Page 7 - John R. and Bessie MacLeod: Stories of Their Old Home

ISSUE : Issue 12

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1975/12/1

doors and I drove in • took the horses out of the wagon and I put thera in the stable. Fed them and went in the house* Bessie said, "John R*, I didn't milk the cow*" "Well I told you Bessie to milk those cows before dark* Not to be goii' near that barn af? ter dark*" So there was no milk for one of the children • one of the babies* So we had to go* And the lantern was up in Upper Margaree. I left it up there. And we went out, took a handful of matches. And got our way and got the cow and I milked the cow. Told her, "I feel funny. There's something wrong here." And she never said a word. Left the cow and went out and I shut the barn door. And there was a hollow right near the barn close to the door. And it was always full of water. And here, I had my head down and I was walking* And I looked and I said, "Bessie, look where you're puttii' you foot*" There she was, she was going to put her foot right on a man's throat* And she looked and she started squealing and hollering. I went strad? dle legs on the man. And I told her, "Go in the house. I'll hold him here. Go in*" She wouldn't go* She started screeching and hollering* And pulling me* I said, "Go, go in* I'll find out vlio he is*" He had a khaki pants on, a pair of brown shoes and a jacket* Nope, she wouldn't go in. So I had to go in with her* And my mother-in-law came out with me* And when we went out there was nothing* Bessie: And it was so fun? ny* When we went out it was so dark that you couldn't see your hand ahead of you. And when we came out of the bam, everything was so bright that you could see hira so plain* And I can see him there yet* And I was just pickii' up my foot • I can see him yet lying down in the water* (Was he under the water?) Bessie; No, he had his hand under his head* And it was his head, mostly, that was in the water, A big pud? dle of water, I didn't know him, (Was he the same man you saw in the doorway?) John R.: I wouldn't say yes and I wouldn't say no. Bessie: What was so funny, how bright it was. I said when we were coming out of the barn, "Gee, didn't it get bright J" John R.: When I left the place, John Simon MacDonald took it • and I told him to be -- careful, not to go near the barn after dark. He said, "I know everything that vou were hearing." John Simon was from Cape North. Wasn't scared of nothing. Didn't care what it was or where the hell or what. "All right," I says, "you*ll see for yourself but," I said, "keep out of the barn." But he was hearing things in the house himself • John Simon was hearing things and he was telling us. John Simon was fishing • and this night it was raining and pouring and his wife wouldn't go for the cow. I would not blame her a bit, raining and pouring. John Simon came home and no cow and he had 9 or 10 • he had 10 kids. And they were only small. Well he had to go and get the cow. He got the cow. Put her in the barn. And he went back home to the house. When he came back, boy, this animal was in the drain. It came from behind the cows and ''fci '5 e Ceap Breatalnn fir mo ghraidh, Tir nan craobh, '5 nam beannfan ard''; '5 e Ceap brealamn Vir mo ghraidh' "Ur is a Uidh leim a r -Vhalamh. Cape Breton b the land of my lo /e' The Land of irees and h'l' mountains. Cape Breton is "tt' land di mj love; We deenn M +he most beautiful landon earltk. Dan Alex MacDonald Framboise college ojZ cape BRstoQ

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