Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-11-11
Jack Rabbits.

Jack Rabbits.
While my friend Clyde ard myseI
were out in the hills back of the Golden
Gate park, last week, a jack rabbit
came along and stopped to look at us.
"1f L had thought to bring my revol.
yer along we would have jack on toast
for breakfast Tomorrow" 1 remarked.
''Not with my CONSENT" he replied.
"What reason can you give for not
consenting?"
ga rabbit saved my life, and 1 have
not killed once since, and never will kill
one again"
'How did he manage to save your
life ?"
''Three years ago was living in Mon
tana. A smelter had just been built
and it created demand for silver rock.
owned an interest in lead that had
been sunk on thirty feet. Thinking
the time had come to make it available,
concluded to go there and get some
ore, and have it tested. / did so and
reached the place just in time to take
shelter in the mine from terrible hail
storm. 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
a cannon. The rocks over my head
shook, and In moment the shaft be-
hind me caved. Yon can imagine my
feelings better than / can describe
them, when found myself buried alive.
L tremble even at this distant day when
l 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 I could do to
release myself. knew that if release
did not come from the outside I must
perish. No one knew that / had gone
there. A road ran past the mouth of
the shaft but it was not travelled much,
and was not likely to attract atten-
ton by calling nevertheless, 1 shouted
at intervals all day. The following
morning commenced calling again !;
and all day, whenever 1 thought 1
heard sound, 1 shouted.
"When night came all hope of being
released had abandoned me. One
thing added great bitterness to my suf-
ferings. 1 owed quite large sum of
money, aud should my fate remain un-
known, my creditors would think had
ued to defraud them, and my name
would be stigmatizcd.
81 will not dwell on the agonies en-
dured l am sorry l cannot forget
them.
"The morning of the fourth day OF
my imprisonment l Leard something
crawl into my grave. lighted my cam
die and saw a rabbit. There were only
one aperature large enough to admit
him 1 closed it to prevent his escape.
| saw in him food to appease my hunger,
and my hand was raised to kill HIM,
when thought occurred to me that
prevented the blow from descending.
/ had two fish-lines their united length
would reach to the road. took off my
shirt, tore it into strings, tied them to-
gether and on to the fish line. L wore
long gold watch chain tied it on to
the part of the line that would cross
the road. l then cut several leaves
from my diary, wrote ON them my con-
dition, and tied them on to that part of
the line that would be outside. / then
tied the end made out of my shirt
around jack neck and let him out. He
soon reached the end of the line, and l
knew by the way he was pulling that he
was making desperate attempt to escape.
Soon the tugging stopped, and knowing
gnawing to be Jacks chief accomplish
ment, l thought he had cut himself
loose About three hours afterward l
felt the line pulled; then some one
called. / tried to answer, but the
hoarse noise made died in the cavern.
l then pulled the line to show was not
dead.
"All grew still again, and 1 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 could work In the
shaft nine hours to reach me.
"a very large pine tree that stood
near the shaft had been the cause of my
misfortune. It had been dead num-
ber of years, and the storm had blown
it over. The terrible blow it had struck
the ground had caused the cave.
"Jack had wound the line around
bush, and tied himself SO short that he
was imprisoned outside as securely as 1
had been inside. He was taken to town,
put in large cage, and supplied with
all the rabbit delicacies the market af-
forded. He, however, did not thrive,
and the boys believing that he 'pined
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 be-
came the benefactor of all the rabbits
in the neighborhood-the miners re-
framing from shooting any, fearing it
might be him. San Francisco Golden
Era.