During the ambergris matter, Stubb’s after-oarsman seriously sprained his hand, causing the second mate to assign little Pip to his boat. On his second outing, Pip leaps from the boat after it is struck by a whale and becomes tangled in the line so that Tashtego has to cut the rope, freeing Pip and saving his life but also liberating the whale. Stubb warns Pip never to do that again, or he will be abandoned at sea. Soon thereafter, Pip jumps again and is left alone on the ocean for a considerable time. When the Pequod finally picks him up, Pip has drastically changed.
