It was obvious, now, that the whale had at length become
aware of his pursuers. All silence of cautiousness was therefore no
longer of use. Paddles were dropped, and oars came loudly into play. And
still puffing at his pipe, Stubb cheered on his crew to the assault.

Yes, a mighty change had come over the fish. All alive to his jeopardy,
he was going "head out"; that part obliquely projecting from the mad
yeast which he brewed.*

*It will be seen in some other place of what a very light substance
the entire interior of the sperm whale's enormous head consists. Though
apparently the most massive, it is by far the most buoyant part about
him. So that with ease he elevates it in the air, and invariably does
so when going at his utmost speed. Besides, such is the breadth of the
upper part of the front of his head, and such the tapering cut-water
formation of the lower part, that by obliquely elevating his head, he
thereby may be said to transform himself from a bluff-bowed sluggish
galliot into a sharppointed New York pilot-boat.

"Start her, start her, my men! Don't hurry yourselves; take plenty of
time--but start her; start her like thunder-claps, that's all," cried
Stubb, spluttering out the smoke as he spoke. "Start her, now; give 'em
the long and strong stroke, Tashtego. Start her, Tash, my boy--start
her, all; but keep cool, keep cool--cucumbers is the word--easy,
easy--only start her like grim death and grinning devils, and raise the
buried dead perpendicular out of their graves, boys--that's all. Start
her!"

"Woo-hoo! Wa-hee!" screamed the Gay-Header in reply, raising some
old war-whoop to the skies; as every oarsman in the strained boat
involuntarily bounced forward with the one tremendous leading stroke
which the eager Indian gave.

But his wild screams were answered by others quite as wild. "Kee-hee!
Kee-hee!" yelled Daggoo, straining forwards and backwards on his seat,
like a pacing tiger in his cage.

"Ka-la! Koo-loo!" howled Queequeg, as if smacking his lips over a
mouthful of Grenadier's steak. And thus with oars and yells the keels
cut the sea. Meanwhile, Stubb retaining his place in the van, still
encouraged his men to the onset, all the while puffing the smoke from
his mouth. Like desperadoes they tugged and they strained, till the
welcome cry was heard--"Stand up, Tashtego!--give it to him!" The
harpoon was hurled. "Stern all!" The oarsmen backed water; the same
moment something went hot and h