The “January Thaw” had cleared away much of the snow and jack rabbits were in abundance. Lad and Wendell had their guns cleaned and ready. It was time to make a little extra money so “rabbits here we come.” Now the best time to hunt rabbits is at night. You get in a vehicle with a spotlight and drive across the prairie watching for blow-outs (let’s not waste time getting stuck in the sand).
The rabbit holes were dangerous for cattle and horses and their hides were worth a dollar each when delivered to Everett Leeper. Everett sold the rabbits to mink farms to be fed to the mink. These mink were used for mink coats, hats, and other expensive but popular items.
Lad was the designated driver. Wendell manned the spot light. Wendell’s job was to shine the light on an unsuspecting rabbit, momentarily blinding him. A quick stop and fast shot would yield a rabbit or a chase. Either way there was plenty of excitement in the hunt. A good night would yield twenty to fifty rabbits.
One Saturday morning Wendell came to Joan and said, “So you want a date with Lad?”
“Yes.” “Well, be here tonight at ten, I will get you your date.” “I can do that.”
Now the dilemma for Joan was – she already had a date. She was going to a movie in Gordon with a rancher she had gone out with a couple of times, and was not at all interested (I don’t even remember his name). Too late to change it, so she went with a plan to be back in time. The trip to Gordon was all about the cow that had a calf that afternoon. They didn’t stop for a soda or anything on the way back and she hurried to the door when he dropped her off. Wendell came in a few minutes later and they were off, not in Lad’s jeep but in the lavender mercury!
Lad opened the door on the driver’s side and Joan slid past to the middle seat. Amazingly his pistol was not on the seat that night, but he pulled his 22 rifle in beside the door where it would be handy. Wendell got in on the other side so he could man the spotlight and get out quickly to shoot or pick up the ones they shot and put them in the trunk.
It was very dark and the ride was bumpy. Joan had no idea where they were going. She couldn’t even see the road. But that didn’t scare her anymore. She had gone deer hunting with Everett & Lola in the fall where she road with Lola at the top of the ridge near the river while the guys walked along the bank – but that was in the daytime! This was pure darkness and there was no road. The chase was fun when Wendell’s spotlight picked up a rabbit in the distance, Lad would speed up to get closer and sometimes the rabbit ran, but the trick was to shine the light in his eyes so he would stop. This went on for an hour or so.
Somewhere in the middle of nowhere they stopped near some unoccupied buildings that looked abandoned and falling down. “This is my home,” Lad said. “No way!” I replied. Wendell laughed, got out of the car and disappeared into the darkness. Turns out, it really was his childhood home where he was born. While Wendell was gone, Lad put his arm around Joan and gave her their first kiss!
It was about 1 AM when they got back to Leeper’s. Now you would think it was the beginning of a “happily ever after” romance. Not so! Lad had a rule, he only dated a girl once.
After all he didn’t have time for girls. It took Joan nearly two months to get the next date but after that he was hooked.
Fireside Stories 