Final answer:
The provided excerpts depict the cook as focused on survival activities aboard a dingey, like bailing water and seeking warmth. He does not interact with a sailor's carcass but instead seeks comfort sleeping beside the oiler and dreams of simple pleasures like pie.
Step-by-step explanation:
The excerpt provided suggests that the cook aboard the dingey is involved in various activities to help ensure the survival and comfort of himself and the other men during their perils at sea. The cook does not do anything to a sailor's carcass, but rather is shown tied with a life-belt to stay warm, sleeping beside the oiler, bailing out water from their dingey, and being instructed to paddle on his back like a canoe in the water. Additionally, we see the cook involved in guarding against the birds and sharing in the general struggle for survival.
The cook is depicted as resourceful and cooperative, partaking in conversations about simple pleasures like pie, which reflect the men's yearning for normalcy in the face of their dire circumstances. Each action the cook takes—whether it is bailing water to prevent the dingey from sinking, seeking warmth with a life-belt, or taking turns to row and keep them afloat—contributes to the collective effort for survival.