{"id":"01KF7FPTBP32XXT3YK9CD4NE42","cid":"bafkreibhwub4zdbubsfgsaqlaifa5csn6phidqryxda3neeiaynupds2lm","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":19648,"extracted_at":"2026-01-18T02:42:21.452Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 2","source_file":"01KESYVB66H8YEVTN88DWE9W8D","start_line":19586,"text":"the water with some precision again; and the course—for the present,\r\nEast-south-east—which he was to steer, if practicable, was once more\r\ngiven to the helmsman. For during the violence of the gale, he had only\r\nsteered according to its vicissitudes. But as he was now bringing the\r\nship as near her course as possible, watching the compass meanwhile,\r\nlo! a good sign! the wind seemed coming round astern; aye, the foul\r\nbreeze became fair!\r\n\r\nInstantly the yards were squared, to the lively song of “_Ho! the fair\r\nwind! oh-ye-ho, cheerly men!_” the crew singing for joy, that so\r\npromising an event should so soon have falsified the evil portents\r\npreceding it.\r\n\r\nIn compliance with the standing order of his commander—to report\r\nimmediately, and at any one of the twenty-four hours, any decided\r\nchange in the affairs of the deck,—Starbuck had no sooner trimmed the\r\nyards to the breeze—however reluctantly and gloomily,—than he\r\nmechanically went below to apprise Captain Ahab of the circumstance.\r\n\r\nEre knocking at his state-room, he involuntarily paused before it a\r\nmoment. The cabin lamp—taking long swings this way and that—was burning\r\nfitfully, and casting fitful shadows upon the old man’s bolted door,—a\r\nthin one, with fixed blinds inserted, in place of upper panels. The\r\nisolated subterraneousness of the cabin made a certain humming silence\r\nto reign there, though it was hooped round by all the roar of the\r\nelements. The loaded muskets in the rack were shiningly revealed, as\r\nthey stood upright against the forward bulkhead. Starbuck was an\r\nhonest, upright man; but out of Starbuck’s heart, at that instant when\r\nhe saw the muskets, there strangely evolved an evil thought; but so\r\nblent with its neutral or good accompaniments that for the instant he\r\nhardly knew it for itself.\r\n\r\n“He would have shot me once,” he murmured, “yes, there’s the very\r\nmusket that he pointed at me;—that one with the studded stock; let me\r\ntouch it—lift it. Strange, that I, who have handled so many deadly\r\nlances, strange, that I should shake so now. Loaded? I must see. Aye,\r\naye; and powder in the pan;—that’s not good. Best spill it?—wait. I’ll\r\ncure myself of this. I’ll hold the musket boldly while I think.—I come\r\nto report a fair wind to him. But how fair? Fair for death and\r\ndoom,—_that’s_ fair for Moby Dick. It’s a fair wind that’s only fair\r\nfor that accursed fish.—The very tube he pointed at me!—the very one;\r\n_this_ one—I hold it here; he would have killed me with the very thing\r\nI handle now.—Aye and he would fain kill all his crew. Does he not say\r\nhe will not strike his spars to any gale? Has he not dashed his\r\nheavenly quadrant? and in these same perilous seas, gropes he not his\r\nway by mere dead reckoning of the error-abounding log? and in this very\r\nTyphoon, did he not swear that he would have no lightning-rods? But\r\nshall this crazed old man be tamely suffered to drag a whole ship’s\r\ncompany down to doom with him?—Yes, it would make him the wilful\r\nmurderer of thirty men and more, if this ship come to any deadly harm;\r\nand come to deadly harm, my soul swears this ship will, if Ahab have\r\nhis way. If, then, he were this instant—put aside, that crime would not\r\nbe his. Ha! is he muttering in his sleep? Yes, just there,—in there,\r\nhe’s sleeping. Sleeping? aye, but still alive, and soon awake again. I\r\ncan’t withstand thee, then, old man. Not reasoning; not remonstrance;\r\nnot entreaty wilt thou hearken to; all this thou scornest. Flat\r\nobedience to thy own flat commands, this is all thou breathest. Aye,\r\nand say’st the men have vow’d thy vow; say’st all of us are Ahabs.\r\nGreat God forbid!—But is there no other way? no lawful way?—Make him a\r\nprisoner to be taken home? What! hope to wrest this old man’s living\r\npower from his own living hands? Only a fool would try it. Say he were\r\npinioned even; knotted all over with ropes and hawsers; chained down to\r\nring-bolts on this cabin floor; he would be more hideous than a caged\r","title":"Chunk 2"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KF7FPNZVQN0MWH12S4195JDT","peer_label":"Chapter 124","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KF7FPNZVQN0MWH12S4195JDT","peer_label":"Chapter 124","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"partOf"},{"peer":"01KF7FPKDT5SHSH1ZQV6ABHQCA","peer_label":"Moby Dick; Or, The Whale","peer_type":"book","predicate":"partOf"},{"peer":"01KESYJX0Z6XE0HWTS5N3SDG0B","peer_label":"The Classics","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KF7FPTBCZ52GEZF4HGCFGGVC","peer_label":"Chunk 3","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"},{"peer":"01KF7FPTD880SAE6Y3FE19CN9R","peer_label":"Chunk 1","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-18T02:42:21.927Z","ts":"2026-01-18T02:42:28.945Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KF7FCDA7SCSJ6A30TDPDSJQV"}}