Ahab grew happier and happier with each shout of the men, while the men looked at each other curiously, wondering why they became so excited at such seemingly purposeless questions.
“All you whalers have heard of a white whale. Look! Do you see this gold coin? Do you see it? Mr Starbuck, give me a hammer,” continued Ahab.
After he had received the hammer, he held up the shining gold coin again and shouted, “Whoever sees the white whale first will have this gold coin, my boys!”
“Huzza! Huzza!” cried the seamen as Ahab nailed the coin to the mast.
“Captain Ahab,” said one of the harpooners, “that white whale must be the one they call Moby Dick.”
“Moby Dick?” shouted Ahab. “Do you know the white whale then?”
“Is it the one that dives in a strange manner and has three harpoons stuck in its side?” asked the harpooner.
“Death and devils!” shouted Ahab, “it is Moby Dick you have seen – Moby Dick – Moby Dick!”
“Captain Ahab,” said Starbuck, “I have heard of Moby Dick – but wasn’t it Moby Dick that took off your leg?”
“Yes it was,” said Ahab with a sob. “It was Moby Dick that made me a cripple. Yes! Yes! And I’ll chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round Norway, and all the way to hell’s fires until I gave up.
