“No, I don’t,” said the captain, “but his mother did; he was born with it. Oh, you solemn rogue, you⁠—you Bunger! was there ever such another Bunger in the watery world? Bunger, when you die, you ought to die in pickle, you dog; you should be preserved to future ages, you rascal.”

“What became of the White Whale?” now cried Ahab, who thus far had been impatiently listening to this byplay between the two Englishmen.

“Oh!” cried the one-armed captain, “oh, yes! Well; after he sounded, we didn’t see him again for some time; in fact, as I before hinted, I didn’t then know what whale it was that had served me such a trick, till some time afterwards, when coming back to the Line, we heard about Moby Dick⁠—as some call him⁠—and then I knew it was he.”

“Did’st thou cross his wake again?”

“Twice.”

“But could not fasten?”