Epilouge

[ISHMAEL, spoken]
I treaded water as the ship sank
Kicked my legs and kept afloat
Finally the whirlpool of the sinking ship closed
And out popped Queequeg’s coffin
A lifebuoy
For one whole day and night I floated on the soft and dirge-like waves
On the second day, a sail!
It drew nearer and nearer and picked me up at last
It was the devious cruising Rachel
And in her retracing search after her missing children
Only found another orphan