The Arvada enterprise., 1921-02-24
SAVED BY RABBIT
Lucky Catch Preserved Lives Of
Surveyors.
On the vsres Of Starvation In caas.
dian Wlids, Small crsaturs Was
oedssnd - Men and oeos.

The flying survey that the engineers
Of the Grand Trunk Pacific railway
made through the unexplored forests
and mountains Of Canada was attend.
ed by all manner OF hardships and
adventures. 1t IL remarkable that w
Few men lost their lives. for the work,
which was pushed forward winter and
summer, was always filed with dan
gers. An experience related In Mr.. +.
A. Tulbots book, "rhe Making OF
Great Canadian Hallway" affords
graphic idea OF the pains and pen
alties that many surveyors endured
In that silent, unpopulated country:
In the depths Of winter was out
with one of the surveyors on an ex-
plOration trip. We hud four dogs and
Y couple Of slelghs not heavily laden.
Somehow or other. owing to the
binding SNOW, we were delayed and
lost our way. The dogs had to gO
without food und We ourselves did not
taste u bite for three days; nor did
we catch sight Of the smallest speci.
men OF game. One thing after anoth-
er was thrown on the sleighs to ease
the plight Of the dogs. grown SO thin
from want Of food that their ribs
showed through their skins. Only our
sleeping bags were retained. Through
the day We stumbled along Oh our
snOwsh0es, constantly falling over oh
stacles and bruising ourselves against
the trees. At night We lny down by
our camp fire, utterly exhausted and
faint from hunger and cold.
It WAS on the third morning that
deserted the faint footprints Of q
jack rabbit. II was the first sign Of
game that We had seen for three days.
l drew my companions attention to
the tracks.
"Stop right here and light u hre.
Well have something to eat this morn
Ing or else I won't come back again I"
I cried excitetlly ns ! grabbed my gun.
s,,ed of with my eyes glued to
those scarcely discernible footprints.
But II WAS weary tracking; the trail
WAS M elusive a will.O'.the-w ~
anyone could nnd In the forest. For
three solid hours ! followed II relent.
lessly. stumbling and falling wildly.
brulxing my shins and tearing my
hands through the hush.
At last It disappeared into Il willow
shrub. Crawling up warily. searched
the thicket. and there spied the quar-
~. Fearful that in my excitement !
might take too hurried MI aim with
my rife. miss. friKhten. and lOse the
animal. I crawleti steadily forward on
my hunds and knees. When within
an arms reach made sudden spring
and caught II by the scruR Of the
neck. In u trice II was dead: hut
had captured sorry prize. Like our.
selves, II WAN In sore need Of fOG'd. for
II could obtain hut slender sustensncs
from the snow.covered ground
I retrsced my footsteps ~ hurried.
" an I could. ! found my comrads
sitting before the are holding his head
In bis hands between his knees-sn
abject picture Of misery and despair
In q few minutes the rabbit was
skinned and splitting merrily on an Inn
provised roasting Jack. The skin wsa
cut into four equal parts and gtvsu
to the dogs. They devoured II raven
susly. Not an atom Of that rabbit
was wasted The little bit of food put
new life Into us and We preassd "a
through the fere~t until hnaiiy ~
reached our camp.