"Great God! but for one single instant show thyself," cried Starbuck; "never, never wilt thou capture him, old man-In Jesus' name no more of this, that's worse than devil's madness. Two days chased; twice stove to splinters; thy very leg once more snatched from under thee; thy evil shadow gone-all good angels mobbing thee with warnings:-what more wouldst thou have?-Shall we keep chasing this murderous fish till he swamps the last man? Shall we be dragged by him to the bottom of the sea? Shall we be towed by him to the infernal world? Oh, oh,-Impiety and blasphemy to hunt him more!"
Musing: Starbuck tries to reason with Ahab after Ahab claims that, in spite of all the damage to the boats and the missing mysterious Fedallah, Moby-Dick will be found. And Starbuck sounds logical to me. But all the questions he asks - will Ahab ignore the warnings, will Ahab keep chasing the whale even while he has lost his leg again, will the ship be dragged down by Moby-Dick to the bottom of the sea - seem to already be answered. It's simply a matter of time now. Fate raises it's head once again.