THE FIRST SUBMARINE CABLE 19

There was enough warmth to melt the snow between the valises so that every one got soaking wet. Imagine twenty-two people, with wet clothes, blinded with smoke, fasting twenty hours, crowded into such close quarters! In the morning the fuel was exhausted except for three trunks and the mail. One of the crew was delirious. At three in the afternoon they saw the De Sable church. The camp was then broken up and the travellers trudged ashore. As if the storm weren’t enough, they had to cross a swamp laden with snow. Four people lost fingers and toes, six were badly frozen and the others were touched by the frost. There are only three survivors now. The government then took the service over.”

“Well, it was about time!”

“ There had been other disasters, too, before this—in 1831, 1843, and 1855. In 1855, the passengers, freezing and starving out on the Strait, had to kill a small dog and drink its blood. A student who was returning home died before he reached shore. ”

I felt it was now my turn.

“ Did you ever hear the story of the mail—bag stowaway?”

“Mmmmm. I’m not just sure. "

“Years ago a certain man on the Island—Mr. X— was pursued by the bailiff for debt. He fled with a friend to Cape Traverse. There they rested at a house in the village. The friend then went back with the animals while the fugitive took the householder into his confidence. ”

“ Did he flee solely because of debt?”

” He did! In the good old days all was not sunshine for debtors. In the Provincial Building in Charlotte-

0. I.—3