Chapter 24

by Herman Melville

　　Of a series of incidents within a brief term rapidly following eachother, the adequate narration may take up a term less brief, especiallyif explanation or comment here and there seem requisite to the betterunderstanding of such incidents. Between the entrance into the cabin ofhim who never left it alive, and him who when he did leave it left it asone condemned to die; between this and the closeted interview justgiven, less than an hour and a half had elapsed. It was an interval longenough however to awaken speculations among no few of the ship's companyas to what it was that could be detaining in the cabin theMaster-at-arms and the sailor; for a rumor that both of them had beenseen to enter it and neither of them had been seen to emerge, this rumorhad got abroad upon the gun decks and in the tops; the people of a greatwar-ship being in one respect like villagers taking microscopic note ofevery outward movement or non-movement going on. When therefore inweather not at all tempestuous all hands were called in the seconddog-watch, a summons under such circumstances not usual in those hours,the crew were not wholly unprepared for some announcement extraordinary,one having connection too with the continued absence of the two men fromtheir wonted haunts.There was a moderate sea at the time; and the moon, newly risen andnear to being at its full, silvered the white spar-deck wherever notblotted by the clear-cut shadows horizontally thrown of fixtures andmoving men. On either side of the quarter-deck, the marine guard underarms was drawn up; and Captain Vere standing in his place surrounded byall the ward-room officers, addressed his men. In so doing his mannershowed neither more nor less than that properly pertaining to hissupreme position aboard his own ship. In clear terms and concise he toldthem what had taken place in the cabin; that the Master-at-arms wasdead; that he who had killed him had been already tried by a summarycourt and condemned to death; and that the execution would take place inthe early morning watch. The word mutiny was not named in what hesaid. He refrained too from making the occasion an opportunity for anypreachment as to the maintenance of discipline, thinking perhaps thatunder existing circumstances in the navy the consequence of violatingdiscipline should be made to speak for itself.Their Captain's announcement was listened to by the throng ofstanding sailors in a dumbness like that of a seated congregation ofbelievers in hell listening to the clergyman's announcement of hisCalvinistic text.At the close, however, a confused murmur went up. It began to wax.All but instantly, then, at a sign, it was pierced and suppressed byshrill whistles of the Boatswain and his Mates piping down one watch.To be prepared for burial Claggart's body was delivered to certainpetty-officers of his mess. And here, not to clog the sequel withlateral matters, it may be added that at a suitable hour, theMaster-at-arms was committed to the sea with every funeral honorproperly belonging to his naval grade.In this proceeding as in every public one growing out of thetragedy, strict adherence to usage was observed. Nor in any point couldit have been at all deviated from, either with respect to Claggart orBilly Budd, without begetting undesirable speculations in the ship'scompany, sailors, and more particularly men-of-war's-men, being of allmen the greatest sticklers for usage.For similar cause, all communication between Captain Vere and thecondemned one ended with the closeted interview already given, thelatter being now surrendered to the ordinary routine preliminary to theend. This transfer under guard from the Captain's quarters was effectedwithout unusual precautions -- at least no visible ones.If possible, not to let the men so much as surmise that theirofficers anticipate aught amiss from them is the tacit rule in amilitary ship. And the more that some sort of trouble should really beapprehended the more do the officers keep that apprehension tothemselves; tho' not the less unostentatious vigilance may be augmented.In the present instance the sentry placed over the prisoner hadstrict orders to let no one have communication with him but theChaplain. And certain unobtrusive measures were taken absolutely toinsure this point.