“It’stoobadtheGhosthaslosthermasts.Whywecouldsailawayinher.Don’tyouthinkwecould,Humphrey?” Isprangexcitedlytomyfeet. “Iwonder,Iwonder,”Irepeated,pacingupanddown. Maud’seyeswereshiningwithanticipationastheyfollowedme.Shehadsuchfaithinme! Andthethoughtofitwassomuchaddedpower. IrememberedMichelet’s“Toman,womanisastheearthwastoherlegendaryson;hehasbuttofalldownandkissherbreastandheisstrongagain.” ForthefirsttimeIknewthewonderfultruthofhiswords.Why,Iwaslivingthem. Maudwasallthistome,anunfailing,sourceofstrengthandcourage. Ihadbuttolookather,orthinkofher,andbestrongagain. “Itcanbedone,itcanbedone,”Iwasthinkingandassertingaloud.“Whatmenhavedone,Icando;andiftheyhaveneverdonethisbefore,stillIcandoit.” “What?forgoodness’sake,”Mauddemanded.“Dobemerciful.Whatisityoucando?” “Wecandoit,”Iamended.“Why,nothingelsethanputthemastsbackintotheGhostandsailaway.” AndIfeltasproudofmyconceptionasifitwerealreadyafactaccomplished. “Buthowisitpossibletobedone?”sheasked. “Idon’tknow,”wasmyanswer.“IknowonlythatIamcapableofdoinganythingthesedays.” Ismiledproudlyather—tooproudly,forshedroppedhereyesandwasforthemomentsilent. “ButthereisCaptainLarsen,”sheobjected. “Blindandhelpless,”Iansweredpromptly,wavinghimasideasastraw. “Butthoseterriblehandsofhis!Youknowhowheleapedacrosstheopeningofthelazarette.” “AndyouknowalsohowIcreptaboutandavoidedhim,”Icontendedgaily. “You’dhardlyexpectthemtoavoidWolfLarsenwithoutmyfeetinsideofthem.” Webothlaughed,andthenwentseriouslytoworkconstructingtheplanwherebyweweretostepthemastsoftheGhostandreturntotheworld. Irememberedhazilythephysicsofmyschooldays,whilethelastfewmonthshadgivenmepracticalexperiencewithmechanicalpurchases. Imustsay,though,whenwewalkeddowntotheGhosttoinspectmorecloselythetaskbeforeus,thatthesightofthegreatmastslyinginthewateralmostdisheartenedme.Wherewerewetobegin? Iftherehadbeenonemaststanding,somethinghighuptowhichtofastenblocksandtackles!Buttherewasnothing. Itremindedmeoftheproblemofliftingoneselfbyone’sboot-straps. Iunderstoodthemechanicsoflevers;butwherewasItogetafulcrum? Therewasthemainmast,fifteeninchesindiameteratwhatwasnowthebutt,stillsixty-fivefeetinlength,andweighing,Iroughlycalculated,atleastthreethousandpounds. Andthencametheforemast,largerindiameter,andweighingsurelythirty-fivehundredpounds.WherewasItobegin? Maudstoodsilentlybymyside,whileIevolvedinmymindthecontrivanceknownamongsailorsas“shears.” But,thoughknowntosailors,IinventeditthereonEndeavourIsland. Bycrossingandlashingtheendsoftwospars,andthenelevatingthemintheairlikeaninverted“V,”Icouldgetapointabovethedecktowhichtomakefastmyhoistingtackle. TothishoistingtackleIcould,ifnecessary,attachasecondhoistingtackle.Andthentherewasthewindlass! MaudsawthatIhadachievedasolution,andhereyeswarmedsympathetically. “Whatareyougoingtodo?”sheasked. “Clearthatraffle,”Ianswered,pointingtothetangledwreckageoverside. Ah,thedecisiveness,theverysoundofthewords,wasgoodinmyears.“Clearthatraffle!”ImaginesosaltyaphraseonthelipsoftheHumphreyVanWeydenofafewmonthsgone! Theremusthavebeenatouchofthemelodramaticinmyposeandvoice,forMaudsmiled. Herappreciationoftheridiculouswaskeen,andinallthingssheunerringlysawandfelt,whereitexisted,thetouchofsham,theovershading,theovertone. Itwasthiswhichhadgivenpoiseandpenetrationtoherownworkandmadeherofworthtotheworld. Theseriouscritic,withthesenseofhumourandthepowerofexpression,mustinevitablycommandtheworld’sear.Andsoitwasthatshehadcommanded. Hersenseofhumourwasreallytheartist’sinstinctforproportion. “I’msureI’vehearditbefore,somewhere,inbooks,”shemurmuredgleefully. Ihadaninstinctforproportionmyself,andIcollapsedforthwith,descendingfromthedominantposeofamasterofmattertoastateofhumbleconfusionwhichwas,tosaytheleast,verymiserable. Herhandleaptoutatoncetomine. “Noneedtobe,”Igulped.“Itdoesmegood. There’stoomuchoftheschoolboyinme.Allofwhichisneitherherenorthere. Whatwe’vegottodoisactuallyandliterallytoclearthatraffle. Ifyou’llcomewithmeintheboat,we’llgettoworkandstraightenthingsout.” “‘Whenthetopmencleartherafflewiththeirclasp-knivesintheirteeth,’”shequotedatme;andfortherestoftheafternoonwemademerryoverourlabour. HertaskwastoholdtheboatinpositionwhileIworkedatthetangle. Andsuchatangle—halyards,sheets,guys,down-hauls,shrouds,stays,allwashedaboutandbackandforthandthrough,andtwinedandknottedbythesea. Icutnomorethanwasnecessary,andwhatwithpassingthelongropesunderandaroundtheboomsandmasts,ofunreevingthehalyardsandsheets,ofcoilingdownintheboatanduncoilinginordertopassthroughanotherknotinthebight,Iwassoonwettotheskin. Thesailsdidrequiresomecutting,andthecanvas,heavywithwater,triedmystrengthseverely;butIsucceededbeforenightfallingettingitallspreadoutonthebeachtodry. Wewerebothverytiredwhenweknockedoffforsupper,andwehaddonegoodwork,too,thoughtotheeyeitappearedinsignificant. Nextmorning,withMaudasableassistant,IwentintotheholdoftheGhosttoclearthestepsofthemast-butts. WehadnomorethanbegunworkwhenthesoundofmyknockingandhammeringbroughtWolfLarsen. “Hellobelow!”hecrieddowntheopenhatch. ThesoundofhisvoicemadeMaudquicklydrawclosetome,asforprotection,andsherestedonehandonmyarmwhileweparleyed. “Helloondeck,”Ireplied.“Good-morningtoyou.” “Whatareyoudoingdownthere?”hedemanded.“Tryingtoscuttlemyshipforme?” “Quitetheopposite;I’mrepairingher,”wasmyanswer. “Butwhatinthunderareyourepairing?”Therewaspuzzlementinhisvoice. “Why,I’mgettingeverythingreadyforre-steppingthemasts,”Irepliedeasily,asthoughitwerethesimplestprojectimaginable. “Itseemsasthoughyou’restandingonyourownlegsatlast,Hump,”weheardhimsay;andthenforsometimehewassilent. “ButIsay,Hump,”hecalleddown.“Youcan’tdoit.” “Oh,yes,Ican,”Iretorted.“I’mdoingitnow.” “Butthisismyvessel,myparticularproperty.WhatifIforbidyou?” “Youforget,”Ireplied.“Youarenolongerthebiggestbitoftheferment. Youwere,once,andabletoeatme,asyouwerepleasedtophraseit;buttherehasbeenadiminishing,andIamnowabletoeatyou.Theyeasthasgrownstale.” Hegaveashort,disagreeablelaugh.“Iseeyou’reworkingmyphilosophybackonmeforallitisworth.Butdon’tmakethemistakeofunder-estimatingme.ForyourowngoodIwarnyou.” “Sincewhenhaveyoubecomeaphilanthropist?”Iqueried.“Confess,now,inwarningmeformyowngood,thatyouareveryconsistent.” Heignoredmysarcasm,saying,“SupposeIclapthehatchon,now?Youwon’tfoolmeasyoudidinthelazarette.” “WolfLarsen,”Isaidsternly,forthefirsttimeaddressinghimbythishismostfamiliarname,“Iamunabletoshootahelpless,unresistingman. Youhaveprovedthattomysatisfactionaswellasyours. ButIwarnyounow,andnotsomuchforyourowngoodasformine,thatIshallshootyouthemomentyouattemptahostileact. Icanshootyounow,asIstandhere;andifyouaresominded,justgoaheadandtrytoclaponthehatch.” “Nevertheless,Iforbidyou,Idistinctlyforbidyourtamperingwithmyship.” “But,man!”Iexpostulated,“youadvancethefactthatitisyourshipasthoughitwereamoralright. Youhaveneverconsideredmoralrightsinyourdealingswithothers. YousurelydonotdreamthatI’llconsiderthemindealingwithyou?” IhadsteppedunderneaththeopenhatchwaysothatIcouldseehim. Thelackofexpressiononhisface,sodifferentfromwhenIhadwatchedhimunseen,wasenhancedbytheunblinking,staringeyes. Itwasnotapleasantfacetolookupon. “Andnonesopoor,notevenHump,todohimreverence,”hesneered. Thesneerwaswhollyinhisvoice.Hisfaceremainedexpressionlessasever. “Howdoyoudo,MissBrewster,”hesaidsuddenly,afterapause. Istarted.Shehadmadenonoisewhatever,hadnotevenmoved.Coulditbethatsomeglimmerofvisionremainedtohim?orthathisvisionwascomingback? “Howdoyoudo,CaptainLarsen,”sheanswered.“Pray,howdidyouknowIwashere?” “Heardyoubreathing,ofcourse.Isay,Hump’simproving,don’tyouthinkso?” “Idon’tknow,”sheanswered,smilingatme.“Ihaveneverseenhimotherwise.” “Youshouldhaveseenhimbefore,then.” “WolfLarsen,inlargedoses,”Imurmured,“beforeandaftertaking.” “Iwanttotellyouagain,Hump,”hesaidthreateningly,“thatyou’dbetterleavethingsalone.” “Butdon’tyoucaretoescapeaswellaswe?”Iaskedincredulously. “No,”washisanswer.“Iintenddyinghere.” “Well,wedon’t,”Iconcludeddefiantly,beginningagainmyknockingandhammering. 
