The Town-Ho's Story — Moby-Dick

Not long after meeting the Goney, the Pequod gammed with another ship called the Town-Ho. That meeting brought news of Moby Dick. Ishmael later tells the full story to friends at the Golden Inn in Lima.

The public version is about a leak, a cruel mate, a mutiny, and the white whale. A darker secret part of the story never reached Captain Ahab. Only some Pequod sailors heard it from Tashtego and kept it forward of the main-mast.

Two years earlier the Town-Ho was leaking in the Pacific. The captain kept whaling anyway while the crew pumped. Mate Radney worried about the ship. Lakeman Steelkilt mocked him at the pumps.

After hard pumping, Radney ordered Steelkilt to sweep pig filth from the deck. Steelkilt refused. That was boys' work, not work for the head of a pump gang.

Radney came at him with a hammer. Steelkilt warned him to stop. When the hammer touched his face, Steelkilt smashed Radney's jaw.

Steelkilt and allies barricaded the forecastle. The captain threatened pistols. The mutineers demanded no flogging. Ten men were locked below. Some surrendered from hunger. Steelkilt held out until his own men betrayed him in sleep.

The captain flogged two traitors and meant to kill Steelkilt too. But a whisper from Steelkilt made the captain stop. Even so, injured Radney flogged him anyway.

Steelkilt secretly planned revenge. He made a weighted line and waited for Radney to doze on the rail at night.

Then a sailor shouted Moby Dick. Boats lowered. Radney's boat fastened to the whale. He ordered Steelkilt to pull him onto its back. The boat struck, Radney fell into the sea, and the white whale seized him.

Steelkilt cut the line and watched. Heaven, not his own hand, gave him revenge. The whale rose with shreds of Radney's red shirt in its teeth.

Later Steelkilt escaped with deserters. He even forced the captain to swear an oath on a Bible before letting him sail on.

At the Golden Inn Ishmael swears the tale is true. He knew the crew and has spoken with Steelkilt since Radney died. On Nantucket, Radney's widow still dreams of the whale that took him.