The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1921-04-08
SAVED BY RABBIT
Lucky Catch Preserved Lives OF
Surveyors.
On the Verge of Starvation in Cana.
dian Wilds, Small Creature Was
Godsend to Men and Dogs.

The flying survey that the engineers
Of the Grand Trunk Pacific railway
made through the unexpl0red forests
and mountains of Canada was attend
ed by all manner of hardships and
adventures. 1t is remarkable that so
few men lost their lives, for the work,
which was pushed forward winter and
summer, was always filled with dan
gers. An experience related in Mr.. +.
A. Talbot's book, 1.-The Making of
Great Canadian Railway" affords a
graphic idea of the pains and pen
alties that many surveyors endured
in that silent, appropriated country:
In the depths of winter l was out
with one of the surveyors on an ex-
ploration trip. We had four dogs and
couple of sleighs 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 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-
er was thrown off 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 OBJ
stacles and bruising ourselves against
the trees. At night we lay down by
our camp fire, utterly exhausted and
faint from hunger and cold.
1t was on the third morning that
deserted the faint footprints of q
lack rabbit. 1t was the first sign OF
game that We had seen for three days
1 drew my companions attention to
the tracks.
stop right here and light a fire
Wen have something to eat this morn
ing or else / won't come back again =
l cried excitedly as l grabbed my gun
/ sped off with my eyes glued tc
those scarcely discernible footprints
But it was weary tracking; the trail
was as elusive a '-the-wiSp a
anyone could find i'm the forest. Fol
three solid hours 1 followed it relent
lessly, stumbling and falling wildly
bruising my shins and tearing m!
hands through the bush.
At last it disappeared into willow
; shrub. Crawling up warily, I searched
|, the thicker. and there Spied the quar-
~. Fearful that in my excitement
might take TOO hurried an aim witt
my rifle, miss. brighten, and lose TIN
, animal, I crawled steadily forward OF
my hands and knees. When within
an arms reach made sudden sprin
, and caught it by the scruff OF tn
, neck. In a trice it was dead; but
t had captured sorry prize. Like ou'
selves, it was in sore need Of food. TO
e It could obtain but slender sustenanc
: from the snow-covered ground.
u 1 retraced my footsteps as hurried
e ly as I could. 1 found my conrad
+ sitting before the fire holding his hea
/ in his hands between his knees-a
e abject picture of misery and despair
r In a few minutes the rabbit wa
skinned and splitting merrily on an in
: provised roasting jack. The skin We
!, cut into four equal parts and give
n to the dogs. They. devOured it rave1
W ously. Not an atom Of that rabbi
# was wasted The little bit Of food p'
new life into us and we pressed
!! through the forest until finally "
Il reached our camp.
re