He heard, at last, the muffled sound of a snore; and so covered the last inches of his way more quickly. When he was able to look into the place, he saw that two of the men were in their bunks, apparently asleep. The black whom he had brought from the Nathan Ross was not there. Joel was glad to think he was on deck; glad to hope for the chance of his help....
With steps so slow he seemed like a shadow in the semi-darkness, he crossed to the foot of the ladder that led to the deck. The men in their bunks still slept. He began to climb.... The ship was rolling heavily, so that he was forced to grip the ladder tightly.... One of the sleepers stirred, and Joel froze where he stood, and watched, and waited for endless seconds till the man became quiet once more.
He climbed till his head was on a level with the deck still hidden by the sides of the scuttle at the top of the ladder. And there he poised himself; for the last steps to the deck must be made in a single rush, so quickly that interference would be impossible....
He made them; one ... three.... He stood upon the deck, looked aft....
Mark and Jim Finch stood there, not ten feet away from him. Finch’s back was turned, but Mark saw Joel instantly; and Joel, watching, saw Mark’s mouth widen in a broad and mischievously delighted smile.
XVI
At the moment when Joel reached the deck, the other men aboard the Nathan Ross were widely scattered.
Varde, the second mate, he had left tied and helpless in the cabin. Two of the four harpooners were below in their bunks, asleep. The greater part of one watch was likewise below, in the fo’c’s’le; and the rest of the crew, under Dick Morrell’s eye, were shortening sail. In the after part of the ship there were only Mark Shore, Finch, a foremast hand at the wheel, old Aaron Burnham, and the cook. Of these, Mark, Jim, and the man at the wheel were in sight when Joel appeared; and only Mark had seen him.