Moby Dick Chapter 121 - 123

Chapter 121 - 123

Midnight.- The Forecastle Bulwarks/Midnight Aloft.- Thunder and Lightning/The Musket

Stubb and Flask are working on the ship. Stubb, ever since witnessing his encounter with the lightning, now believes Ahab invincible; Flask is not so quick to agree.

Tashtego is bothered by the lightning.

The storm abates, enough so that Starbuck and Stubb can cut down the damaged sails and replace them with new ones. The helmsman steers the ship back into its regular course, and they are met with a good wind, which cheers the crew.

Starbuck goes down below to tell Ahab the news, and finds the captain is sleeping. The loaded musket which Ahab had pointed at Starbuck earlier is hanging from the wall; Starbuck takes it down, and for a moment contemplates shooting Ahab with the gun, to save himself and the rest of the crew. Before he can make a decision, Ahab shouts out in his sleep at Moby-Dick.

Starbuck returns to the deck, and tells Stubb to go down below and wake the captain.