by a summary court
and condemned to death; and that the execution would take place in the early
morning watch. The word mutiny was not named in what he said. He refrained, too,
from making the occasion an opportunity for any preachment as to the maintenance
of discipline, thinking, perhaps, that under existing circumstances in the Navy
the consequence of violating discipline should be made to speak for itself.
    Their captain's announcement was listened to by the throng of standing
sailors in a dumbness like that of a seated congregation of believers in Hell
listening to their clergyman's announcement of his Calvinistic text.
    At the close, however, a confused murmur went up. It began to wax all but
instantly, then at a sign, was pierced and suppressed by shrill whistles of the
boatswain and his mates piping, »Down one watch.«
    To be prepared for burial Claggart's body was delivered to certain petty
officers of his mess. And here, not to clog the sequel with lateral matters, it
may be added that at a suitable hour, the master-at-arms was committed to the
sea with every funeral honour properly belonging to his naval grade.
    In this proceeding, as in every public one growing out of the tragedy,
strict adherence to usage was observed. Nor in any point could it have been at
all deviated from, either with respect to Claggart or Billy Budd, without
begetting undesirable speculations in the ship's company, sailors, and more
particularly man-of-war's men, being of all men the greatest sticklers for
usage.
    For similar cause all communication between Captain Vere and the condemned
one ended with the closeted interview already given, the latter being now
surrendered to the ordinary routine preliminary to the end. This transfer under
guard from the captain's quarters was effected without unusual precautions - at
least no visible ones.
    If possible, not to let the men so much as surmise that their officers
anticipate aught amiss from them, is the tacit rule in a military ship. And the
more that some sort of trouble should really be apprehended, the more do the
officers keep that apprehension to themselves; though not the less
unostentatious vigilance may be augmented.
    In the present instance the sentry placed over the prisoner had strict
orders to let no one have communication with him but the chaplain. And certain
unobtrusive measures were taken absolutely to ensure this point.
 

                                       XX

In a seventy-four of the old order the deck known as the upper gun-deck was the
one covered over by the spar-deck, which last, though not without its armament