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1Now, Bildad, I am sorry to say, had the reputation of being an incorrigible old hunks, and in his sea-going days, a
2bitter, hard task-master. They told me in Nantucket, though it certainly seems a curious story, that when he sailed the
3old Categut whaleman, his crew, upon arriving home, were mostly all carried ashore to the hospital, sore exhausted and
4worn out. For a pious man, especially for a Quaker, he was certainly rather hard-hearted, to say the least. He never
5used to swear, though, at his men, they said; but somehow he got an inordinate quantity of cruel, unmitigated hard work
6out of them. When Bildad was a chief-mate, to have his drab-coloured eye intently looking at you, made you feel
7completely nervous, till you could clutch something--a hammer or a marling-spike, and go to work like mad, at something
8or other, never mind what. Indolence and idleness perished before him. His own person was the exact embodiment of his
9utilitarian character. On his long, gaunt body, he carried no spare flesh, no superfluous beard, his chin having a soft,
10economical nap to it, like the worn nap of his broad-brimmed hat. Such, then, was the person that I saw seated on the
11transom when I followed Captain Peleg down into the cabin. The space between the decks was small; and there,
12bolt-upright, sat old Bildad, who always sat so, and never leaned, and this to save his coat tails. His broad-brim was
13placed beside him; his legs were stiffly crossed; his drab vesture was buttoned up to his chin; and spectacles on nose,
14he seemed absorbed in reading from a ponderous volume. "Bildad," cried Captain Peleg, "at it again, Bildad, eh? Ye have
15been studying those Scriptures, now, for the last thirty years, to my certain knowledge. How far ye got, Bildad?" As if
16long habituated to such profane talk from his old shipmate, Bildad, without noticing his present irreverence, quietly
17looked up, and seeing me, glanced again inquiringly towards Peleg. "He says he's our man, Bildad," said Peleg, "he wants
18to ship." "Dost thee?" said Bildad, in a hollow tone, and turning round to me. "I dost," said I unconsciously, he was so
19intense a Quaker. "What do ye think of him, Bildad?" said Peleg. "He'll do," said Bildad, eyeing me, and then went on
20spelling away at his book in a mumbling tone quite audible. I thought him the queerest old Quaker I ever saw, especially
21as Peleg, his friend and old shipmate, seemed such a blusterer. But I said nothing, only looking round me sharply. Peleg
22now threw open a chest, and drawing forth the ship's articles, placed pen and ink before him, and seated himself at a
23little table. I began to think it was high time to settle with myself at what terms I would be willing to engage for the
24voyage. I was already aware that in the whaling business they paid no wages; but all hands, including the captain,
25received certain shares of the profits called lays, and that these lays were proportioned to the degree of importance
26pertaining to the respective duties of the ship's company. I was also aware that being a green hand at whaling, my own
27lay would not be very large; but considering that I was used to the sea, could steer a ship, splice a rope, and all
28that, I made no doubt that from all I had heard I should be offered at least the 275th lay--that is, the 275th part of
29the clear net proceeds of the voyage, whatever that might eventually amount to. And though the 275th lay was what they
30call a rather long lay, yet it was better than nothing; and if we had a lucky voyage, might pretty nearly pay for the
31clothing I would wear out on it, not to speak of my three years' beef and board, for which I would not have to pay one
32stiver. It might be thought that this was a poor way to accumulate a princely fortune--and so it was, a very poor way
33indeed. But I am one of those that never take on about princely fortunes, and am quite content if the world is ready to
34board and lodge me, while I am putting up at this grim sign of the Thunder Cloud. Upon the whole, I thought that the
35275th lay would be about the fair thing, but would not have been surprised had I been offered the 200th, considering I
36was of a broad-shouldered make. But one thing, nevertheless, that made me a little distrustful about receiving a
37generous share of the profits was this: Ashore, I had heard something of both Captain Peleg and his unaccountable old
38crony Bildad; how that they being the principal proprietors of the Pequod, therefore the other and more inconsiderable
39and scattered owners, left nearly the whole management of the ship's affairs to these two. And I did not know but what
40the stingy old Bildad might have a mighty deal to say about shipping hands, especially as I now found him on board the
41Pequod, quite at home there in the cabin, and reading his Bible as if at his own fireside. Now while Peleg was vainly
42trying to mend a pen with his jack-knife, old Bildad, to my no small surprise, considering that he was such an
43interested party in these proceedings; Bildad never heeded us, but went on mumbling to himself out of his book, "Lay not
44up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth--" "Well, Captain Bildad," interrupted Peleg, "what d'ye say, what
45lay shall we give this young man?" "Thou knowest best," was the sepulchral reply, "the seven hundred and seventy-seventh
46wouldn't be too much, would it?--'where moth and rust do corrupt, but lay--'" Lay, indeed, thought I, and such a lay!
47the seven hundred and seventy-seventh! Well, old Bildad, you are determined that I, for one, shall not lay up many lays
48here below, where moth and rust do corrupt. It was an exceedingly long lay that, indeed; and though from the magnitude
49of the figure it might at first deceive a landsman, yet the slightest consideration will show that though seven hundred
50and seventy-seven is a pretty large number, yet, when you come to make a teenth of it, you will then see, I say, that
51the seven hundred and seventy-seventh part of a farthing is a good deal less than seven hundred and seventy-seven gold
52doubloons; and so I thought at the time. "Why, blast your eyes, Bildad," cried Peleg, "thou dost not want to swindle
53this young man! he must have more than that." "Seven hundred and seventy-seventh," again said Bildad, without lifting
54his eyes; and then went on mumbling--"for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." "I am going to put him
55down for the three hundredth," said Peleg, "do ye hear that, Bildad! The three hundredth lay, I say." Bildad laid down
56his book, and turning solemnly towards him said, "Captain Peleg, thou hast a generous heart; but thou must consider the
57duty thou owest to the other owners of this ship--widows and orphans, many of them--and that if we too abundantly reward
58the labors of this young man, we may be taking the bread from those widows and those orphans. The seven hundred and
59seventy-seventh lay, Captain Peleg." "Thou Bildad!" roared Peleg, starting up and clattering about the cabin. "Blast ye,
60Captain Bildad, if I had followed thy advice in these matters, I would afore now had a conscience to lug about that
61would be heavy enough to founder the largest ship that ever sailed round Cape Horn." "Captain Peleg," said Bildad
62steadily, "thy conscience may be drawing ten inches of water, or ten fathoms, I can't tell; but as thou art still an
63impenitent man, Captain Peleg, I greatly fear lest thy conscience be but a leaky one; and will in the end sink thee
64foundering down to the fiery pit, Captain Peleg." "Fiery pit! fiery pit! ye insult me, man; past all natural bearing, ye
65insult me. It's an all-fired outrage to tell any human creature that he's bound to hell. Flukes and flames! Bildad, say
66that again to me, and start my soul-bolts, but I'll--I'll--yes, I'll swallow a live goat with all his hair and horns on.
67Out of the cabin, ye canting, drab-coloured son of a wooden gun--a straight wake with ye!" As he thundered out this he
68made a rush at Bildad, but with a marvellous oblique, sliding celerity, Bildad for that time eluded him.
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