Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1901-04-26
FRIDAY
Kicked by a Tame Rabbit.

you DO 80 along the line that misery
loves company, because rabbit car
kick two thousand times harder than q
mule according to size, and for proof Of
this assertion ask Sergeant Andrew
Gartley out at the Soldiers Home.
Andy is first duty sergeant and keeps
an eye for the protection of some forty
or fifty tame rabbits in color from pure
black to white, with spotted creams,
roams, blue and maroons. There is a
pure black named Dewey, because he
has frequently fought and driven cats
away from the sweet little baby rabbits
and the way Dewey flies open mouthed
at a cat is enough to scare any cat on
earth. Dewey got his name because Of
his magnificent qualities as fighter,
and of course was named after the hero
Of Manila. When you can find tame
rabbit that can whip cat you have
found something few people believe
possible, yet the writer and many
others over at the Soldiers home have
seen Admiral Dewey attack cat and
whip it, and one moonlit night, DR..
Wade, hospital surgeon at the Home,
was aroused by an unusal noise in
front of the hospital; thinking Coyotes
were ut work among the bunnies, he
jumped for his gun and rushes out.
He saw one of the prettiest sights he
ever witnessed. There was brave
black Dewey engaged in desperate
combat with two prowling cats. Rab.
bits do terrible execution with their
powerful hind claws, and rip and cut
in q manner similar to the Kangaroo.
A rabbit jumps up and over his enemy
and as be passes over like flash he
digs his powerful claws into whatever
is in his way. Dewey was digging his
claws into the cats just as fast as he
could jump and rabbit is mighty
lively jumper. The rabbits style of
fighting was surprise to the cats and
they ran away leaving the little buns
unharmed. Dewey showed signs of
the combat for q long time, but he
never weakened in the defense of the
babies
Now for the story. In the middle OF
April Gartley was busy catching and
giving rabbits away because Of the
rapid increase. He reached his hand
into q hole expecting to find q number
Of little buns, but instead he disturbed
Lord Dewey who was probably giving
Z rabbit lecture on self protection. Az
he pulled him out of the hole which
was behind the engine house and along
side blow off pipe, Dewey gave Andy
= kick with one hind foot. as he held
the other, which made three gashes in
the back Of his hand and made blood
blue patch two inches in extent Andy
held onto the rabbit and was right
down mad. Here Is what followed:
Lee Phillips. chief engineer. was out
by the we'll pump and saw Andy, about
twelve feet distant. Andy didn't see
Lee, but Lee, who was little hard OF
hearing, could hear Andy talking in
good plain English to Dewey. Andy
held Dewey by the ears and was ex.
pressing his opinion on Dewey's foul
treachery thus: "You little black
oowardly sun of q gun. (shaking him)
Iyea good notion to give you away.
Your fine record as fighter is all that
saves your life. Yet, if it was not for
the love of Jesus which flows through
my veins would bust your dodgasted
head on the blow pipe" Andy is
not given to profanity or display of
temper. but the treachery of Mr.. Bun
ME whom he had fed hundreds of times
grated on his good old West Virginia
nature. Andy will carry his hand in a
bandage for some time. I asked Andy
# he had ever heard of good old Elder
Keith, who used to live down on the
Jim river bottom below Yankton. He
aid he had not. yet Andy talked to the
'abbit about as Keith did to the but
ing calf once. The calf story is worth
'epeat1ng. Elder Keith was a good,
,ious old Adventist preacher in those
lays when church work in the Terri
ory was on the pioneer order. The
elder had fine black broad cloth Sun.
lay suit, and one Sunday morning he
vas all dressed and ready to drive
way on his mission of Christian love,
vben Mrs. Keith notified him that he
ad forgotten to give the calf it's milk.
The elder at once got pail of milk
nd went to the barn to feed the neg
scted bovine. He put the pail down
nd the hungry calf put it's head into the !
all. 1t swallowed a little milk and calf .
Ike gave the pail bunt with it's milk
overed nose. spilllng a quantity over
be Elders nice black pants. That was
10 much for his temper, of which he ,
ad plenty when occasion demanded :
[e took hold of the calfs ears and held
nem firmly in his powerful grasp, say
,g in a voice both loud and deter
lined: IF it wasn't for the love of
Fod which flows through my vieas, 1 \
'ould bust your ID head through