Chapter 115: CXIII

CXIII The Forge With matted beard, and swathed in a bristling sharkskin apron, about midday, Perth was standing between his forge and anvil, the latter placed upon an ironwood log, with one hand holding a pike-head in the coals, and with the other at his forge’s lungs, when Captain Ahab came along, carrying in his hand a small rusty-looking leathern bag. While yet a little distance from the forge, moody Ahab paused; till at last, Perth, withdrawing his iron from the fire, began hammering …