Part 42 (1/2)

The fierce winter had now descended upon us Gale followed gale, with snow and sleet and rain The seals had started on their great southern ration, and the rookery was practically deserted I worked feverishly In spite of the bad weather, and of the hich especially hinderedsubstantial progress

I profited bytheuys To the top of the foremast, which was just lifted conveniently fro, stays and throat and peak halyards As usual, I had underrated the amount of work involved in this portion of the task, and two long days were necessary to complete it And there was so much yet to be done-the sails, for instance, which practically had to bethe fore and come to my assistance when more hands than tere required The canvas was heavy and hard, and she seith the regular sailor's palm and three-cornered sail-needle Her hands were soon sadly blistered, but she struggled bravely on, and in addition doing the cooking and taking care of the sickfor superstition,” I said on Fridaywas ready for the atte the boom-tackle to the windlass, I hoisted thethis tackle fast, I took to the windlass the shears-tackle (which was connected with the end of the boom), and with a few turns had the mast perpendicular and clear

Maud clapped her hands the instant she was relieved fro:

”It works! It works! We'll trust our lives to it!”

Then she assumed a rueful expression

”It's not over the hole,” she add ”Will you have to begin all over?”

I s off on one of the boo the mast perfectly in the centre of the deck Still it was not over the hole Again the rueful expression ca away on the boo an equivalent aht the butt of the mast into position directly over the hole in the deck Then I gave Maud careful instructions for lowering away and went into the hold to the step on the schooner's bottom

I called to her, and the ht toward the square hole of the step the square butt descended; but as it descended it sloisted so that square would not fit into square But I had not even a , I went on deck andhitch I left Maud to pull on it while I went below By the light of the lantern I saw the butt twist slowly around till its sides coincided with the sides of the step Maud made fast and returned to the windlass Slowly the butt descended the several intervening inches, at the saain Maud rectified the tith the watch-tackle, and again she lowered away from the windlass Square fitted into square The mast was stepped

I raised a shout, and she ran down to see In the yellow lantern light we peered at e had accomplished We looked at each other, and our hands felt their way and clasped The eyes of both of us, I think, were moist with the joy of success

”It was done so easily after all,” I remarked ”All the as in the preparation”

”And all the wonder in the co reat mast is really up and in; that you have lifted it froh the air, and deposited it here where it belongs It is a titan's task”

”And they an merrily, then paused to sniff the air

I looked hastily at the lantern It was not s,” Maud said, with sudden conviction

We sprang together for the ladder, but I raced past her to the deck A dense volue companion-way

”The Wolf is not yet dead,” I h the smoke

It was so thick in the confined space that I was compelled to feel my way; and so potent was the spell of Wolf Larsen on iant to grip le hold I hesitated, the desire to race back and up the steps to the deck al me Then I recollected Maud The vision of her, as I had last seen her, in the lantern light of the schooner's hold, her brown eyes warm and moist with joy, flashed beforeand suffocating by the time I reached Wolf Larsen's bunk I reachedhtly at the touch of my hand I felt over and under his blankets There was no warn of fire Yet that sasp must have a source I lost e A collision with the table partially knocked the wind froht me to myself I reasoned that a helpless man could start a fire only near to where he lay

I returned to Wolf Larsen's bunk There I encountered Maud How long she had been there in that suffocating atuess

”Go up on deck!” I coan to protest in a queer, husky voice

”Please! please!” I shouted at her harshly

She dreay obediently, and then I thought, What if she cannot find the steps? I started after her, to stop at the foot of the coone up As I stood there, hesitant, I heard her cry softly: