Every man aboard the Sally had a direct and personal interest in Brander's find of ambergris. And the matter of their debate was this: was the ambergris the property of the Sally, a fruit of the voyage; or was it Brander's? If it was a part of the profits of the cruise, they would all share in it. If it was Brander's, they would not....
Brander—and this word had gone around the ship—had spoken of it as his own. For which some condemned and hated him; some praised and chose to flatter him. If the worth of the stuff was divided between them all, Noll Wing and Dan'l Tobey would have the lion's share, and the men forward would have no more than the price of a debauch. If it were Brander's alone, they might beg or steal a larger share from him. Or—and not a few had this thought—they might seize the whole treasure and make off with it....
The possibilities were infinite; the potentialities for trouble were enormous.
This new tension aboard the Sally came to a head in the cabin; the very air there was charged with it. Dan'l and old Tichel were against Brander from the first; Cox was inclined to support him. Dan'l sought to sound Noll Wing and learn his attitude....
He said to Noll casually, one day: "The 'gris will make this a fat cruise, sir."
Noll nodded. "Oh, aye.... No doubt!"
Dan'l looked away. "Of course, Brander doesn't intend to claim it all.... To push his claim...."
"Ye think not?" Noll asked anxiously.
"No," said Dan'l. "He knows he can't.... It's a part of the takings of the Sally...."
Noll wagged his head dolefully: "Aye, but will the man see it that way?"