Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-05-30
CHAPTER XVIII.

ITS too bad the Ghost has lost her
masts. Why, we could sail away in
her. Don't you think we could,
Humphrey"
| sprang excitedly to my feet.
Il wonder, l wonder" / repeated,
pacing up and down.
Mauds eyes were shining with an
ticipation as they followed me. She
had such faith in me! And the
thought of it was so much added pow
er. remembered Michelet's ITO man,
legendary son; he has but to fall
down and kiss her breast and he is
strong again" For the first time
knew the wonderful truth of his
words. Why, was living them. Maud
was all this to me, an unfailing source
of strength and courage. l had but
to look at her, or think of her. and be
strong again.
at can be done, it can be done"
was thinking and asserting aloud.
What men have done, l can do; and
if they have never done this before,
still I can do it."
What? for goodness sake" Maud
demanded. "Do be merciful. What is
it you can do?"
1--WE can do it," 1 amended. why,
nothing else than put the masts back
into the Ghost and sail away"
Humphrey" she exclaimed.
And felt as proud of my conception
as if it were already a fact accom-
plished.
but how is it possible to be done?"
she asked.
81 don't know" was my answer. 81
know only that am capable of doing
anything these days"
l smiled proudly at her-too proud
ly, for she dropped her eyes and was
for the moment silent.
But there is Captain Larsen" she
objected.
Blind and helpless" l answered
promptly, waving him aside as a
straw.
But those terrible hands of his!
You know how he leaped across the
opening of the lazaretto.''
And you know also how I crept
about and avoided him." l contended
gayly.
And lost your shoes"
You'd hardly expect them to avoid
Wolf Larsen without my feet inside of
hem"
We both laughed, and then went
seriously to work constructing the
plan whereby we were to step the
masts of the Ghost and return to the
world. Maud stood silently by my
side, while l evolved in my mind the
contrivance known among sailors as
Shears" But, though known to
sailors, I invented it there on En-
deavor island. By crossing and lash
ing the ends Of two spars, and then
elevating them in the air like an in
verted "" 1 could get a point above
the deck to which to make fast my
hosting tackle. To this hosting
tackle I could, ii necessary, attach a
second hosting tackle. And then there
was the windlass!
Maud saw that 1 had achieved a
solution and her eyes warmed sympa-
thetically.
What are you going to do?" she
asked.
Clear that rattle" l answered,
pointing to the tangled wreckage over
side.
All. the decisiveness, the very
sound of the words, was good in my
ears. clear that raffle!" Imagine so
salty phrase on the lips of the Hum
phrey Van Weyden of few months
gone!
There must have been a touch of
the melodramatic in my pose and
voice, for Maud smiled. Her sense of
humor was really the artists instinct
for proportion.
I'm sure I've heard it before, some
where, in books" she murmured glee-
fully.
had an instinct for proportion my
self, and l collapsed forthwith, de-
scending from the dominant pose of a
master of matter to a state Of hum
BILE confusion which was, to say the
least, very miserable.
Her hand leaped out at once to
mine.
I'm so sorry" she said.
mo need to be-" l gulped. at does
me good. There's too much Of the
schoolboy in me. All of which is
neither here nor there. What we've
got to do is actually and literally to
clear that rattle. If you'll come with
me in the boat, well get to work and
straighten things out"
when the topmen clear the rattle
with their claspknives in their