“What’s the matter with you, young man?”

“Get the axe!  For God’s sake, run for the doctor, some one, while I pry it open!”

“Look here,” said the landlady, quickly putting down the vinegar-cruet, so as to have one hand free; “look here; are you talking about prying open any of my doors?”—­ and with that she seized my arm.  “What’s the matter with you?  What’s the matter with you, shipmate?”

In as calm, but rapid a manner as possible, I gave her to understand the whole case.  Unconsciously clapping the vinegar-cruet to one side of her nose, she ruminated for an instant; then exclaimed—­“No!  I haven’t seen it since I put it there.”  Running to a little closet under the landing of the stairs, she glanced in, and returning, told me that Queequeg’s harpoon was missing.  “He’s killed himself,” she cried.  “It’s unfort’nate Stiggs done over again there goes another counterpane—­God pity his poor mother!—­ it will be the ruin of my house.  Has the poor lad a sister?  Where’s that girl?—­there, Betty, go to Snarles the Painter, and tell him to paint me a sign, with—­“no suicides permitted here, and no smoking in the parlor;”—­might as well kill both birds at once.  Kill?  The Lord be merciful to his ghost!  What’s that noise there?  You, young man, avast there!”

And running up after me, she caught me as I was again trying to force open the door.

“I won’t allow it; I won’t have my premises spoiled.  Go for the locksmith, there’s one about a mile from here.  But avast!” putting her hand in her side pocket, “here’s a key that’ll fit, I guess; let’s see.”  And with that, she turned it in the lock; but alas!  Queequeg’s supplemental bolt remained unwithdrawn within.

“Have to burst it open,” said I, and was running down the entry a little, for a good start, when the landlady caught at me, again vowing I should not break down her premises; but I tore from her, and with a sudden bodily rush dashed myself full against the mark.

With a prodigious noise the door flew open, and the knob slamming against the wall, sent the plaster to the ceiling; and there, good heavens! there sat Queequeg, altogether cool and self-collected; right in the middle of the room; squatting on his hams, and holding Yojo on top of his head.  He looked neither one way nor the other way but sat like a carved image with scarce a sign of active life.

“Queequeg,” said I, going up to him, “Queequeg, what’s the matter with you?”

“He hain’t been a sittin’ so all day, has he?” said the landlady.

But all we said, not a word could we drag out of him; I almost felt like pushing him over, so as to change his position, for it was almost intolerable, it seemed so painfully and unnaturally constrained; especially, as in all probability he had been sitting so for upwards of eight or ten hours, going too without his regular meals.

“Mrs. Hussey,” said I, “he’s alive at all events; so leave us, if you please, and I will see to this strange affair myself.”