Bartleby the Scrivener: A Tale of Wall Street

144 THE PIAZZA TALES
this time the cable of the San Dominick had been cut ;
and the fag-end, in lashing out, whipped away the
canvas shroud about the beak, suddenly revealing, as
the bleached hull swung round toward the open ocean,
death for the figure-head, in a human skeleton ; chalky
comment on the chalked words below, '
Follow your
leader.'
At the sight, Don Benito, covering his face, wailed
out :
friend !
'
'Tis he, Aranda !
'
my
murdered, unburied
Upon reaching the sealer, calling for ropes, Captain
Delano bound the negro, who made no resistance, and
had him hoisted to the deck. He would then have
assisted the now almost helpless Don Benito up the
side but Don ;
Benito, wan as he was, refused to move,
or be moved, until the negro should have been first put
below out of view. When, presently assured that it
was done, he no more shrank from the ascent.
The boat was immediately dispatched back to pick
up the three swimming sailors. Meantime, the guns
were in readiness, though, owing to the San Dominick
having glided somewhat astern of the sealer, only the
aftermost one could be brought to bear. With this,
they fired six times ; thinking to cripple the fugitive
ship by bringing down her spars. But only a few
inconsiderable ropes were shot away. Soon the ship
was beyond the gun's range, steering broad out of the
bay ; the blacks thickly clustering round the bowsprit,
one moment with taunting cries toward the whites, the
next with upthrown gestures hailing the now dusky
moors of ocean—
cawing crows escaped from the hand
of the fowler.
The first impulse was to slip the cables and give chase.
But, upon second thoughts, to pursue with whale-boat
and yawl seemed more promising.