Tashtego falls into the Tun
As the crew bales the sperm for some time, filling several tubs with fragrant sperm, a sudden accident occurs. Whether Tashtego heedlessly released his hold on the cables suspending the head, or the footing was treacherous and oozy—or whether the Evil One intervened—no one can say exactly. But as the eightieth or ninetieth bucket comes up, Tashtego drops head-foremost into the great Tun, disappearing with a horrible oily gurgling.
Daggoo’s rescue attempt
Daggoo first comes to his senses amid the general consternation, shouting “Man overboard!” He secures his foot in the bucket to grip the whip, and the hoisters raise him high to the top of the head almost instantly. Meanwhile, a terrible tumult ensues as the whale’s head heaves below the sea surface. Suddenly, one of the enormous hooks suspending the head tears out, and the massive structure swings sideways, causing the ship to reel like it has been struck by an iceberg. The remaining hook strains under the entire weight. The seamen yell for Daggoo to come down, but he clears the foul line and rams the bucket into the collapsed well, hoping Tashtego will grasp it. Stubb protests this approach, comparing it to ramming a cartridge. The entire head then drops into the sea with a thunder-boom, and Daggoo clings to the pendulous tackles while Tashtego sinks to the bottom.
Queequeg’s rescue dive
As the blinding vapor clears, a naked Queequeg appears with a boarding-sword, hovering over the bulwarks for one swift moment before diving to the rescue. The crew holds their breath as ripples are counted and no sign of either the sinker or the diver appears. Hands jump into a boat alongside and push off from the ship. Daggoo, from his swinging perch overhead, suddenly cries “Ha! ha!” and spots an arm thrust upright from the blue waves. Daggoo shouts “Both! both!—it is both!” as Queequeg is seen striking out with one hand while clutching Tashtego’s long hair with the other. Both are drawn into the waiting boat and brought to deck, though Tashtego is long in recovering consciousness.
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