. And Joel said again:

"Come here, Mr. Finch."

Joel's composure, and the determination and the confidence in his tone,
frightened Finch. He clamored suddenly: "How did he get here, Captain
Shore? Jump him. Tie him up--you--Aaron...."

He appealed to the man at the wheel, and to old Aaron, who had appeared
in the doorway of the tiny compartment where his tools were stored.
Neither stirred. Mark Shore, chuckling, stared at Finch and at Joel; and
Finch cried:

"Captain Shore. Come on. Let's get him...."

Joel said for the third time: "Come here, Finch."

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