Chapter 27, "The Search" Summary

As the seas become rough and flat gray clouds close in, sailors collect keys, distribute tags, and curse. Willie interviews all the men in his department and takes a large cardboard carton with 400 tagged keys to the captain's cabin and dumps them on his bunk. Willie goes out on deck in the rough weather. The sea is Willie's constant, remaining larger than Queeg. It is still raining the next morning when the Caine reaches Guam and ties up next to the destroyer Harte. Queeg posts armed guards to prevent anybody from passing the key to a friend on the destroyer. He sends Jorgensen to the Harte and asks the chief censor to notify the captain if any keys appear in the Harte's mail. Willie helps Ducely pack to go to the beach with the Harte's boat...