Of the four men on the boat, it can easily be said that the tanker, Billy, is the strongest and hardest working. In fact, the narrator of the story describes him several times as “busy” (Crane 605). When the men swim to safety, it is the tanker who swims with the hardest blows. However, of the four men, the tanker was the only one to die. This sudden change in events only reiterates one point: nature is indifferent. If nature had cared, the tanker certainly wouldn't have been the one to die, given his accomplishments and skills. It is assumed that nature does not care who it kills. For her, our merits are