It was curious and not unpleasing, how Peleg and Bildad were affected at this juncture, especially Captain Bildad.  For loath to depart, yet; very loath to leave, for good, a ship bound on so long and perilous a voyage—­beyond both stormy Capes; a ship in which some thousands of his hardearned dollars were invested; a ship, in which an old shipmate sailed as captain; a man almost as old as he, once more starting to encounter all the terrors of the pitiless jaw; loath to say good-bye to a thing so every way brimful of every interest to him,—­ poor old Bildad lingered long; paced the deck with anxious strides; ran down into the cabin to speak another farewell word there; again came on deck, and looked to windward; looked towards the wide and endless waters, only bounded by the far-off unseen Eastern Continents; looked towards the land; looked aloft; looked right and left; looked everywhere and nowhere; and at last, mechanically coiling a rope upon its pin, convulsively grasped stout Peleg by the hand, and holding up a lantern, for a moment stood gazing heroically in his face, as much as to say, “Nevertheless, friend Peleg, I can stand it; yes, I can.”

As for Peleg himself, he took it more like a philosopher; but for all his philosophy, there was a tear twinkling in his eye, when the lantern came too near.  And he, too, did not a little run from the cabin to deck—­now a word below, and now a word with Starbuck, the chief mate.

But, at last, he turned to his comrade, with a final sort of look about him,—­“Captain Bildad—­come, old shipmate, we must go.  Back the mainyard there!  Boat ahoy!  Stand by to come close alongside, now!  Careful, careful!—­come, Bildad, boy—­ say your last.  Luck to ye, Starbuck—­luck to ye, Mr. Stubb—­ luck to ye, Mr. Flask—­good-bye and good luck to ye all—­ and this day three years I’ll have a hot supper smoking for ye in old Nantucket.  Hurrah and away!”

“God bless ye, and have ye in His holy keeping, men,” murmured old Bildad, almost incoherently.  “I hope ye’ll have fine weather now, so that Captain Ahab may soon be moving among ye—­a pleasant sun is all he needs, and ye’ll have plenty of them in the tropic voyage ye go.  Be careful in the hunt, ye mates.  Don’t stave the boats needlessly, ye harpooneers; good white cedar plank is raised full three per cent within the year.  Don’t forget your prayers, either.  Mr. Starbuck, mind that cooper don’t waste the spare staves.  Oh! the sail-needles are in the green locker.  Don’t whale it too much a’ Lord’s days, men; but don’t miss a fair chance either, that’s rejecting Heaven’s good gifts.  Have an eye to the molasses tierce, Mr. Stubb; it was a little leaky, I thought.  If ye touch at the islands, Mr. Flask, beware of fornication.  Good-bye, good-bye!  Don’t keep that cheese too long down in the hold, Mr. Starbuck; it’ll spoil.  Be careful with the butter—­twenty cents the pound it was, and mind ye, if—­”

“Come, come, Captain Bildad; stop palavering,—­away!” and with that, Peleg hurried him over the side, and both dropt into the boat.