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.