Year: 1874

SAVED BY A RABBIT.


While my friend Clyde and myself were
out in the hills back of the Golden Gate park,
a jack rabbit came along and stopped to look
at us.


"IfI had thought to bring my revolver
along we should have jack on toast for break.
fast to morrow" remarked.


"Not with my consent" he replied.


"What reasons can you give for not consent
ing ="


"A rabbit saved my life, and have not
killed one since and never will kill one again.


"How did he manage to save your life?


"Three years ago was living in Montana.
A smelter had Just been built, and it created
a demand for silver rock. | owned an inter-
est in lead that had been sunk on thirty
feet Thinking the time had come to make
it available, I concluded to 60 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 lightened my candle, went to the bottom,
and went to work. had not been there more
than FIVE minutes when heard noise that
sounded like the report of cannon. The
rocks over my head shook, and in moment
the shaft behind me caved. You can imagine
nv feelings better than I can describe them,
when found myself buried alive. tremble
even at this distant day when | think OF that
moment. The roof of the shaft was rocks,
and, when they came down they did not pack
so tight but what the air came through
There was nothing that 1 could do to release
myself I knew that if relief did not come
from the outside 1 must perish. No one
knew had gone there. A road ran past the
mouth of the shaft, but it was not Travelled
much, and was not likely to attract attention
by calling; nevertheless, I shouted at intervals
all day. The following morning I commenced
calling again; and all day, whenever l
thought heard sound, shouted.


"When night came again all hopes OF being
released had abandoned me- One thing added
great bitterness to my suferings. l owed
quite large amount Of money, and should
my fate remain unknown, my creditors would
think I had fled to defraud them, and my
name would be stigmatized.


II will not dwell on the agonies l endured !;
I am sorry I cannot forget them.


"The morning of the fourth day Of my i'm
prisonment I heard something crawl into my
grave lighted my candle and saw rabbit.
There was only one aperture large enough to
admit him; I closed it to prevent his escape.
saw in him food to appease my hunger, and
nv hand was raised to kill him, when a
thought occurred to me that prevented the
blow from descending. had two fish lines !;
their united length would reach the road. !
took off my shirt, tore it into strings, tied
them together, and on to the 6sh-line. | wore
long gold watch chain; l tied it on to the
part Of the line that would cross the road l
then cut several leaves from my diary, wrote
on them my condition, and tied them on to
that part of the line that would be outside. l
then tied the cord made out of my shirt
around Jacks neck, and let him out. He
soon reached the end of the line, and knew
by the way he was pulling that he was making
desperate efforts to escape. Soon the tugglng
stopped, and, knowing gnawing to be Jacks
chief accomplishment, I thought he had cut
himself loose. About three hours aiterward
l felt the line pulled, then some one called.
tried to answer, but the hoarse noise made
died in the cavern. then pulled the line to
show was not dead.


Gall grew still again, and I knew the man
had gone for assistance. Then came the
sound of voices. I pulled the line, and it
brought me food. 1t took all the men who
could work in the shaft nine hours to reach
me.


"a very large pine tree that stood near the
shaft had been the cause Of my misfortune
1t had been dead number of years, and the
storm had blown it over. The terrible blow
it struck the ground had caused the cave.


"Jack had wound the line around bush,
and tied himself so short that he was impris-
oned outside as securely as l had been inside,
He was taken to town, put in a large cage,
and supplied with all the rabbit delicacies the
market afforded. He, however, did not thrive,
and the boys, believing that he 'pined in
thought voted to set him free. He was then
taken back to his old girdling grounds and
liberated.


"He not only saved my life, but became the
benefactor Of all the rabbits in the neighbor-
hood-the miners refraining from shooting
any, fearing it might be him."