ARGONAUT AND GEOMETER. 239 



concerned, and so the year wears on. They even breed 

 on your yacht, I Ihul, and have probal:»ly been suc- 

 ceeded by their oll'spring in this ' hfe on the ocean 

 wave.' " 



"'Well, well,' said the skipper, 'that's a kind of 

 stowaway I never heard of before. I shall know now 

 how to make a clean sweep of them hereafter ; but, 

 really, I don't know that I shall do so, for such cute 

 little beggars are almost entitled to a free passage.' 



"'True enough,' I replied, 'and, moreover, they 

 quite earn their way by ridding the vessel of more 

 objectionable entomological passengers, who are popu- 

 larly supposed to have free lodgings on water craft !' 



"'Oh! as to that,' was the quick response, 'we 

 don't have any such shipmates aboard this boat 1' " 



