Anthony Newman - American Survivor

“Joe, when do we meet these people and why didn’t you bring them here,” Cobie asked as she entered the cabin.

“Cobie, your number one job is to protect your daughter. We don’t know these people. Even good people are killing for food these days, and they were starving when I found them. I think they are the kind of people we want to have around us, but I still don’t want them to know where our homes are until I can get to know them better,” Joe replied.

“Is the lady single?”

“Yes and no. Jane’s boyfriend left to find medical supplies and never returned. That is why they stayed so long in the city hoping he would return,” he explained.

“How old are their kids? Are any my age? Can we go see them today?” Cloe asked in a barrage of questions.

“Oh, I’d guess they run from sixteen down to about your age. The kids were all scared and very timid when I saw them. Ginny’s husband had been shot in the leg, and that forced them to scavenge for food. They weren’t very good at it either. I want to observe them for a day or so before I take you two over there. Safety first has to be our motto these days. I’m starving let’s eat,” Joe said.

They ate breakfast and then Joe took Cloe outside and showed her the new bow. He took the time to teach her the basics of shooting a bow and let her pull the bowstring back and shoot several arrows before telling her they had to run the traps.

He followed Cloe while she checked the rabbit traps. His leg was in pain, which caused him to limp. The limping as he walked caused other muscles to get sore, but he sucked it up and finished the route without complaining. The improved techniques he had taught Cloe had doubled their harvest. They found six rabbits in the traps and Cloe was happy until they got to the last trap and found a half-eaten carcass.

“Couldn’t we raise rabbits in a caged in area and save a bunch of time walking around the forest?” she asked.

“That’s a darn good idea once we can grow some rabbit food in our garden,” Joe answered.

“I’ll bet no one has stolen rabbit food from the Co-op store. We need to find books on raising rabbits and other animals. We probably could raise goats, they’ll eat anything,” the girl proudly said.

Cloe was right, and Joe needed to unleash their brainpower. He knew he had to either bring a hundred books to them or take them to his real home. He thought they were living together now and he knew he could trust them. He decided to ask them to move in with him, and they could start becoming a family if Cobie agreed.

“Cloe, I’ll make a run to the Co-op to bring some rabbit fencing, lumber, and rabbit food back, so you can start rabbit ranching. I’ll teach you how to make a trap to catch the little varmints alive and make you responsible for the entire process,” he said.

“That would be totally awesome,” I’ll become the Bill Gates or Steve Jobs of rabbit ranching. I’ll call my company ‘The Bunny Ranch’.”

“You might want to check with your mom on the name. She might want some input. Let’s head back to the cabin and make a couple of the box traps if I can find some flat boards.

Cloe started to complain about having to skin the rabbits when Joe reminded her that half of the bunny ranching was harvesting and skinning the varmints. She cleaned the rabbits while Joe went about finding nails, wood, and something to cut or drill a hole in the top of the box.

Joe went to Cobie and said, “Cloe wants to start raising rabbits for food. I hope you don’t mind, but I told her it would be okay and I would get what she needs to get started.”

“That’s great. I’m sick and tired of rabbit stew, fried rabbit, and roasted rabbit but it sure beats starving. Why the concerned look on your face?” Cobie asked.

“She wants to name her new company “The Bunny Ranch.”

“Oh, after the Playboy Bunnies?”

“No, she is too innocent to know about the Bunny Ranch outside of Las Vegas that sells female companionship to men,” he laughed as he replied.

“Oh crap, that is too funny. I like the name and the double meaning. No one will tell her, and she will get lots of strange looks,” she laughed.

“So, we will start the Bunny Ranch Empire as soon as I can go to the Co-Op and get the supplies we need. Cloe let me know that we should be raising goats and other animals. I have hundreds of books back at my cabin, and we’ll make a trip there to see what we can learn about raising animals. We’ll visit my place after we visit the new folks. I would like you to think about moving in with me. It is better insulated and has solar powered lights and running water from a well,” Joe said.

“How is your hip? I’ll bet it still hurts a lot,” Cobie said.

“The pain meds take the edge off. I’m okay,” Joe answered.

“Honestly, I was beginning to think that you didn’t have a cabin and had just moved in with us, “Cloe laughed as she replied then added, “Joe I like you, but I have to think about that for a bit before making that decision.”

This struck Joe the wrong way, and he felt she didn’t get it that he owned the cabins, and she was the one being allowed to stay in his other cabin. He felt she should have jumped at the chance of moving to a nicer cabin. He didn’t respond and went to see how Cloe was progressing on the rabbits. He walked up and saw Cloe feeding rabbit guts to her dog. He also saw the pile of rabbit fur that would be tossed.

“Cloe, add tanning rabbit fur to your new company’s portfolio. I’m sure I have some books that cover tanning hides. Now take the meat to your mom, and we will get on with building our first trap to catch live rabbits,” Joe told the girl.

The traps were merely wooden boxes about a foot square by three feet long. He installed a door that dropped down from above with the other end closed. He had cut a hole in the top of the box about four inched from the closed end to allow the trigger stick to poke down into the box. He then nailed an upright board on the top of the box for the swing arm. The trigger was a stick with a notch about four inches from the bottom with a sharp end to hold the bait. The trigger and door were held by a string at opposite ends of the box. When the rabbit nudged the food on the end of the trigger it moved and allowed the door on the other end of the swing arm to fall trapping the rabbit in the box.

Joe made the first box while Cloe and Cobie watched, and then watched while the girls made the second box. It was now close to suppertime, so Cobie went to prepare supper while the other two cleaned up and put away their tools and the rabbit traps.

Joe checked his backpack and oiled his new Mini 14 while he waited on supper to be ready. He showed Cloe how to field strip her pistol, clean, and oil it when he was through with his. Cobie saw him preparing his gear and asked, “Are you getting ready for tomorrow?”

“I thought I’d hike over to the new group and see what they are doing. I want to observe them when they think no one is around,”

Cobie thought for a minute and asked, “Don’t you think spying on them is an intrusion of their privacy?”

“Yes it is, but if they want to live near us, we need to feel comfortable that they aren’t going to harm us or become a problem,” he replied.

Cobie asked, “Are you this paranoid about everyone who enters Mr. Harp’s world?”

“I think of it as being cautious and performing due diligence. Cobie, many people who were nice before, will do anything to feed their families. I gave them enough food for three days, and now I want to make sure they are friendly,” Joe said.

“So you would do that with anyone entering your world? I guess you checked us out as well,” Cobie asked as her anger rose.