Page 279 - Adventures in shadow-land
P. 279

CH APTER  VI.


                                         LUCY PEABODY'S  DREAM\

                               iraipyjOBY  D ICK   went  on  his  way,  “ emerging

                                        strong  against  the  tide.”  A   Nantucket
                                        ship  saw him  as  he  blew,  and  her  boats

                             put  out  after  him.
                                *'Just  get  off  a  minute,  my  dear/'  said  he  to

                             the  little  mermaid  whom  he  carried.       She  did  so,
                             and then,  instead of swimming away from the boats,

                             he  put  down  his  enormous  head  and  went  straight
                             at  them,

                                <(The white  whale I”  cried the  sailors;  and  they
                             did  not  throw  the  harpoon,  but  went  meekly  back

                              to  the  ship.  They  were  bold  enough,  hut  they
                              were  afraid  of  the  white  whale,  for  Moby  Dick

                             had  sunk  two  or  three  ships  in  his  time  and  en­
                              tirely  reversed  the  whalers*  programme.

                                Moby  Dick  executed  a huge  frisk  on  the  surface
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