Therewasastinginwhathesaid。Perhaps，afterall，Iwasplayingacowardlypart。AndthemoreIthoughtaboutitthemoreitappearedthatmydutytomyselflayindoingwhathehadadvised，layinjoiningforceswithJohnsonandLeachandworkingforhisdeath。Righthere，Ithink，enteredtheaustereconscienceofmyPuritanancestry，impellingmetowardluriddeedsandsanctioningevenmurderasrightconduct。Idweltupontheidea。Itwouldbeamostmoralacttoridtheworldofsuchamonster。
Humanitywouldbebetterandhappierforit，lifefairerandsweeter。
Ipondereditlong，lyingsleeplessinmybunkandreviewinginendlessprocessionthefactsofthesituation。ItalkedwithJohnsonandLeach，duringthenightwatcheswhenWolfLarsenwasbelow。Bothmenhadlosthope，——Johnson，becauseoftemperamentaldespondency；Leach，becausehehadbeatenhimselfoutinthevainstruggleandwasexhausted。Buthecaughtmyhandinapassionategriponenight，saying：
\"Ithinkyersquare，Mr。VanWeyden。Butstaywhereyouareandkeepyermouthshut。Saynothin’butsawwood。We’redeadmen，knowit；butallthesameyoumightbeabletodousafavorsometimewhenweneeditdamnbad。\"
Itwasonlynextday，whenWainwrightIslandloomedtowindward，closeabeam，thatWolfLarsenopenedhismouthinprophecy。HehadattackedJohnson，beenattackedbyLeach，andhadjustfinishedwhippingthepairofthem。