Page 17 - Dr. Austin MacDonald, Down North

ISSUE : Issue 39

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1985/6/1

started back for Courtneys', and I stayed with the horse. And just his head above the water. Anyway, I got the traces loose, a rope that we carried in the sleigh for emergen? cies, and the reins. And I stripped off-- it was a bright moonlight night--I went down beside him in the water, and got the reins and rope around under 3 of his 4 legs, and got back up and got my clothes on again, and jiomped around awhile. And I heard them coming half a mile or so away. When they got there, we were all ready to go to work, 'cause I had the lines on the horse and everything. And the 9 of us, we got on these, and we pulled it. That horse weighed 1400 pounds, so it took some pull, you know. And we got him out on his side on the ice. But a horse gets paralyzed with the cold very quickly in that icy water. Most horses that ever got in--even if they got out, they died on the ice afterwards, because they couldn't get on their feet. Once they get on their feet, they can warm up in a few minutes. And Murdock said, "My God, he's gone, and I haven't got a knife." I said, "I've got a knife." I took it out, and I just took the back of the blade, and I ripped him up the leg in here, you know-- not right through his skin. And he let a scream out of him, and jumped to his feet. So, we're all right. Once he got to his feet, we hitched him up. We came back to Cape North, got dry clothes on, and we went to Bay St. Law? rence and back that night with the same horse. He never even got a cold. Neither did I! , END PART ONE For photographs in this article, our thanks to North of Smokey Archives, Cabot High School; Cape Breton Highlands National Park; Mrs. Janet Dowling, Neil's Harbour; and Dr. and Mrs. Austin MacDonald. Part Two, Issue 40: Getting the Hospital Down North FEATURING THE WHEN TRAVELLING IN THE SYDNEY AREA, BE SURE TO STAY AT HOME DOUNTOUN 539-3700 Theatre Project WANDLYN INN FINE DINING AND WARM HOSPITALITY 100 KING'S ROAD, SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA 1-800-561-0000 (902) 539-3700 (17)

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