{"id":"01KFNR89QDNZKPDEPNY6KCW02K","cid":"bafkreid6pu4usvcqol57jia636y5lc2kbqshmbeieoti3xdjxzbzabvvme","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":15049,"extracted_at":"2026-01-23T15:41:04.763Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 35","source_file":"01KFNR0Z394A878Y5AQ63MQEM2","start_line":15007,"text":"beings, how when herded together in the sheepfold of a theatre’s pit,\r\nthey will, at the slightest alarm of fire, rush helter-skelter for the\r\noutlets, crowding, trampling, jamming, and remorselessly dashing each\r\nother to death. Best, therefore, withhold any amazement at the\r\nstrangely gallied whales before us, for there is no folly of the beasts\r\nof the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men.\r\n\r\nThough many of the whales, as has been said, were in violent motion,\r\nyet it is to be observed that as a whole the herd neither advanced nor\r\nretreated, but collectively remained in one place. As is customary in\r\nthose cases, the boats at once separated, each making for some one lone\r\nwhale on the outskirts of the shoal. In about three minutes’ time,\r\nQueequeg’s harpoon was flung; the stricken fish darted blinding spray\r\nin our faces, and then running away with us like light, steered\r\nstraight for the heart of the herd. Though such a movement on the part\r\nof the whale struck under such circumstances, is in no wise\r\nunprecedented; and indeed is almost always more or less anticipated;\r\nyet does it present one of the more perilous vicissitudes of the\r\nfishery. For as the swift monster drags you deeper and deeper into the\r\nfrantic shoal, you bid adieu to circumspect life and only exist in a\r\ndelirious throb.\r\n\r\nAs, blind and deaf, the whale plunged forward, as if by sheer power of\r\nspeed to rid himself of the iron leech that had fastened to him; as we\r\nthus tore a white gash in the sea, on all sides menaced as we flew, by\r\nthe crazed creatures to and fro rushing about us; our beset boat was\r\nlike a ship mobbed by ice-isles in a tempest, and striving to steer\r\nthrough their complicated channels and straits, knowing not at what\r\nmoment it may be locked in and crushed.\r\n\r\nBut not a bit daunted, Queequeg steered us manfully; now sheering off\r\nfrom this monster directly across our route in advance; now edging away\r\nfrom that, whose colossal flukes were suspended overhead, while all the\r\ntime, Starbuck stood up in the bows, lance in hand, pricking out of our\r\nway whatever whales he could reach by short darts, for there was no\r\ntime to make long ones. Nor were the oarsmen quite idle, though their\r\nwonted duty was now altogether dispensed with. They chiefly attended to\r\nthe shouting part of the business. “Out of the way, Commodore!” cried\r\none, to a great dromedary that of a sudden rose bodily to the surface,\r\nand for an instant threatened to swamp us. “Hard down with your tail,\r\nthere!” cried a second to another, which, close to our gunwale, seemed\r\ncalmly cooling himself with his own fan-like extremity.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 35"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KFNR84AAHSNQ4BFJ0ASPHB53","peer_label":"76","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KFNR84AAHSNQ4BFJ0ASPHB53","peer_label":"76","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"partOf"},{"peer":"01KFNR81RMVAX2BBMMBW51V97D","peer_label":"Moby Dick; Or, The Whale","peer_type":"novel","predicate":"partOf"},{"peer":"01KFNR0H0Q791Y1SMZWEQ09FGV","peer_label":"Moby Dick","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KFNR89P2KQ8YWFMNKYY4QNME","peer_label":"Chunk 36","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"},{"peer":"01KFNR89PDJKWF8Y44R4ZP9RRF","peer_label":"Chunk 34","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-23T15:41:05.420Z","ts":"2026-01-23T15:41:17.703Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}