What role does whitney play in the story the most dangerous game by richard connell

Whitney is Rainsford’s hunting partner, and he gets about, oh, three lines in the entire story. His main role is to set up Rainsford's character by being a contrast. Whitney believes that jaguars and prey in general experience “The fear of pain and the fear of death,” and therefore deserve a little sympathy.

But he goes downstairs before Rainsford falls over the side of the yacht, and then presumably heads off to hunt those poor, sympathetic jaguars.