The Monitor-register., 1897-01-22
ToMMY's Two-LEGaED RABBIT
BY CHARLES M'ILvAINE.

seem TO have settled, there is ceItairl
much pleasure left for later years j,
laughing at them.
1t was long ago that Tommy and wer
boys together on the old farm; yet through
all these years have never failed to hav
good laugh when thinking OF TommJ
and his two-legged rabbit.
II Tommy's name was ever Thomas. Il
is not SO remembered by any living bod y
He was short. pudgy, long faced, anc
Irish clear through and length wise.
Tommy's legs had no more idea f hang
down the sides Of horse when hs rod,
one bareback, than NO uld tie rocker q
. cradle have of turning any other wa,
than up.
One harvest DAY all were 80 busy bous
ing the grain, that not man or sixabl,
boy could be spared from the work to %
for the ever-important tri weekly mail
three miles away. As q last resort
Tommy was put upon Old Baruey-one
of the farm-horse pensioners, whose bach
was as broad, fat and slippery as goo6
living could make it-and was dispatched
after it.
As he rode up til lane aud disappeared
in the woods, the men stopped their worl
to shout their merrimept at the sight
His only stay on the horse was by an
earnest hold on the short bridle-reir: fol
his bare toes stuck heavenward at the END
of little legs that did not reach to where
Bsrney's sides began. and were so rig idly
HORIZONTAL as If they had been nailed fast
to keep him from rocking. Nevertheless,
in due time Barney's hugh form reap
peared returning through the sprout land
the mite Of boy was protruding from
his back, aud about him the mail was
tied. sashwise, in cheokered handker.
chief.
well Tommy" asked nay father, az
be rode up wearing smile a. big as a
bite, ''did you hsye any trouble 10 6ndine
the wayP"
mot a Bit, sir. Sure, would rave
had bad time o. it at the crossroads
where the big tree stands " id the pointin'
boards till it, If it hadn't been for Barney.
But Barney read the reading on the
boards, an that tould him the way to go,
An' that's the way we wint. | wish
was as good scholar as Rarney."
But about Tommy's two-legged rsbbir.
ln those days was the proud pnssessor
of gun, and T ,mmy gloripd In being
loaded down With shot pouch, pow der
horn and game bag, as my humble fol
lower. and ammunition train, on many
hunt over the hil!s of old sPripgtou
Manor. 6ne evening, just IN tae dusk,
accident quite as much as aim Increased
Tommy's load of game with couple of
pheasants that thought themselves safe
suite close to such juvenile sportsmsn,
and got shot for their overcouf isuce. A
pair Of proud boys We were. We started
home on the dimly lighted lane through
the sprout-land. Suddenly Tommy
grabbed me By the arm aud excitedly y
whispered "Sse! See! Lookit there!
There's rabbit sittin' on the tree be-
yant"
You're a goose, Tommy" I said,
laughing. Who ever saw a rabbit
sitting on tree ?''
''Sure it ls rabbit" he whispered.
There it is, sittin' oa the branch. saw
him move. It's q two-leEsod one, an'
he's standin' up See his ears! Bang
away at him before he Fins. There he Is
on the wee aogwood forninst you. Och,
y'u're blind as dead fist! Can't you
sse him He's as Plaia as the paper
box on the table"
Tommy was pointing with all the di-
rectness and certainly of the crossroad
signboards he had declared old Barney's
ability to read. Sure enough, I'll ere was
something, looking in the deep shadow
marvelously like rabbit perohed on
limb many feet from the ground. Two
legs we're distinctly vinibls, but there
was not trace of the other two, we'll
known to be the allotment Of ap ordinary
rabbit. The pa r of prioked ears were
undeniable.
Bang him! Shoot himp' said Tom my,
with suppressed eagerness. '.Sure he's
wonder-stsndiL' on tree With but two
legs under him." l raised my gun.
propped myself widespread like saw
buck, firm in the belief that q gun was
part mule and would kick if it got q
chance, and then fred,
Whatever 1t was fell to the ground and
lay struggling ameug the fallen leaves
Tommy bounded over the prickly Swede
fence and pounced upon it. Then such
yell arose as would have started the
Indians from their burial mound close by.
had they not heen safely there fpr fore
score years and more
'Ow, you witch, lit 60! Lit 60, I say
lit go, ye two-ligged baste! Murther!
MurtheI! He's killin' my finger. Bang
him againl He's not rabbit; he's got
pinchers on his toes. Ow, .murtber!
Loose him! Shoot him again! He's
killin' my finger"
rushed to Tommy's rescue. There be
was tossing the leaves. rolling, over and
over. swinging, twisting, belonging with
something dark hanging to his hand that
would pot be shaken OF. dared not
shoot. Dropping my gun, grabbed the
object. The touch of feathers told me it
was bird of some sort. tried to tear
it loose, but Tommy ouly yelled the
louder.
"Take him by the legs that's bitin'
me. Gouge him with yonr fist. The
baste-wid teeth OH his to +! OsI' he
screamed.
Nothing would loosen Tom my IS enemy
from him. As he yelled and hallooed,
led bim to the light in the margin of the
woodland. Then uuclasped from his
finger the hook ed deatb-grip If a great
horned owl.
We carried him home IN triumph,
Tommy sohbiug all the while between
bis bursts of glee. As We neared the
house Tommy trotted up to my side and,
looking up at me, whispered anxiously:
"Sure, know you won't blather to
anybody that said it was a two legged
rabbit, will you -
And this is first time l have
"blathe, l."-Independent
Breaking Things.
Robert-We had quite an experience
at Stoder's last evening.