nd he felt that here was a chance to build a ship worthy of
his reputation, so he answered joyfully: "Before long we will launch as
goodly and strong a vessel as ever weathered a wintry gale."

At these words the merchant departed content, because he knew that
whatever the Master promised he would surely fulfill.

The Master made no delay but set to work at once on a little model of
the ship, making it perfect in every part, so that when the great ship
came to be built he would have every detail already clear before him. As
he labored, his mind was busy recalling all the famous ships which had
been built before this one. A picture of one of the most renowned, the
_Great Harry_, was hanging on the wall before him. It was a strange
sight, with its cumbersome form, its bow and stern raised high and its
eight round towers like those of some old castle. The Master smiled as
he looked on it and murmured to himself: "Our ship shall be of another
form to this." And when the model was finished, it was indeed of a very
different build. She was a beautiful little vessel built for freight and
yet for speed; broad in the beam so as to resist storm, but tapering off
at the bow and stern so that the force of the waves might drive her on
instead of checking her course. When the model was quite finished, the
Master carried it down to the ship-yard and looked round searchingly to
see that all the necessary preparations had been made. Gigantic heaps of
timber lay piled in the ship-yard; there were beams of chestnut, elm,
and oak, and, scattered among them, cedar wood brought from regions far
away. Every country, every soil must send its tribute and help to build
the wooden walls of each ship that is launched.

The sun was rising when the Master came down to the ship-yard; with him
was a young man, who stood leaning against an anchor and who listened
eagerly to every word which fell from the Master's lips. These two were
alone and the old man's speech flowed on, interrupted by nothing but the
waves which broke in long ripples on the pebbly shore. This young man
had for a long time been a pupil and worker of the master; though his
years were fewer, his brain was as quick, his hands as dexterous as
those of the elder man, and to him was now entrusted the important task
of building and launching the ship on the lines that the Master had
planned.

[Illustration]

"We will build the ship thus," said the old man. "Lay the blocks of wood
on