|
The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad: he slipped out of the cabin. The mate observed regretfully
that he "could not account for that young fellow's whims."
What prevented him telling us all about it at once,
he wanted to know.
I detained him as he was making a move. For the last two days the crew had
had plenty of hard work, and the night before they had very little sleep.
I felt painfully that I--a stranger--was doing something unusual when I
directed him to let all hands turn in without setting an anchor watch.
I proposed to keep on deck myself till one o'clock or thereabouts.
I would get the second mate to relieve me at that hour.
"He will turn out the cook and the steward at four," I concluded,
The Secret Sharer | 
