The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-04-07
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 unexplored 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 filed with dan
gers. An experience related in Mr.. +.
A. Talbot's book, The Making OF
Great Canadian Railway" affords
graphic idea of the pains and pen
alties that many surveyors endured
In that silent, unpopulated country:
In the depths Of winter l was cut
with one of the surveyors on an e1-
ploration trip. We had four dogs and
q couple of sleighs not heavily laden.
Somehow or other, owing to the
lhlindtng snow, we were delayed and
lost our way. The dogs had to e
without food and we ourselves did not
taste a bite for three days; dor did
we catch sight Of the smallest speSi'
unsn 81 game. One thing after anoth:
- En thrown of the sisighs to eaE
the pGgnr Of the dogs, grown 50 thin
from want Of food that their ribs
showed through their skins. Only eur
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
.desaied the faint footprints Of a
jack rabbit. It was the first sign OF
game that we had seen for three days.
EdFew Es Companions IIss attention, to
the tracks. ~rear 4EaHA
: "Stop right here and light a fire.
Well have something to eat this morn
ding or else ! wont come back again"
Il cried exeitediy as grabbed my gun.
I sped OF with my eyes glued to
those scarcely diseern,ble footprints.
But 1t gas weary tracking; the trail
was as elusive z will-o'-theHTisp as
aSyous could and IN the forest. For
three solid hours 1 followed it relent'
iessly. stumbling and falling wildly,
brufsing my shins and tearing my
hands through the bush.
At last Il disappeared into willow
shrub. Crawling up warily, I searched
the thicket, and there spied the quar-
~. Fearful that in my excitement
might take too hurried an aim with
my rife, miss, frighten. and lose the
animal, I crawled steadily forward on
my hands and knees. When within
an arms reach ! made sudden spring
and caught it by the scruf OF the
nsek. In a trice it was dead; but l
hsd captured a sorry prize. Like eur
selves, 1t was in sore need OF food' TOT
, n eould obtain but slender sustenance
from. the snow-covered ground.
retraced my footsteps as hurried
Ito asI could. found my comrade
. sitting before the fire helding his heao
, IN his hands between his knees-an
ab,ect picture Of misery and despair
In a few minutes the rabbit was
skinned and splitting merrily on an I'M
nroyised roasting jack. The skin was
cnt into four equal parts and gwen
to the dogs. They devoured 1t raven,
ouslv Not an atom Of that raooit
was wasted. The little bit OF 1000 put
now life into US and we pressed Oh
through the forest until nnaiiS we
, reached our camp.