Moby Dick

[Old Thunder]

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 eagerness to vanish from before the awakened wrath of Peleg.

 

[Old Thunder]

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

 

[Old Thunder]

He seemed quite used to impenitent Peleg and his ways.

 

[Old Thunder]

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.

 

[Old Thunder]

"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 ye go here, Ishmael, for the three hundredth lay."

 

[Old Thunder]

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

 

[Old Thunder]

"To be sure," said Peleg.

 

[Old Thunder]

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

 

[Old Thunder]

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

 

[Old Thunder]

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