midnight
But to this their leader as fiercely objected , reserving that priority for himself ; particularly as his two comrades would not yield , the one to the other , in the matter ; and both of them could not be first , for the ladder would but admit one man at a time . And here , gentlemen , the foul play of these miscreants must come out . `` Upon hearing the frantic project of their leader , each in his own separate soul had suddenly lighted , it would seem , upon the same piece of treachery , namely : to be the foremost in breaking out , in order to be the first of the three , though the last of the ten , to surrender ; and thereby secure whatever small chance of pardon such conduct might merit . But when Steelkilt made known his determination still to lead them to the last , they in some way , by some subtle chemistry of villany , mixed their before secret treacheries together ; and when their leader fell into a doze , verbally opened their souls to each other in three sentences ; and bound the sleeper with cords , and gagged him with cords ; and shrieked out for the Captain at midnight . `` Thinking murder at hand , and smelling in the dark for the blood , he and all his armed mates and harpooneers rushed for the forecastle . In a few minutes the scuttle was opened , and , bound hand and foot , the still struggling ringleader was shoved up into the air by his perfidious allies , who at once claimed the honor of securing a man who had been fully ripe for murder . But all these were collared , and dragged along the deck like dead cattle ; and , side by side , were seized up into the mizzen rigging , like three quarters of meat , and there they hung till morning .