Reality Check

But with his gaze fixed upon the dim and distant sky, Ahab see­med not to mark this wild bird; nor, inde­ed, would any one else have mark­ed it much, it being no uncom­mon cir­cum­s­tance; only now almost the least heedful eye see­med to see some sort of cun­ning mea­ning in almost every sight.

“Your hat, your hat, sir!” sud­den­ly cried the Sici­li­an sea­man, who being pos­ted at the mizen-mast-head, stood direct­ly behind Ahab, though some­what lower than his level, and with a deep gulf of air divi­ding them.

But alre­a­dy the sable wing was befo­re the old man’s eyes; the long hoo­ked bill at his head: with a scream, the black hawk dar­ted away with his prize.

An eagle flew thri­ce round Tarquin’s head, remo­ving his cap to replace it, and thereu­pon Tan­aquil, his wife, declared that Tar­quin would be king of Rome. But only by the repla­cing of the cap was that omen accoun­ted good. Ahab’s hat was never res­to­red; the wild hawk flew on and on with it; far in advan­ce of the prow: and at last dis­ap­peared; while from the point of that dis­ap­pearance, a minu­te black spot was dim­ly dis­cer­ned, fal­ling from that vast height into the sea.

The inten­se Pequod sai­led on; the rol­ling waves and days went by; the life-buoy-coff­in still light­ly swung; and ano­ther ship, most mise­ra­b­ly mis­na­med the Delight, was descried. As she drew nigh, all eyes were fixed upon her broad beams, cal­led she­ars, which, in some wha­ling-ships, cross the quar­ter-deck at the height of eight or nine feet; ser­ving to car­ry the spa­re, unrig­ged, or dis­ab­led boats.