THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
21 
bre looking. I tried to take his measure, 
but could not get behind his rigid physi- 
ognomy. The two prisoners rested on 
their oars; their ages must have been 
thirty and forty. They were muscular 
and well appointed by nature in all re- 
spects, but on their ruddy and bronzed 
faces rested that unmistakable shadow 
peculiar to men in their position. And 
thus for a minute we remained silent, for 
we were mutually measuring each other. 
The guard was first to break the unpleas- 
ant silence, by asking "To what part of 
the island do you wish to go ? " I an- 
swered " that I did not know exactly, but 
proposed to examine his side of the island 
thoroughly for a curious animal that 
lived on the rocks, called the anemone." 
Noticing that the name was beyond his 
mental reach, I made a hasty sketch of 
an anemone, but he failed to recognize it, 
although, as he remarked, " he knew 
every inch of rock and dock on the island, 
and he feared my search would be in 
vain." During this conversation the two 
prisoners remained motionless and silent. 
I knew they greatly desired to see my 
sketch, but I dared not hand it to them. 
"Well," I remarked, "there can be no 
harm in making a thorough examination 
if you have no objection." At which re- 
mark the slightest suggestion of a smile 
passed over his set countenance. 'Twas 
then that I became convinced I had 
struck his weak spot— vanity— and to a 
limited extent he was my prisoner and I 
a free man. Now be it known that in my 
pockets were numerous packages of both 
hard and soft tobacco, and my heart was 
fairly aching to get it into the pockets of 
the prisoner oarsmen, for next to freedom 
or money, tobacco is the most prized of 
all gifts. They chew it; they devour it; 
in fact, they fairly eat it when they have 
a bountiful supply, and as they chew 
they meditate, and as they meditate 
they chew, and their better natures pre- 
dominate under the soothing influence 
of the weed, and in memory they turn 
back to thoughts of brighter and happier 
days. 
The boat was now heading for the south 
end of the island, where I proposed to 
make a landing on a large black rock 
that projected well out of the water. 
Taking out of my pocket a paper of to- 
bacco and opening it, I offered it to the 
guard, and at the same time resolved, 
that should he partake of it, I would cast 
the remainder of the paper to the prison- 
ers and tell them to keep it. To my in- 
tense satisfaction the guard helped him- 
self to all that he wanted, and returning 
it thanked me in a kindly way. As I 
was receiving it I tipped a wink to the 
prisoner oarsmen, just to prepare them 
for what might follow. In an instant the 
tobacco was at their feet, and both oars- 
men reached forth for it. This was my 
grand opportunity ; out went four papers 
of tobacco from my pocket to where they 
sat, I at the same time remarking, " There 
boys, no quarreling!" While all this 
was happening the guard remained pas- 
sive. Now was the time to make sure of 
him, as taking a few cigars in my hand I 
offered them to him, remarking, " There, 
Mr. Guard, is your share of the 'plunder,' 
they will help pass the hours away dur- 
ing your ' off time.' " He accepted them, 
and thanked me. I now felt that my in- 
troduction and good standing was thor- 
oughly established, and that I was free 
to enter into conversation with the prison- 
ers. I had noticed that whenever the 
boat came to a stand still, one of the oars- 
men took from his pocket a long and 
black object, in which he was deeply in- 
terested, and seemed to be busily work- 
ing on it. My curiosity being excited, I 
inquired of the guard what he was doing, 
and was surprised to learn that it was a 
horse-hair watch guard. Becoming still 
more interested, I asked permission to 
examine it, and could not help expressing 
my admiration, for it was a very unique 
piece of workmanship, and I wondered 
the more, as I glanced at his heavy and 
coarse hands, and calloused fingers, that 
he could handle the fine horse-hairs with 
such exquisite skill. Every strand was 
perfect, and the gradual swelling of the 
guard from its two small ends to its centre 
was all that could be desired. 
Seeing that the watch-guard was nearly 
finished, I inquired of him the i>rice, and 
was informed that it was three dollars, 
and that it took some two months to 
