The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-12-08
FROM CLEVELAND.

Correspondence Of The Big Stone Gap Post.
CLEVELAND, Va, Dec. 3.--Now for the
rabbit and cat tale. You all know a nab.
bit has very short tail, and cat a
rather long one SO We thought we would
put them together and have tale about
the right length. Well, here is the way
the thing occurred.
There is a notable rabbit den in cliff
near our home. where we have caught
many fine rabbits. We catch them in a
box; OF course. We don't have rabbit every
| day, because We don't want that kind OF
meat so otten-goOd as it is, but when we
get hungry for od-feld venison, we Just
set our box at the aforesaid den and
seldom fail to have the desired game on
time but il it fails to come on time, we
just wait, YOU know.
When We set tor short tail, we place
the other end OF the box in the den and
push it back till the outer end is even, OF
a little more than even, with the face Of
the rock Immediately surrounding the face
of the cavity, then set the drop lid in this
end OF the box, the rabbit rushes in think
ing he is just entering his old home
through new door, when the drop-lid
closes behind him, aud he finds himself in
"a box"
Well, says you, see no part of cats
tail in all OF that. But wait minute. 4
few days ago we went to our box and see
ing the lid down, we pressed it lightly and
poked i'll stick, which touched something
flexible. This touch we regarded as pri-
mefacia evidence OF the presence OF game
so We carried the box down to the house
aud pulled a rabbit out of it head iormost.
We don't like to take rabbit from a
box by the head it looks so barberous, we
would much rather fetch him by the heels
but when you get rabbit in box you
have to lay hold of the first end YOU come
to. We just left the box lying in the
yard, and next morning when we sat down
at the table TO break our fast, our rat
~ho had always been forth
coming for his supplement, was missing,
and we could not surmise with any degree
of abstraction what had become OF him.
we hoped for time that he had only been
out late that night watching for moon
sinners and would ere long turn up ali o. !
h. But, alas, as the moments and hours |
sped by without a clue, our hopes followed |
after. 81 the end OF 3 days aud = nights |
we were walking in the yard in the cool OF |
the evening and happened to notice some
rabbit iur that had apparently worked out |
under the lid of our box, We pressed the |
I'd gently; IL touched something and We /
heard the faint new OF cat in the box. |
We called out to our better half, "here j.
| dead cat IL the rabbit box" Ot course,
We knew 1t was not entirely dead, or it
;Ouid not have spoken at ali, but suppOs-
ng it had been without food ever since il
vas missing, it looked reasonable that
he plaintiye whisper We had heard might
lave been his parting word. But when
We opened the box the cat leaped out and
,alloped OIL looking like he might have
,een just from sunday School picnic.
Except that his garments were badly
tanned with blood. We looked in the
'Ox and beheld the front ranks oia large
abbit, which at once revealed the WINS
M wheretOres ~ the story vi the prOdigal
at. The sight OF this mangled remains
rOught to mind our carelessness in hav-
ng left the rabbit in the box, aud made
3 feel little like small streak OF
articeps criminis was Invading our spinal
DUNN. We had caught two rabbits in r
tead OF one and had only taken one out.
he cat discovered our mistake, pressed
he lid and went in to get the other rabbit I
nd when the drOp-lid closed behind him
realized that he too was Tin u box" SO
ne only thing he could do was TO feast 7
pom the rabbit during the time he was
Jseht without leave. G
Now, the only thing we regret in this
after is that this innocent and helpless
nimal had to suffer the awful torture of
cling eaten alive by ravenous cat. This
axes us feel bad every time We call it to
ind. Now, boys, remember this circum-
ance, and when you catch a rabbit in
Ok aud pull IL out, no matter which end
mes first, look in for another, and do
'ur best through to avoid giving I'M
,cessary pain to any living creature,
'ver treating even the meanest worm
th wanton cruelty, for the great God has f
i'd "Blessed are the mercyiul, for they
all obtain mercy" VIII.