`Thelittleengineerwhimperedlikeachild，butbrokenarmandall，heturnedouttheleastcravenofthelotasitseems，and，actually，musteredenoughplucktorunanerrandtotheengine-room。Notrifle，itmustbeownedinfairnesstohim。Jimtoldmehedarteddesperatelookslikeacorneredman，gaveonelowwail，anddashedoff。Hewasbackinstantlyclambering，hammerinhand，andwithoutapauseflunghimselfatthebolt。
TheothersgaveupJimatonceandranofftoassist。Heheardthetap，tapofthehammer，thesoundofthereleasedchockfallingover。Theboatwasclear。Onlythenheturnedtolook——onlythen。Buthekepthisdistance——hekepthisdistance。Hewantedmetoknowhehadkepthisdistance；thattherewasnothingincommonbetweenhimandthesemen——whohadthehammer。
Nothingwhatever。Itismorethanprobablehethoughthimselfcutofffromthembyaspacethatcouldnotbetraversed，byanobstaclethatcouldnotbeovercome，byachasmwithoutbottom。Hewasasfarashecouldgetfromthem——thewholebreadthoftheship。
`Hisfeetweregluedtothatremotespotandhiseyestotheirindistinctgroupbowedtogetherandswayingstrangelyinthecommontormentoffear。
Ahand-lamplashedtoastanchionabovealittletableriggeduponthebridge——thePatnahadnochart-roomamidships——threwalightontheirlabouringshoulders，ontheirarchedandbobbingbacks。Theypushedatthebowoftheboat；theypushedoutintothenight；theypushed，andwouldnomorelookbackathim。Theyhadgivenhimupasifindeedhehadbeentoofar，toohopelesslyseparatedfromthemselves，tobeworthanappealingword，aglance，orasign。Theyhadnoleisuretolookbackuponhispassiveheroism，tofeelthestingofhisabstention。Theboatwasheavy；theypushedatthebowwithnobreathtospareforanencouragingword：buttheturmoilofterrorthathadscatteredtheirself-controllikechaffbeforethewind，convertedtheirdesperateexertionsintoabitoffooling，uponmywordfitforknockaboutclownsinafarce。Theypushedwiththeirhands，withtheirheads，theypushedfordearlifewithalltheweightoftheirbodies，theypushedwithallthemightoftheirsouls——onlynosoonerhadtheysucceededincantingthestemclearofthedavitthantheywouldleaveofflikeonemanandstartawildscrambleintoher。Asanaturalconsequencetheboatwouldswinginabruptly，drivingthemback，helplessandjostlingagainsteachother。Theywouldstandnonplussedforawhile，exchanginginfiercewhispersalltheinfamousnamestheycouldcalltomind，andgoatitagain。Threetimesthisoccurred。Hedescribedittomewithmorosethoughtfulness。Hehadn’tlostasinglemovementofthatcomicbusiness。“Iloathedthem。Ihatedthem。Ihadtolookatallthat，“hesaidwithoutemphasis，turninguponmeasombrelywatchfulglance。