Ahab Orders the Log Heaved
The Manxman carefully examines the line and cautions that prolonged exposure to heat and moisture has severely damaged it. Ahab dismisses these concerns with characteristic philosophizing before ordering the line thrown.
Manxman Warns of Spoiled Log Line
Ahab heaves the log overboard. The line streams out behind the vessel as the reel begins to spin, but the weakened line suddenly snaps under the strain. The log disappears into the churning sea.
Log Line Snaps Mid-Heave
As the crew hauls in the broken line, they discover it has snagged something beneath the surface. To their alarm, it appears to be Pip—the cabin boy who had previously vanished from a whaleboat—clinging desperately to the waterlogged rope.
Crew Searches for Missing Pip
The crew manages to haul the nearly-drowned Pip back aboard. The Manxman initially scolds him as a coward before recognizing his dire condition.
Pip Rescued from the Water
Ahab approaches Pip and, after a strange dialogue about identity and reflection, declares that his cabin shall be Pip’s home. Pip clutches Ahab’s hand, finding in this contact a lifeline he desperately needs.
Ahab Invites Pip to His Cabin
The old Manxman observes the pair descending to the cabin—remarking that one is daft with strength and the other with weakness—while the broken line drips across the deck.
第一百二十六章 The Life-Buoy.
The Pequod steers south-eastward toward the Equator, passing through unfrequented waters with no ships in sight. The journey feels like a prelude to some desperate scene.
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