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And, after signing the papers, off I went; nothing doubting but that I had done a good morning's work, and that the Pequod was the identical ship that Yojo had provided to carry Queequeg and me round the Cape.

"Well, bring him along then."

"Killed more whales than I can count, Captain Peleg."

"Has he ever whaled it any?" turning to me.

"Oh! never thee mind about that, Bildad," said Peleg.

"What lay does he want?" groaned Bildad, glancing up from the book in which he had again been burying himself.

"Fetch him along, and we'll look at him."

"To be sure," said Peleg.

"Captain Peleg," said I, "I have a friend with me who wants to ship too -- shall I bring him down to-morrow?"

"Whew!" he whistled at last -- "the squall's gone off to leeward, I think. Bildad, thou used to be good at sharpening a lance, mend that pen, will ye. My jack-knife here needs the grindstone. That's he; thank ye, Bildad. Now then, my young man, Ismael's thy name, didn't ye say? Well then, down...

As for Peleg, after letting off his rage as he had, there seemed no more left in him, and he, too, sat down like a lamb, though he twitched a little as if still nervously agitated.

He seemed quite used to impenitent Peleg and his ways.

But to my astonishment, he sat down again on the transom very quietly, and seemed to have not the slightest intention of withdrawing.

Alarmed at this terrible outburst between the two principal and responsible owners of the ship, and feeling half a mind to give up all idea of sailing in a vessel so questionably owned and temporarily commanded, I stepped aside from the door to give egress to Bildad, who I made no doubt, was all...

As he thundered out this he made a rush at Bildad, but with marvellous oblique, sliding celerity, Bildad for that time eluded him.

"Fiery pit! fiery pit! ye insult me, man; past all natural bearing, ye insult me. It's an all-fired outrage to tell any human creature that he's bound to ****. Flukes and flames! Bildad, say that again to me, and start my soul-bolts, but I'll--I'll--yes, I'll swallow a live goat with all his...

"Captain Peleg," said Bildad steadily, "thy conscience may be drawing ten inches of water, or ten fathoms, I can't tell; but as thou art still an impenitent man, Captain Peleg, I greatly fear lest thy conscience be but a leaky one; and will in the end sink thee foundering down to the fiery pit...

"Blast ye, Captain Bildad, if I had followed thy advice in these matters, I would afore now had a conscience to lug about that would be heavy enough to founder the largest ship that ever sailed round Cape Horn."

"Thou, Bildad!" roared Peleg, starting up and clattering about the cabin.

Bildad laid down his book, and turning solemnly towards him said, "Captain Peleg, thou hast a generous heart; but thou must consider the duty thou owest to the other owners of this ship -- widows and orphans, many of them -- and that if we too abundantly reward the labours of this young man, we...