. These
warm Trade Winds, at least, that in the clear heavens blow straight on,
in strong and steadfast, vigorous mildness; and veer not from their
mark, however the baser currents of the sea may turn and tack, and
mightiest Mississipies of the land swift and swerve about, uncertain
where to go at last. And by the eternal Poles! these same Trades that
so directly blow my good ship on; these Trades, or something like
them--something so unchangeable, and full as strong, blow my keeled
soul along! To it! Aloft there! What d'ye see?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Nothing! and noon at hand! The doubloon goes a-begging! See the sun!
Aye, aye, it must be so. I've oversailed him. How, got the start?
Aye, he's chasing _me_ now; not I, _him_--that's bad; I might have
known it, too. Fool! the lines--the harpoons he's towing. Aye, aye, I
have run him by last night. About! about! Come down, all of ye, but
the regular lookouts! Man the braces!"

Steering as she had done, the wind had been somewhat on the _Pequod's_
quarter, so that now being pointed in the reverse direction, the braced
ship sailed hard upon the breeze as she rechurned the cream in her own
white wake.

"Against the wind he now steers for the open jaw," murmured Starbuck to
himself, as he coiled the new-hauled mainbrace upon the rail. "God
keep us, but already my bones feel damp within me, and from the inside
wet my flesh. I misdoubt me that I disobey my God in obeying him!"

"Stand by to sway me up!" cried Ahab, advancing to the hempen basket.
"We should meet him soon."

"Aye, aye, sir," and straightway Starbuck did Ahab's bidding, and once
more Ahab swung on high.

A whole hour now passed; gold-beaten out to ages. Time itself now held
long breaths with keen suspense. But at last, some three points off
the weather bow, Ahab descried the spout again, and instantly from the
three mast-heads three shrieks went up as if the tongues of fire had
voiced it.

"Forehead to forehead I meet thee, this third time, Moby Dick! On deck
there!--brace sharper up; crowd her into the wind's eye. He's too far
off to lower yet, Mr. Starbuck. The sails shake! Stand over that
helmsman with a top-maul! So, so; he travels fast, and I must down.
But let me have one more good round look aloft here at the sea; there's
time for that. An old, old sight, and yet somehow so young; aye, and
not changed a wink since I first saw it, a boy, from the sand-hills of
Nantucket! The