233 
THE WHITE WHALE 
of the mutineers bolted up into the air from the desperate arms 
below that sought to restrain them. Only three were left. 
“ ‘Better turn to now V said the Captain with a heartless jeer. 
“ ‘Shut us up again, will ye!’ cried Steelkilt. 
“ ‘Oh, certainly,’ said the Captain, and the key clicked. 
“It was at this point, gentlemen, that enraged by the defection 
of seven of his former associates, and stung by the mocking voice 
that had last hailed him, and maddened by his long emtombment in 
a place as black as the bowels of despair; it was then that Steelkilt 
proposed to the two Canallers, thus far apparent of one mind with him, 
to burst out of their hole at the next summoning of the garrison; 
and armed with their keen mincing knifes (long, crescentic, heavy 
implements with a handle at each end) run amuck from the bow- 
sprit to the taffrail ; and if by any devilishness of desperation possible, 
seize the ship. For himself, he would do this, he said, whether they 
joined him or not. That was the last night he should spend in that 
den. But the scheme met with no opposition on the part of the other 
two; they swore they were ready for that, or for any other mad thing, 
for anything in short but a surrender. And what was more, they each 
insisted upon being the first man on deck, when the time to make 
the rush should come. But to this their leader as fiercely objected, 
reserving that priority for himself; particularly as his two comrades 
would not yield, the one to the other, in the matter; and both of them 
could not be first, for the ladder would but admit one man at a time. 
And here, gentlemen, the foul play of these miscreants must come out. 
“Upon hearing the frantic project of their leader, each in his own 
separate soul had suddenly lighted, it would seem, upon the same piece 
of treachery, namely; to be foremost in breaking out, in order to 
be the first of the three, though the last of the ten, to surrender; 
and thereby secure whatever small chance of pardon such conduct 
might merit. But when Steelkilt made known his determination still 
to lead them to the last, they in some way, by some subtle chemistry 
of villainy, mixed their before secret treacheries together; and when 
their leader fell into a doze, verbally opened their souls to each other 
in three sentences; and bound the sleeper with cords and gagged him 
with cords, and shrieked out for the Captain at midnight. 
