



Produced by Annie McGuire








[Illustration: HARPER'S

YOUNG PEOPLE

AN ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY.]


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VOL. I.--NO. 23. PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK. PRICE FOUR
CENTS.

Tuesday, April 6, 1880. Copyright, 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS. $1.50 per
Year, in Advance.

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[Illustration: JIM AND CHARLEY IN THE WOODS.]

A RABBIT DAY.

BY W. O. STODDARD.


"Jim," said Charley, "has that dog of yours gone crazy?"

"Old Nap? No. Why? What's the matter with him?"

"Just look at the way he's diving in and out among the trees. He'll run
full split right against one first thing he knows."

"No, he won't. He's after rabbits. We're'most to the swamp now, and Nap
knows what we've come for as well as we do."

There was no mistake but what he was a wonderfully busy dog just then.
It looked as if he was trying to be all around, everywhere, at the same
time; and every few moments he would give expression to his excitement
in a short sharp yelp.

"He means to tell us he'll stir one out in a minute," said Jim. "It's a
prime rabbit day."

"Are there more rabbits some days than there are others?"

"Easier to get 'em. You see, there came a thaw, and the old snow got
settled down, and a good hard crust froze on top of it; then there was a
little snow last night, and the rabbits'll leave their tracks in that
when they come out for a run on the crust. Old Nap knows. See him; he'll
have one out in a minute."

"Is this the swamp?" asked Charley.

"All that level ahead of us. In spring, and in summer too, unless it's a
dry season, there's water everywhere among the trees and bushes; but
it's frozen hard now."

"What is there beyond?"

"Nothing but mountains, 'way back into the Adirondacks. We'd better load
up, Charley."

"Why, are not the guns loaded?"

"No. Father never lets a loaded gun come into the house. Aunt Sally
won't either. Shall I load your gun for you?"

"Load my gun! Well, I guess not. As if I couldn't load my own gun!"

Charley set himself to work at once, for the movements of old Nap were
getting more and more eager and rapid, and there was no telling what
might happen.

But Charley had never loaded a gun before in all his life. Still, it was
a very simple piece of business, and he knew all about it. He had read
of it and heard it talked of ever so many times, and there was Jim
loading his own gun within ten feet, just as if he meant to show how it
should be done. He could