Yes he stole it. he was able to hide it
This expression means that you don’t have to make a decision right about a future problem. You should decide what to do about that problem when the problem is directly in front of you.
Once again, Melville devotes a chapter to the minutiae of the whaling industry, but in this case he extends his description of the whale line to its more metaphorical implications. Ishmael compares the whale line to a noose, and in turn compares this noose to the mortality of all humans. Once again, this metaphor takes on sinister implications, a reminder of impending death and destruction that may come at any moment.
