In cuttin' and haulin', in frost and in snow   We're up against troubles that few people know   It's only by courage and patience and grit   And eatin' plain food that we keep ourselves fit      The hard and the easy we take as they come   And when ponds freeze over we shorten our runs   To hurry my haulin' with spring coming on   I near lost me a mare out on Tickle Cove Pond      CHORUS:   Lay hold William Oldford, lay hold William White   Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might   Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can   And give me a lift with poor Kit on the pond      I knew that the ice grew weaker each day   But still I took risk and kept haulin' away   One evening in April bound home with a load   My mare showed some halting against the ice road      She knew more than I did as matters tunred out   And lucky for me had I joined her in doubt   She turned round her head with tears in her eyes   As if she was sayin', "You're risking our lives"      All this I ignores with a whip handle blow   For man is a stupid dumb creature you know   At the very next moment the pond gave a sigh   And up to our necks when poor Kitty and I      CHORUS      And if I had taken wise Kitty's advice   I ne'er would have made that short cut on the ice   Poor creature she's dead, poor creature she's gone   I'll ne'er get my mare out of Tickle Cove Pond      But I raised an alarm you could hear for a mile   And neighbours showed up in a very short while   You can always rely on the Olfords and Whites   To render assistance in all your bad plights      To help a kind neighbour is part of their lives   The same can be said for their childten and wives      And with the rope fastened around the mare's breast   William White for a shanty song made a request   There was no time for thinkin', no time for delay   Straight from his heart came this song right away      CHORUS      Lay hold William Oldford, lay hold William White   Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might   Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can   And with that we took Kit out of Tickle Cove Pond