The Secret Sharer

The Secret Sharer Summary | Part 1 Summary

The story is told in first person from the point of view of the ship's captain, although his name is never stated. As the story opens, he is aboard the ship, looking around and describing the scenery. To one side, he sees small pieces of land or islets and to the other side, nothing but the stable, crisp, clear ocean. The tug that had brought the boat to its present location is now leaving, and there is a sense of a new beginning, of embarking on a new journey.

The captain briefly introduces his main officers who are the chief mate and second mate. The chief mate is described as having an abundant amount of whiskers and is characterized as a rather comical character; a person who finds it necessary to find a logical reason for every single occurrence that ever comes his way. For example, he attempts to explain the logical reason how a scorpion could have found its way into the inkwell of his writing desk. This caused him much mental anguish, as it was a task that strained him a great deal; he wouldn't let it go, but just had to find an answer. The second mate is described as young and round-cheeked, quiet and serious. He's wise beyond his years.

The captain informs the reader that he had been appointed captain only two weeks before this day. Therefore being new to the position, he was the "odd ball" or the one who had to learn how to effectively manage his crew. You see, the rest of the crew had been together for about eighteen months already so the captain feels like he's a definite stranger on board - odd man out. What makes it even more difficult for the captain is that he is the youngest of the crew. A young captain delegating and giving orders to elders can sometimes signify tension and frustration on both parts - the delegator and those being delegated to. The second mate is the next youngest aboard.

The three officers have a short meeting together where they discuss the presence of a nearby ship that is approaching dangerously close. What in the world do they want? After the chief mate makes his attempt at figuring out its size and purpose, the second mate tells them that the skipper of the tugboat informs him that the name of the ship is Sephora; it is carrying a cargo of coal.

After their informal meeting, the captain mentions his awareness at how hard the crew has been working, which is practically non-stop for the past two days. Each has had very little sleep the night before, so the captain directed his chief mate "to let all hands turn in without setting an anchor watch." At the same time, the captain acknowledges that he is well aware of the fact that he was doing something rather unusual. Regardless, the captain still insisted upon complete obedience with this request. In turn, the captain, himself, volunteers to remain on deck 'til about one o'clock, at which time the second mate insisted that he would relieve him. The chief mate and the rest of the crew seemed astonished at the captain's request as well.

The strangeness of both himself and his arrangement kept the captain wide-awake and totally sleepless as he walked along the deck that night. He watched the nearby ship he had discussed earlier with his officers and came to the conclusion that it was like other ships; its men were like other men, and he relaxed in the fact that the sea would most likely not hold any discomforting surprises. With this thought, he went below to get himself a cigar, noticing all around him the loud snoring sounds of his crew sleeping soundly.

As the captain arrives back up to the top deck, he seems to take in the encompassment of his situation in the middle of the ocean. He emphasizes the stillness of the atmosphere: profoundly silent and completely calm. To him this brings with it a complete sense of security. Peace. The captain continues to methodically pace the deck. Without thinking much about it, the captain comes upon the rope ladder, located on the side of the ship. It had been left hanging over the outside of the ship.

When the captain wholeheartedly attempts to pull the ladder back into the ship, expecting it to be an easy task since the ladder is not a heavy one, he is very surprised to find that it is too heavy to pull over. Astonished at his inability to complete his task, the captain impatiently looks over the side of the ship and to his amazement, he sees something long and pale floating very close to the ladder. Upon closer inspection, the captain is able to identify the floating object as the naked body of a man. Astonished at the gruesome sight, at first the captain thinks his eyes are playing games with him. He must be hallucinating for he sees a headless corpse. But then with swiftness, the captain's eyes focus clearly, and he is able to make out a black-haired head on a seemingly lifeless body.

In an ordinary tone the captain barks to the stranger, "What's the matter?" The lifeless body replies simply, "Cramp," and then adds, a little bit anxiously that there is no need to call anyone. The captain assures him he has no plans of calling anyone. Next, the stranger boldly asks if the captain has turned in. "Might you call him out quietly, sir?" The captain informs the man that he is, in fact, the captain. This statement completely surprises the man. My, my, he didn't look like a captain - so young, friendly and astute, the stranger thought to himself.

The stranger identifies himself as "Legatt," in a firm yet calm voice. Legatt informs the captain that he has been swimming since nine o'clock. His question is whether he will let go of the ladder and swim till exhaustion or is he able and welcome to come aboard the ship? Upoon conclusion of their conversation, Legatt begins to climb up the ladder. Just has he does, the captain departs quickly to get him some clothes, making sure his crew is still sleeping as soundly as before. The captain kindly brings Legatt of his sleeping suits from his room. And now that he is aboard the ship, the captain takes in his full features and determines all is calm. Legatt can be described as: no older than twenty-five, with regular features, light eyes, heavy, dark eyebrows, and a small, brown moustache. The captain's sleeping suit fit him perfectly.

Legatt informs the captain that he has escaped from the nearby ship, the Sephora. When the captain asks why, Legatt says he killed a man, and goes on to tell his fascinating story. The man he killed, he explains, was someone who has no business to live at all; he wouldn't do his job nor would he allow other people to do theirs. The murder took place during a huge storm. Legatt had taken the man by the neck and had gripped him so tightly that when the ship was hit by a large wave, and the water had finally washed away, he was still holding the man by the neck. The crew found them underneath a pile of debris. When they were found, the man was black in the face, and the crew went wild yelling, "Murderer!"

With this bold declaration and no ability to defend himself, Legatt was informed that since had killed a man, he could no longer act as chief mate of the ship, which had, until then, been his position.

After his story, the captain remained calm. He politely informed Legatt that he'd better head down to his stateroom for rest. The captain's room was laid out in the shape of an "L." It had a good amount of privacy as anyone who opened the door had no view of the long part of the "L." Before Legatt headed down to the stateroom, the captain remarked that Legatt's face was awfully thin; his sunburn was faded as if he had been ill. Legatt then informed the captain that this was the result of being kept under arrest in his cabin for almost seven weeks. There was, however, nothing sickly in his eyes or in his expression, the captain noted.

Legatt then went on to share the story of his arrest, and of his escape, which occurred one night when his room door was left unlocked. He had wandered up to the main deck and as he looked down into the water, he found he'd jumped off the side, acting mostly on impulse. It was too quick a reaction versus a conscious decision to jump, that's for sure, Legatt informed the captain. The crew aboard the Sephora heard the splash and began to yell, "Suicide!"

But as Legatt explains, it is very difficult for a swimmer as well versed he is with the water, to actually succeed at committing suicide by drowning. Legatt swam and swam. Eventually he took of his clothing, tied it to a stone and let it sink into the sea so that it may never be found. This way, he figured, the Sephora crew could continue to believe he had committed suicide.

Legatt had continued to swim day and night, on and on, and then he experienced a great sense of relief upon spotting the riding light on the captain's ship. He had been about to panic, but instead swam straight for the light, happy to finally having a destination to swim toward. "And that is how you found me, hanging on the ladder," Legatt replied..

Upon completion of his tale of woe, the captain gives the exhausted man a lift into his bed and draws the curtain around it. He then dozes off to sleep himself on his couch. All of a sudden, the captain is awakened by the steward who is knocking on his door. The captain calls for him to enter. He is very careful, however, not to allow the steward to see Legatt, his sleeping companion. Trying to skirt around the awkwardness of the situation, the captain does indeed acknowledge his awareness that the steward must be suspicious as to why the captain chose to draw the curtain around his bed before falling asleep on the couch. Whew! The captain makes it through the awkward situation and dismisses the steward.

The captain then makes his appearance on deck. Upon his arrival on deck, the captain notices his chief mate has sort of a curiosity in his eye which both perplexed and angered him. In order to avoid speaking to him, the captain immediately gave him an order as he approached.

At the end of Part 1, the captain has just received news that there is a boat heading their way. The captain orders the crew to get the ladder over, and they all head up on deck. Is it the Sephora?