Moby Dick Chapter 135

Chapter 135

The Chase- the Third Day

Another day dawns, and the chase continues. Once again, it is Ahab who spots the whale, and the boats are lowered. While they are riding out, sharks attack their oars. Moby-Dick sounds, and while he is under, Ahab calls out his defiance.

Moby-Dick resurfaces, and destroys two of the boats, leaving Ahab's unharmed. While he is up, Fedellah's dead body is seen lashed to the whale by lines and harpoons, and Ahab realizes that this is the first hearse he must see: a hearse made by no hands of man. He orders the men from the destroyed boats to go back to the Pequod, and has his men row on. Moby-Dick is trying to escape, but Ahab will not let go.

Topic Tracking: Vengeance 16

The whale slows, and the boat pulls up alongside him, but Moby-Dick manages to dodge them again; this time, he charges the Pequod, and with one hit from his head, breaks the hull. The ship sinks, and Ahab recognizes this as his second hearse: made of wood from America. He stands up, and hurls his harpoon at Moby-Dick.

"'Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee. Sink all coffins and hearses to one common pool! and since neither can be mine, let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale! Thus, I give up the spear!'" Chapter 135, pg. 477

The line runs foul; when Ahab bends to clear it, it catches him round the neck and jerks him into the sea. He is killed by hemp.

The whale-boat is pulled into the whirlpool made by the sinking Pequod. A hawk flies down to peck at the last thing above water, the top of the main-mast. The hawk gets caught in the flag of the ship, and Tashtego's arm and hammer, and is pulled to its death along with the rest of the crew.