Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1875-01-07
JACK RABBITS.
How one Of them Saved q
Miners Life.

While my friend Clyde and myself
were out in the hills back of the Golden
Gate Park, last week, jack rabbit came
along and stopped TO look at US.
''If | had thought to bring my revoi-
yer along we should have jack On toast
for our breakfast tomorrow, 1 said.
''Not with my consent, replied Clyde.
'What reason can you give for not
consenting 2"
"a RABBIT saved my life, and have
not killed one since, and never viii kill
one again.
"How did he manage TO save your
life 2"
"Three years ago ] was living in Mon
tana A shelter had just been built, and
it created a demand for silver rock
owned 40 interest in lead thar had been
sunk some thirty feet. Thinking the
time had come 10 make it available, ]
concluded to 60 there and get some ore,
and have it tested. did so, and reach
ed the place just in time 10 take shelter
in the mine from a terrible hail storm.
lighted my candle, went 10 the bottom
and set 10 work had not been there
more than five minutes, when | heard q
noise that sounded like a cannon. The
rock over my head shook, and in a mo-
ment the shaft behind me caYed. You
can imagine my feelings better than
can describe them, when / found my
self buried alive. l tremble even at this
distant day when think of that mo-
ment. 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 / could do
to release myself / knew that If re-
1s,Fs 81.
perish. No one knew l had gone there.
A road ran past the mouth of the shaft,
but il was not Travelled much, and / was
not likely TO attract attention by calling;
nevertheless, / shouted at intervals all
day. The following morning / com
menced calling again and all daY, and
whenever thought heard sound, I
shouted.
U4n EeIeds had SS 81 & 1opes ol
thing added great bitterness to my suffer
ings; lowed quite large sum of money,
and should my fate remain unknown,
my creditors would think had fed TO
defraud them, and Tpy name would be
stigmatised.
Il viii not dwell upon the agonies /
endured; ] am sorry that Ieconnot for
get them.
The morning of the fourth day of
my imprisonment, l heard something
crawl into my grave. lighted my can
die and saw a rabbit. There was only
one aperture large enough to admit him;
| closed IL to prevent escape / saw In
him food TO appease my hunger, and my
hand was raised TO kill him, when 9
thought occurred to me that prevented
the blow from descending. | had two
Tcf
reach to the road. ] took off my shirt,
tore it into strings. tied them together.
md on to the fish-lines. / wore 8 long
gold watch-chain. I tied it on the part
1f the line that would cross the road.
hen cut several leaves from my diary.
wrote on them my condition, and tied
hem to that part Of the line that would
Do outside. | then tied the end made
)ut of my shirt around Jacks neck and
ct him out. He very soon reached the
md of the line, and knew by the way
le was pulling that he was making des-
Derate attempts to escape. Soon the
Juggling stopped, and knowing gnawing
o be Jacks chief accomplishment, ]
hought he had cut himself loose. About
hree hours afterward / felt the line
pulled, then some one called. tried 10
answer, but the hoarse noise l made
lied IN the cavern. then pulled the
inc to show that was not dead.
All grew still again, and knew the
men had gone for assistance. Then
,ame the sound of voices; / pulled the
inc and it brought me food 1t took al
he men that worked ia the shaft nine
lnurs to reach me.
"a very large pine tree that stood
lear the shaft had been my misfortune
t had been dead d number of years, and
he storm had blown it-ever. The ter
ible blow il struck the ground had
aused the cave.
''Jack had wound the lire around q
ush, and tied himself so short that he
vas imprisoned outside as securely as /
ad been inside. He was taken 10 town.
ut in a large cage, and supplied with all
ae rabbit delicacies the market afforded.
Ie, however, did not thrive, and TIC
oys believing that he 'pined in thought,
oted 10 set him free. He was taken
ack TO his own girdiing grounds and
berated.
she not only saved my life, but be-
anne q benefsctor Of all rabbits in the
ighborhood - the miners refraining
ON shooting any, fearing it might be
i'm.