“Take another pledge, old man,” said the Parsee, as his eyes lighted up like fire-flies in the gloom — “Hemp only can kill thee.”

“The gallows, ye mean. — I am immortal then, on land and on sea,” cried Ahab, with a laugh of derision; — “Immortal on land and on sea!”

Both were silent again, as one man.

The grey dawn came on, and the slumbering crew arose from the boat’s bottom, and ere noon the dead whale was brought to the ship.