Chapter 29

by Herman Melville

　　The symmetry of form attainable in pure fiction can not so readily beachieved in a narration essentially having less to do with fable thanwith fact. Truth uncompromisingly told will always have its raggededges; hence the conclusion of such a narration is apt to be lessfinished than an architectural finial.How it fared with the Handsome Sailor during the year of the GreatMutiny has been faithfully given. But tho' properly the story ends withhis life, something in way of sequel will not be amiss. Three briefchapters will suffice.In the general re-christening under the Directory of the craftoriginally forming the navy of the French monarchy, the St. Louisline-of-battle ship was named the Atheiste. Such a name, like someother substituted ones in the Revolutionary fleet, while proclaiming theinfidel audacity of the ruling power was yet, tho' not so intended tobe, the aptest name, if one consider it, ever given to a war-ship; farmore so indeed than the Devastation, the Erebus (the Hell) andsimilar names bestowed upon fighting-ships.On the return-passage to the English fleet from the detached cruiseduring which occurred the events already recorded, the Indomitablefell in with the Atheiste. An engagement ensued; during which CaptainVere, in the act of putting his ship alongside the enemy with a view ofthrowing his boarders across her bulwarks, was hit by a musket-ball froma port-hole of the enemy's main cabin. More than disabled he dropped tothe deck and was carried below to the same cock-pit where some of hismen already lay. The senior Lieutenant took command. Under him the enemywas finally captured and though much crippled was by rare good fortunesuccessfully taken into Gibraltar, an English port not very distant fromthe scene of the fight. There, Captain Vere with the rest of the woundedwas put ashore. He lingered for some days, but the end came. Unhappilyhe was cut off too early for the Nile and Trafalgar. The spirit thatspite its philosophic austerity may yet have indulged in the most secretof all passions, ambition, never attained to the fulness of fame.Not long before death, while lying under the influence of thatmagical drug which soothing the physical frame mysteriously operates onthe subtler element in man, he was heard to murmur words inexplicable tohis attendant -- "Billy Budd, Billy Budd." That these were not theaccents of remorse, would seem clear from what the attendant said to theIndomitable's senior officer of marines who, as the most reluctant tocondemn of the members of the drum-head court, too well knew, tho' herehe kept the knowledge to himself, who Billy Budd was.