The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-10-05
SAVED MANS LIFE
Story of a Rabbit That Came to Res
cue of Imprisoned Miner.

cue Oh lulpTlSOuCo
This true story of the almost mi
raculous rescue of man imprisoned
in the shaft of lead mine, was told
to the writer, Cora Cole Mccullough,
by a member of her family. We quote
it from Our Dumb Animals (Bos'
TOM:
Many years ago I was living, in
Montana. A smelter had been built
and it created demand for silver. l
owned an interest in a lead mine that
had been sunk over thirty feet.
Thinking the time had come to make
it available, l decided to go there and
get some ore and have it tested. l did
so, and reached the place just in time
to take shelter in the mine from a
terrible hail storm. l lighted my can
die, went to the bottom and went to
work. l had not been there more
than five minutes when I heard a
noise that sounded like cannon.
The rock over my head shook, ana in
moment the shaft caved in. You
can imagine my feelings better than
l can describe the when | found my
self buried alive.
1 tremble' even at this distant day,
when l think Of that moment. The
roof of the shaft was made of rocks,
and when they came down they did
not pack so tightly but that the air
came through. There was nothing I
could do to release myself. I knew
that if relief did not come from the
outside I would perish. No one knew
that 1 had gone there. A road ran
past the mouth of the shaft, but it
was not travelled much and l was
not likely to attract attention by
calling. Nevertheless, I shouted at
intervals all day.
The following morning I COM
menced calling again, and all day,
whenever I thought I heard sound,
1 shouted. When night came, again,
all hopes of being released were
abandoned. I will not dwell on the
agonies I endured. The morning of
the fourth day of my Imprisonment,
1 heard something crawl into my
grave.
I lighted my>candle and saw rab-
bit. There was only one aperture
large enough to admit him; l closed
it to prevent his escape. I saw in
him food to appease my hunger,
when a thought occurred to me that
prevented the blow from descending.
I had two fishing lines. Their
united length would reach to the
road. I took off my shirt, tore it into
strips, tied them together, and then
to the fish line. I then tied the end
madt out of my shirt around the raD-
bits neck and let him out. He soon
reached the end of the line, and l
knew by the way he was pulling that
he was making a desperate effort to
escape. Soon the tugging ceased, and
as knew that gnawing was one OF
a rabbits accomplishments, thought
he had gnawed himself loose. About
three hours afterward I felt the line
pull, and someone called. l tried to
answer, but the feeble noise 1 made
died away in the cavern. l then
pulled the line little to show that
was still alive. All grew still again,
and 1 knew the person had gone for
assistance. Then came the sound OF
voices. l pulled in the line and 1t
brought me food. 1t took all the men
who worked in the shaft nine hours
to reach me.
A very large pine tree that stood
near had been the cause Of my mis-
fortune. It had been dead a number
of wears. and the storm had blown
it over. The terrible blow it struck
the ground had caused the caVing IN
of the shaft. The rabbit had wound
the line around a bush and tied him
self so short that he was imprisoned
=, n.