The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-10-30
MI C e ELAN G GU s {.

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY TOLD by A
MONTANA MISUNDERSTANDING ElSMLINES.

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY TOLD ny A
MONTANA MINER-UsEFUL FlsHLINEs.
While my friend Clyde and myself were
out in the hills back of tine Golden Gate
Park last week, n jack rabbit came alons,
and stopped to look at us.
"IfI had thought to bring my revolver
along we would have jack on toast for
breakfast Tomorrow" l remarked.
"Not with my CONSENT" he replied.
"What reason can you give for not con-
senting9'
"a rabbit saved my life and have not
killed one since, and will never kill one
again"
GLOW did he manage to save your life ?"
"Three years ago | was living in Mon
tana. A smelter had just been built, and
it created u demand for silver rock. /
owned an interest in lead that had been
sunk on 80 feet. Thinking the time had
come to make it available, concluded to
go there and get some ore and have it test
ed. | did so ; and reached the place just
in time to take shelter in the mine from
terrible hailstorm. | lighted my candle,
went to the bottom, and went to work. |
had not been there more than five minutes
when heard noise that sounded like
cannon. The rock over my head shook,
and in a moment the shaft behind me
caved. You can imagine my feelings bet
ter than | can describe them, when found
myself buried alive. | tremble even at this
distant day when | think of that moment.
The roof of the shaft was rocks, and when
they came down they did not pack so tight
but what the air came through. There
was nothing that could do to release my
SELF knew that if relief did not come
from the outside must perish. No one
knew had gone there. A road ran past
the mouth of the shaft; but it was not
travelled much, and | was not likely to at
tract attention by calling; nevertheless, |
shouted at intervals all day. The follow
ing morning | commenced calling again !;
and all day, whenever thought heard Il
sound, shouted.
"Whcn night came again all hopes of
being released had abandoned me. One
thing added great bitterness to my suffer
ings. lowed quite large amount mon.
ev, and should my fate remain unknown,
nv creditors would think had fled to de.
fraud them, and my name would be stig-
matizcd.
81 will not dwell on the agonics | en-
dured; am sorry cannot forget them.
"Thc morning Of the fourth day of my
IMPRISONMENT | heard something crawl
into my grave. l lighted my candle and
saw u rabbit. There was only one aperture
large enough to admit him; | closed it to
prevent his escape. | saw in him food to
appcase my hunger, and my band was rails
ed to kill him, when thought occurred to
me that prevented the blow from descend
ing. | had two fish lines; their united
length would reach to the road. took of
nv shirt, tore it into strings, tied them to-
uether, and on to the fish line. | wore
long. gold watch chain tied it on to the
part Of the line that would cross the road.
| then cut several leaves from my diary,
wrote on them my condition, and tied them
ON to that part of the line that would be
outside. then tied the end made out of
my shirt around Jacks neck and let him
out. He soon reached the end of the line,
and knew by the way he was pulling
that he was making desperate attempt to
escape. Soon Tie struggle stopped, and
knowing gnawing to be Jacks chief ac-
complishment, l thought he had cut him
self loose. About three hours aiterward |
felt the line pulled, and some one called l
tried to answer, but the hoarsc noise L
made died in the cavern. | then pulled
the line to show that | was not dead.
"All grew still again, and | knew the
man had gone for assistance. Then came
the sound of voices pulled in the line,
and it brought me food, 1t took all the
| men who worked in the shaft nine hours to
reach me.
"A very large pine tree that stood near
the shaft had been the cause ofmy misfor-
tune 1t had been dead a number of years,
and the storm lad blown it over. The
terrified blow it struck the ground had
caused the cave.
"Jack had wound the line around a
bush, and tied himself so short that he was
imprisoned outside as securely as | had
been inside. He was taken to town, put
in large cage, and supplied with all the
rabbit delicacies the market afforded. He
however, did not thrive, and the boys, be.
lieving that he pinned in thought voted
to set him free He was taken back to his
old girdling grounds and liberated.
HE not only saved my life, but became
the benefactor of all the rabbits in the
misunderstanding miners retaining from
shooting any, fearing it might be him."