Final answer:
The provided text does not explicitly mention Snyder or a lifeboat incident, but suggests that maintaining a gun on others would be to ensure cooperation and order in a high-stress situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The text excerpts given allude to a tense situation where one individual, presumably Snyder, is maintaining control over others in a dire circumstance. However, there is no explicit mention of Snyder or a lifeboat scenario in the given text, leading to the conclusion that the actual answer to the student's question is not contained within the provided excerpts. The excerpts do describe high-stress moments where vigilant control and coordination among a group of individuals are crucial, be it for survival or for a combat scenario. The context seems to imply that keeping a gun trained on the others would be a means of maintaining order and ensuring cooperation, possibly in a life-threatening situation where trust amongst the individuals could be wavering due to fear, suspicion, fatigue, or high stakes.