Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-06-13

she was relieved from holding the
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.
Will 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 the
hold to the step on the scnooner'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 peered at what we had accom-
plished. We looked ut each other,
and our hands felt their way and
clasped- The eyes of both of us, |
think, were moist with the Joy of sue
cess.
1T was done so easily after ALL" |
remarked. All the work was in the
preparation"
And all the wonder in the compile
tion." Maud added. 81 can scarcely
bring myself to realize that that great
mast is really up and in; that you
have lifted it from the water, swung
1t through the air, and deposited it
here where it belongs. 1t is Titan's
task"
And they made themselves many
inventions" l began merriIy, then
paused to sniff the air.
looked hastily at the lantern. t
was not smoking. Again / shifted.
Something is burning" 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" l NUT
tered to myself as l sprang down
through the smoke.
The source of the smoke must be
very close to Wolf Larsen-my mind
was made up to this, and | went
straight to his bunk. AS | felt about
among his blankets, something hot fell
on the back of my hand. 1t burned
me. and jerked my hand away. Then
| understood. Through the cracks
in the bottom of tn upper bunk he
had set fire to the mt.,tress. 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 flames. | beat out the burning
remnants of straw in the bunk, then
made a dash for the deck for fresh
air.
Several buckets of water sufficed to
put out Ine 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 it was 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. 81 am smiling"
Il am still bit of the ferment. you
see," he wrote little later.
81 am glad you are as small bit
as you are" l said.
Thank you," he wrote. But just
think of how much smaller l shall
be before l die
And yet L am all here, Hump" he
wrote with final flourish. Il can
think more clearly than ever in my
life before. Nothing to disturb me-.
Concentration is perfect. l am all
here and more than here"
1t was like a message from the
night of the grave; for this mans
body had become his mausoleum. And
there, in so strange sepulture, his
spirit futtered and lived. 1t would
futter and live till the last line of
communication was broken, and after
that who was to say how much longer
it might continue to flutter and live?
CHAPTER XXI.