Finch held out a hand to Mark, appealingly. Mark shook his head. "This is
your affair, Finch," he said. "Go get him, yourself. He's waiting for
you. And--you're twice his size."
Give Finch his due. With even moral support behind him, he would have
overwhelmed Joel in a single rush. Without that support, he would still
have faced any reasonable attack. But there was something baffling about
Joel's movements, his tones, the manner of his command, that stupefied
Finch. He felt that he was groping in the dark. The mutiny must have
collapsed.... It may have been only a snare to trap him.... He was
alone--against Joel, and with none to support him....
Finch's courage was not of the solitary kind. He took one slow step
toward Joel, and in that single step was surrender.
Joel stood still, but his eyes held the big man's; and he said curtly:
"Quickly, Finch."
Finch took another lagging step, another....
Joel dropped his hand in his coat pocket and drew out a pair of irons. He
tossed them toward Finch; and the mate shrank, and the irons struck him
in the body and fell to the deck. He stared down at them, stared at Joel.
Joel said: "Pick them up. Snap one on your right wrist. Then put your
arms around the davit, there, and snap the other...."
Finch shook his head in a bewildered way, as though trying to understand;
and abruptly, a surge of honest anger swept him, and he stiffened, and
wheeled to rush at Joel. But Joel made no move either to retreat or to
meet the attack; and Finch, like a huge and baffled bear, slumped again,
and slowly stooped, and gathered up the handcuffs....
With them in his hands, he looked again at Joel; and for a long moment
their eyes battled. Then Joel stepped forward, touched Finch lightly on
the arm, and guided him toward the rail. Finch was absolutely
unresisting. The sap had gone out of him....
Joel drew the man's arms around the davit, and snapped the irons upon his
wrist. Finch was fast there, out of whatever action there was to come.
And Joel's lips tightened with relief. He stepped back....
He saw, then, that some of the crew had heard, and three or four of them
were gathering amidships, near the try works. The two harpooners were
there; and one of them was that black whom Joel had brought from the
_Martin Wilkes_, and in whom he placed some faith. He eyed these men for
a moment, wondering whether they were nerved to strike....
But they did not stir, they did not move toward him; and he guessed they
were as stupefied as Finch by what had happened. So long as the men aft
allowed him to go free, they would not interfere. They did not
understand; and without understanding, they were helpless.
He turned his back on them, and looked toward Mark.
Mark Shore had watched Joel's encounter with Finch in frank enjoyment.
Such incidents pleased him; they appealed to his love for the bold and
daring facts of life.... He had smiled.
But now Joel saw that he had stepped back a little, perhaps by accident.
He was behind the man at the wheel, behind the spot where Aaron Burnham
stood. He was standing almost against the after rail, in the narrow
corridor that runs fore and aft through the after house....
The pistols were in his belt, and the two rifles leaned on the rail at
his side. Mark himself was standing at ease, his arms relaxed, his hands
resting lightly on his hips and his feet apart. He swayed to the movement
of the ship, balancing with the unconscious ease of long custom.
Joel went toward him, not slowly, yet without haste. He passed old Aaron
with no word, passed the wheelman, and faced his brother. They were
scarce two feet apart when he stopped; and there were no others near
enough to hear, above the slashing of the seas and the whistle of the
wind, his low words.
He said: "Mark, you've made a mistake. A bad mistake. In--starting this
mutiny."
Mark smiled slowly. "That's a hard word, Joel. It's in my mind that if
this is mutiny, it's a very peaceful model."
"Nevertheless, it is just that," said Joel. "It is that, and it is also a
mistake. And--you are wise man enough to see this. There is still time to
remedy the thing. It can be forgotten."