meanwhile stubb, the third mate, betrayed no such far-gazing solicitudes. the whales might have made one of their regular soundings, not a temporary dive from mere fright; and if that were the case, stubb, as his wont in such cases, it seems, was resolved to solace the languishing interval with his pipe. he withdrew it from his hatband, where he always wore it aslant like a feather. he loaded it, and rammed home the loading with his thumb-end; but hardly had he ignited his match across the rough sandpaper of his hand, when tashtego, his harpooneer, whose eyes had been setting to windward like two fixed stars, suddenly dropped like light from his erect attitude to his seat, crying out in a quick phrensy of hurry, "down, down all, and give way!—there they are!"