THE FIRST SUBMARINE CABLE 13

“The cable was laid by a chap . . . name of Gisborne, I think."

“Frederick Newton,” I supplied.

“Yes, Frederick Newton Gisborne—about the middle of last century,” he went on, ignoring the interruption.

”The year 1852, to be exact.”

”When the cable was laid, Gisborne was sure mighty glad. He danced around like a fish in a bucket.”

Danced like a fish in a bucket!

He talked on reminiscently but I heard no more. My mind had settled on the fish in the bucket and refused to budge. That was exactly what I had been wanting for my dinner and hadn’t realized it—a salt~water trout with lemon slices.

The old man seemed to sense my disturbed mind.

“Gisborne . . ., ” he said.

“Gisborne . . .,” he repeated, lifting my chair from the dinner table.

l I Yes? 77

“Gisborne was a descendant of Sir Isaac Newton, and was named after him. ”

“Sir Isaac Newton!” Dot, dash! Dot dash! Dot, dash! And the world was closer together.

2

I was alone again, but the old man had left me with good advice. “Go up to Carleton, ” he had said, “and see the spot where the second telegraph building was

located. ” The suggestion proved more fruitful than I expected.