Flings at the world

I would rather feel your spine than your skull, whoever you are. A thin joist of a spine never yet upheld a full and noble soul. I rejoice in my spine, as in the firm audacious staff of that flag which I fling half out to the world. --Moby-Dick, chapter 80 - The Nut 

Friend. — You are a monomaniac, by Jove! incapable of argument, or even conversation. 

" I detest argument! it is the favorite resort of fools, to convince — themselves."

"I am only in a mood; buoyant and bitter; tameless as the Arab coursing his native desert; free as yonder soaring eagle! it's this wild mountain air ! Let us have a fling at the world, — the poor dollar-dealing sinners, cooped up in their great dens — " 

Friend. — But you began by a fling at me —

"Only a love tap, Friend; my way of argument. Let us with the desert's freedom joyously flout convention and opinion—upstart usurpers!—let us make mocking sport of the prosaic solemnity of ignorant prejudice;—let us shoot popguns, at least, against the solid bulwarks where folly and selfishness sit enthroned!"

Friend.—Then fire away—though hang me if I know what you would be at. "
-- Scenes and Adventures in the Army page 355.

The narrator's "fling at the world" was added in revision of the dialogue between C. and F. (for "Frank,"  the Captain's imaginary friend) that had been printed in the August 1852 installment of Scenes Beyond the Western Border:

F.  "When I have you committed, fairly pinned in contradiction, you fly off into a maze of extravagant fancies, where I should be lost as well if I followed." 

C. "And get the best of it! Ah! my good friend, let this wild mountain air have fair play; let us with the desert's freedom joyously flout convention and opinion—upstart usurpers—let us make mocking sport of the prosaic solemnity of ignorant prejudice;—let us shoot popguns at least, against the solid bulwarks where folly and selfishness sit enthroned!"

F. "Then fire away!—though hang me if I know what you mean."

-- Scenes Beyond the Western Border, August 1852