The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1916-12-21

turn. crying:
1T works! 1t works. Well trust
our lives to it,"
Then she assumed a rueful expires.
sion
It's not over the hole" she said
viii you have to begin all over"
| smiled in superior fashion. and
stacking away on the boom.tackle,
brought the butt OF the mast into posi-
ton directly over the hole in the deck.
! Then ! gave Maud careful instructions
for lowering away and went into tn J
hold to the step on the schooner s
bottom.
called to her. and the mast moved
easily and accurately Square fitted
into square. The mast was stepped
! raised a shout, and she ran down
to see. In the yellow lantern light
we pcercd at what we had accom-
| plishcd. We looked 1t each other,
and our hands felt lheir way and
think. were moist with the JOY of sue
| cess.
1t was done so easily after ALL" |
remarked. An the work was in the
| preparation"
ana all the wonder in the compile
tloh. Maud added. Il can scarcely
bring myself to realize that that great
mast IS really up md in; that you
nave lifted 1t from the water. swung
| 1t through the air, and deposited it
here where it belongs. 1t is a Titan 5
I task"
And they made themselves many
| Inventions began merrily. then
| paused to sniff the air.
| looked hastily at the lantern. t
was not smoking Again | shifted
Something is DCrning." Maud said.
with sudden conviction.
We sprang together for the ladder.
but | raced past her to the deck. A
dense volume of smoke was pouring
out the steerage companionway.
The Wolf is not yet dead" NUT
tered to myself as sprang down
through the smoke.
The source of the smoke must be
very close to Wolf Larsen-my mind
straight to his bunk. AS felt about
among his blankets. something hot fell
on the back of my hand It burned
me. and Jcrkcd my hand away. Then
/ understood. Through the cracks
! IN the bottom of the upper bunk he
had set fire to the mattress. He still
retained sufficient use of his left arm
| to do this. The damp straw of the
mattress, fired from beneath and de.
MED air. had been smouldering all the
while.
AS dragged the mattress out of
| the bunk it seemed to disintegrate in
mid.air, at the same time bursting
INTO ilames. | beat out the burning
remnants of straw in the bunk. then
made dash for the deck for fresh
| air.
Several buckets of water sufTiced to
| put out the burning mattress in the
middle OF the steerage floor: and ten
minutes later. when the smoke had
! fairly cleared, | allowed Maud to come
| below Wolf Larsen was unconscious,
| but II was a matter of minutes for the
| fresh air to restore him. We were
working over him. however, when he
sighed for paper and pencil.
Pray do not interrupt me- he
wrote. i am smiling"
Il am still bit of the ferment. you
see, he wrote little later.
4 am glad you are as small a bit
as you are | said.
Thank you" he wrote But Just
think OF how much smaller | shall
he before | die
And yet | am all here. Hump" he
wrote with a final flourish. i can
think more clearly than ever in my
life before. Nothing to disturb me.
Concentration IL perfect am all
here and more than here
II was like a message from the
night OF the grave, for this mans
body had become his mausoleum. And
there. IN SO strange sculpture. his
spirit futtercd and lived. II would
tiuttcr and live till the last line Of
communication was broken. and after
that who was to say how much longer
1t might continue To iluttcr and live