Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-08-23
THE GREAT RABBIT.
A Little Story For Wise People 20
Read and Ponder.

IlttIe StOry FOT "ISc rcOpIc U
Read and Ponder.
My friend DR.. Theodore S. Palmer,
Of Washington. D. c.. who has charge
of all Uncle Sans game, fish and
birds, IS an authority on rabbits, Of
worldwide fame. He has written
books about them; what he says
about rabbits, as a rule, nobody dis
putes. At the Great Game Commits
sioners' convention. in New Orleans,
during February last, DR.. Palmer was
giving the record sizes Of jack rab-
bits, when the truth Of history forced
me to take issue with him. Have
you known of a larger rabbit?" the
doctor asked me, and 1 replied that I
had known a rabbit so much larger
that there could be no comparison;
that he himself could decide. Where
upon / stated the facts as follows:
It was a long time ago when two
little boys, aged five and three, had
rabbit gum in a field back Of the
garden, to which each morning. they
paid regular visits. Sometimes the
gum had hair around the front. The
boys had been told to look for this.
The trap of the gum was often down,
but no rabbit was inside. They were
too young to know that brethren of
the colored persuasion incline most
seriously to rabbit. Furthermore that
the cOlOred brother stirS before the
small boy and stirs swifter; that once
in his possession the rabbit makes
noise no more; nor Is again seen in
his usual haunts. The rabbit is ac-
counted for.
This went, on for some time until
an unlocked for arrival Of the KukluX
sent all the colored persuasion to the
swamps, there to remain for at least
one moon. Silence brooded over the
plantation. The air was ripe for big
events. Something had to happen
and next morning it did happen. AS
the two tiny trappers crawled over
the fence for the thousandth time
the gum was seen to be shut tight.
hurried inspection with the eye
screwed tight to the crack revealed
the presence of rabbit inside. They
never dreamed Of any connection be-
tween the absence of the cOlored
brother and the finding of the rabbit,
but the connection was vital.
A council of war was held and 1t
was decided that the big boy should
haul out the rabbit. He showed his
arm and was badly scratched, (re-
member this was the biggest rabbit
in the world) but he held tight and
brought him out. Then the two
stretched him between them. got over
the little fence somehow, went
straight to n broken pailing in the
garden and swung along the gate,
which they butted open. The path
made at once to the long piazza and
called vigorously for mother. AS
she was coming out the big boy took
entire possession; it would never do
to let the small boy have any Of the
glory Mother came out from her
housework to admire. The big boy
swung his prize up in the air, hold
ing him by the hind legs.
Just then. when glory blushed and
blOOmed; when youth. hope, and all
the things that dance together
around the threshold of life, made the
air radiant: the great rabbit gave an
unexpected jump and got away.
All the dogs on the plantation were
turned loose; rabbits were slaught-
cred by the score. but not one was
even a fraction of the size of that
mighty rabbit that had vanished. Af-
ter nearly forty years his ears look
larger than a mules ears. A lobo
wolf on the prairie looks little beside
him and other rabbits appear like
mice in comparison.
| often wonder what became of him
and am now convinced that he dart
ed straight back into the swamp and
junges OF the land of Used-to- Be.
where it would be useless to hunt for
him.
Science respectfully knocks under
and apologies. All records bow be-
fore the mightiest of all rabbits and
Mr.. Rice has done the world ser
vice to preserve this unimpeachable
record, which otherwise might have
been lost to the world
James Henry Rice, Jr.