woman is as the earth was to her legendary
son; he has but to fall down and kiss her breast and he is strong again."
For the first time I knew the wonderful truth of his words. Why, I was
living them. Maud was all this to me, an unfailing, source of strength
and courage. I had but to look at her, or think of her, and be strong
again.

"It can be done, it can be done," I was thinking and asserting aloud.
"What men have done, I 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?"

"We can do it," I amended. "Why, nothing else than put the masts back
into the _Ghost_ and sail away."

"Humphrey!" she exclaimed.

And I felt as proud of my conception as if it were already a fact
accomplished.

"But how is it possible to be done?" she asked.

"I don't know," was my answer. "I know only that I am capable of doing
anything these days."

I smiled proudly at her--too proudly, for she dropped her eyes and was
for the moment silent.

"But there is Captain Larsen," she objected.

"Blind and helpless," I answered promptly, waving him aside as a straw.

"But those terrible hands of his! You know how he leaped across the
opening of the lazarette."

"And you know also how I crept about and avoided him," I contended gaily.

"And lost your shoes."

"You'd hardly expect them to avoid Wolf Larsen without my feet inside of
them."

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.
I remembered hazily the physics of my school days, while the last few
months had given me practical experience with mechanical purchases. I
must say, though, when we walked down to the _Ghost_ to inspect more
closely the task before us, that the sight of the great masts lying in
the water almost disheartened me. Where were we to begin? If there had
been one mast standing, something high up to which to fasten blocks and
tackles! But there was nothing. It reminded me of the problem of
lifting oneself by one's boot-straps. I understood the mechanics of
levers; but where was I to get a fulcrum?

There was the mainmast, fifteen inches in diameter at what was now the
butt, still sixty-five feet in length, and weighing, I roughly
calculated, at least three thousand pounds. And then came the foremast,
larger in diameter, and weighing surely thirt