The Coconino sun., 1921-06-17
SAVED BY RABBIT
Lucky Catch Preserved Lives of
 Surveyors.
On the Verge of Starvation in Cana
 dian Wids, Small Creature Was Godsend to Men and Dogs.

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 hardslips and adventures. It is remarkable that so few men lost their livea for the work, which was pushed forward winter and summer, was always filled with dan gers. An experience related in Mir. F. A. Talbot's book, "The Making of a Great Canadian Railway" affords a 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- pl0rati0n trip. We had four dogs and a couple of sleighs not heavily laden. Somehow or other, owing to the blinding snow, we were delayed and lost our way. The dogs had to go without food and we ourselves did not taste a bite for three days; nor did we catch sight of the smallest speci- men of game. One thing after anoth- CT was thrown of 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 on our snowshoes, constantly falling over ob- stacles and bruising ourselves against the trees. At night we lay down by our camp fire, utterly exhausted and faint from hunger and cold.
 It was on the third morning that l deserted the faint footprints of jack rabbit. It 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 fire. We'll have something to eat this morn ing or else won't come back again v I cried excitedly as grabbed my gun.
 I sped of with my eyes glued to those scarcely discernible footprints. But it was weary tracking; the trail was as elusive will-o' the-wisp as anyone could find in the forest. For three solid hours followed it relent- lessly, stumbling and falling wildly, brulsing my shins and tearing my hands through the bush.
 At last 1t disappeared into willow shrub. Crawling up wsrily, searched the thicket, and there spied the quar- ". Fearful that in my excitement I might take too hurried an aim with my rife, miss, frighten, and lose the animal. crawled steadily forward on my hands and knees. When within an arms reach l made sudden spring and caught 1t by the scruff of the neck. In trice 1t was dead; but l had captured sorry prize. Like our selves. 1t was in sore need of food. for it could obtain but slender sustenance from the snOw-covered ground.
 retraced my footsteps as hurried ly as I could. found my comrade sitting before the fire holding his head in his hands between his knees--an abject picture of misery and despair.
 In few minutes the rabbit was skinned and splitting merrily on an i'm provised roasting jack. The skin was cut into four equal parts and given to the dogs. They devoured it raven ously. Not an atom of that rabbit was wasted. The little bit of food put new life into us and we presseH on through the forest until finally we reached our camp.