It seemed that somewhat late on the afternoon of the day previous, while three of the stranger's boats were engaged with a shoal of whales, which had led them some four or five miles from the ship; and while they were yet in swift chase to windward, the white hump and head of Moby Dick had suddenly loomed up out of the blue water, not very far to leeward; whereupon, the fourth rigged boat — a reserved one — had been instantly lowered in chase. After a keen sail before the wind, this fourth boat — the swiftest keeled of all — seemed to have succeeded in fastening — at least, as well as the man at the mast-head could tell anything about it. In the distance he saw the diminished dotted boat; and then a swift gleam of bubbling white water; and after that nothing more; whence it was concluded that the stricken whale must have indefinitely run away with his pursuers, as often happens. There was some apprehension, but no positive alarm, as yet. The recall signals were placed in the rigging; darkness came on; and forced to pick up her three far to windward boats — ere going in quest of the fourth one in the precisely opposite direction — the ship had not only been necessitated to leave that boat to its fate till near midnight, but, for the time, to increase her distance from it. But the rest of her crew being at last safe aboard, she crowded all sail — stunsail on stunsail — after the missing boat; kindling a fire in her try-pots for a beacon; and every other man aloft on the look-out.
大概是前天傍晚时分，当时，这艘陌生船的三只小艇都在追击一群鲸，水手们直追赶得离开大船有四五英里远，正当它们还在向着上风穷追猛赶的时候，莫比－迪克那只白色背峰和头颅，突然间从海里悄然出现，在离下风不远的地方。因此，临时装备起来的第四只小艇——一只备用小艇——立刻被放下海去追击。这第四只小艇——最最快速的一只小艇——趁顺风一阵猛划后，至少照那个在桅顶上的人所能看到的情况说来，似乎已经把鲸拴住了。他看到那只小艇在老远的地方，逐渐缩成一个小点，后来一阵泡沫飞溅的白浪倏地一闪；就此再也看不到什么了。根据这个情况，大家认为，那条受伤的鲸一定是象往常一样，不知拖着那些追赶它的小艇逃到哪里去了。到目前为止，虽然有点叫人担心，却还没有教人惊恐的确凿证据。索具上已挂上召唤小艇回大船的信号旗；天也黑了；大船在到正相反的方向去找寻那第四只小艇之前，不得不先去料理远在上风处的三只小艇，这样一来，大船不仅只好暂时让那只小艇听天由命，待到午夜时分再说，而且越来越远离它了。后来，等到其余那些水手都平安上了船，它这才扯上所有的风帆——加上一片片的副帆——去寻找那只失落的小艇，还在炼油锅里烧起一锅火来做警标；所有的人都爬上桅顶去瞭望。