
I felt as though time stood still.
It seemed to take a long time to reach its target.
Queequeg remained perfectly motionless, his muscles tensed.
His arm stayed in midair as he waited to see where the harpoon landed.
It missed and sank into the water.
A rope is attached to the end of each harpoon.
If the harpooner misses the whale, he can pull the harpoon back to the boat.
That was what Queequeg did.
He pulled his harpoon back and quickly prepared himself for another shot.
Again, he stood up in the boat.
He was remarkably steady, considering how rough the waves were.
They were at least ten feet high.
Quickweg was perfectly focused on his job.
He held his harpoon high above his head and again pitched it at the whale.
This time, the metal blade of the weapon hit the great beast, but it did not stick.
The whale began to roll just as the spear was in the air.
It skimmed past the whale and entered the water again.
We were all disappointed but could not think about it for long.
We soon faced a more serious matter.
The whale's tail began to thrash about.
A stormy wave of water crashed onto our small boat.
This wall of water left the boat unharmed but sent all the men overboard.
We swam around our boat looking for oars and any other tools that had been tossed into the water.
It was difficult to swim against the giant waves, but we needed to save what we could.
We were also facing a new problem.
The weather was getting worse and worse.
The weather can change so quickly at sea.
The sky was suddenly covered by a thick fog.
Soon a storm would be upon us.
The wind was picking up.
It was cold in the water.
We tried to signal to the other boats, but had little luck.
It would be difficult for them to see or hear us in this rising storm.
We could not see or hear them either, so we had no way of knowing if they were near or far.
We tried to climb aboard our little boat, but it was too difficult.
I was starting to worry that we might not all have the strength to hang on.
Just then, the Pequod came into view.
For a brief moment, I thought she were going to run over us, but the crew saw us in time.
Another of the whale boats was signaled, and we were all pulled aboard.
I watched as one by one my crewmates were pulled from the water.
I was the last one dragged back onto the Pequod.
I do not think I have ever been so cold in my life.
Quickweg was there to help me.
He handed me a warm blanket.
"'Does this happen often?'
I asked.
I was shivering so much that it was hard to speak.
"'Are you often tossed into the sea while trying to capture a whale?'
Quickweg nodded and smiled.
"'Yes,' he said.
"'It is pretty common.'
Then he slapped me on the back and went back to his work, weaving the mat.
He acted as though nothing had happened.
I realized that I had better learn to do the same.
