Cape Breton's Magazine

from there on there was no track and, oh the snow, we only went a little way. The horse was going to break a leg or cut it? self. It was plunging through. So we abandoned the sleigh and put on our snowshoes. And we snowshoed from there to where MacGregor lived. I think they called it The Big Intervale. I forget what they call that hill--the first hill you go up. And we spent a day or two there. And then, we had fairly heavy packs so the afternoon before we were going to start on further, we carried our packs up and left them on the top of the mountain. So the next morning we got up, and we were light, we snowshoed on up, put the packs on our back, and we snow? shoed to Pleasant Bay. And, I think it was a Fraser woman, we spent a couple of days there. And then we started for Cheticamp, hoped to make it, it took us quite a while. The road wasn't broken, it was heavy snow- shoeing. It took us quite a while getting up MacKenzie Mountain. We saw we weren't going to make Cheticamp before dark. Most of the people, by this time had moved (from Cap Rouge). There was (a fellow) that I got along with and I thought: Well, we'll make for his house, he'll take us in. Well, we went and it was getting dark and I inquired about hiring a horse or spending the night. He didn't recognize me and I didn't tell him. I think if I had told him he would. But he just, he told us there was (another) man down the road who I hadn't been very friendly with. I mean, he was one of the ones.... I wasn't too anxious to tackle him. But there was nothing for it, we went on. By this time it was pitch dark and we had a long way to go. We were pretty well played out by this time anyway. So this fellow, he took me in. And I, per? haps, shouldn't tell this story, but he took us in. He had a typical house there--a The SUMinMPIwn0$ mc 1??'JKkmB' mOm'm For all your cellular & paging needs. phone one of our convenient locations! WE COVER ALL CAPE BRETON 1-800-565-5451 • No Money Down • NOW WITH 4 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU story-and-a-half house with people sleep? ing upstairs. So he took us in and I think, perhaps, we bought a meal. There was the man, his wife, the grandmother... I think there were one or two maiden aunts and there were about a dozen children. A couple of boys would be in their late teens, and girls, down to little ones. Well, came time to go to bed and they gave us right the top of the stairs. A little narrow place you could just crawl in, there was a spool bed with a patchwork quilt on it. And they told us we could go there and sleep for the night. Well, they assumed we were Protes? tants, which we were--I don't know what the fellow with me was. But, anyway, they all stayed down to say their evening prayers and we got tucked away. And when I went up there I noticed this tin can about so big on the top step. I noticed it there and I didn't think much about it. Well, we went to bed, and the old grandmother led in prayers and you'd hear her voice. Then you'd hear the crowd, and then the women'd come in in unison. I suppose they were saying their beads, I suppose that would be it, would it? For the evening prayers. Anyway, she would lead and then they'd come in. Well, the first little one came up the steps and I soon knew what the tin can was for because there was pinkie, pinkie, pinkie in the tin can, up went a window; then the next one came pinkie, pinkie, up went the win- 794-7655 " 849-1944 A&W; Agnew Surpass Balloon City Bank of Nova Scotia Biao's Fast Foods Bi-Way Bojou Carlton Cards Cole's Book Store Eclipse Fun Villa Arcade Gals & Guys Hairworks . Gem Photo Goldsil Heather Bowling Centre. Jeans Experts KFC Mark's Work Wearhouse 539-7222 Metropolitan 562-1134 562-3129 Munroe's Barber Shop 562-7620 Northern Reflections 564-6788 539-8760 Olympic Shoe Repair 564-8112 564-6677 Pets R Us 562-3846 Quick Break 539-1908 Radio Shack 539-4617 564-6531 Reitmans 562-3177 539-6053 Sam The Record Man 539-6282 Shoppers Drug Mart 562-1144 Sobeys 562-1762 539-1811 Sony Store. 562-8811 539-2288 Sport Card Corner. 562-3531 539-7273 Suzy Shier 539-5538 562-2695 Tim Morton's 539-4287 567-1217 Ultramar 562-1919 564-6322 Vanelli's Mrs 539-7882 539-0441 Zellers 539-5600 HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. -10:00 p.m. MALL OFFICE • PRINCE ST., SYDNEY, N. S. B1P 5K6 • 539'912 HEAD OFFICE ?? 115 KING ST.. STELLARTON, N. S.BOK 180 ?? 755-4440