to-day."

Everything was ready for the attempt. Carrying the boom-tackle to the
windlass, I hoisted the mast nearly clear of the deck. Making this
tackle fast, I took to the windlass the shears-tackle (which was
connected with the end of the boom), and with a few turns had the mast
perpendicular and clear.

Maud clapped her hands the instant she was relieved from holding the
turn, crying:

"It works! It works! We'll trust our lives to it!"

Then she assumed a rueful expression.

"It's not over the hole," she add. "Will you have to begin all over?"

I smiled in superior fashion, and, slacking off on one of the boom-guys
and taking in on the other, swung the mast perfectly in the centre of the
deck. Still it was not over the hole. Again the rueful expression came
on her face, and again I smiled in a superior way. Slacking away on the
boom-tackle and hoisting an equivalent amount on the shears-tackle, I
brought the butt of the mast into position directly over the hole in the
deck. Then I gave Maud careful instructions for lowering away and went
into the hold to the step on the schooner's bottom.

I called to her, and the mast moved easily and accurately. Straight
toward the square hole of the step the square butt descended; but as it
descended it slowly twisted so that square would not fit into square.
But I had not even a moment's indecision. Calling to Maud to cease
lowering, I went on deck and made the watch-tackle fast to the mast with
a rolling hitch. I left Maud to pull on it while I went below. By the
light of the lantern I saw the butt twist slowly around till its sides
coincided with the sides of the step. Maud made fast and returned to the
windlass. Slowly the butt descended the several intervening inches, at
the same time slightly twisting again. Again Maud rectified the twist
with the watch-tackle, and again she lowered away from the windlass.
Square fitted into square. The mast was stepped.

I raised a shout, and she ran down to see. In the yellow lantern light
we peered at what we had accomplished. We looked at each other, and our
hands felt their way and clasped. The eyes of both of us, I think, were
moist with the joy of success.

"It was done so easily after all," I remarked. "All the work was in the
preparation."

"And all the wonder in the completion," Maud added. "I can scarcely
bring myself to realize that that great mast is really up and in; that
you have lifted it fr