The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-18

COO-Hoo.
COO-HOO.
The Mysterious sound Heard o. Louis
iAna Bayou.

New Orleans Times Democrat
The CLASSY water lies dark beneath the
heavy network OF rank vines hanging. .
very cnrtain of .axuriart verdHre, over the
silent fow OF Bayou Manchsc.
Not yet have the sunbeams OF the early
morning been able to penetrate their dem
sity. nor have they lifted vet the dewdrops
sparkling upon every lesf
BY the skilled methods of the wondrous
aiencmist. Night. gentle fragrance rests
upon the air such as is not the perfume
which may be identified. but the soft.
sweet, nameiess exha,asion which sun
shine never has caioled nor forced from
any one floral beauty.
Higher the bold sun mounts, and rs his
bright beams touch the lower air Q shrili
note bounds gayly over The rising mists. IS
1t hastes TO tell the neighbor folk that now
they may bring their grist to the awaiting
mill. Joining these echoes in their merry
fight, another similar bat less distant
sound attests the opening of the days toll
By yonder sawmill just discernihge upon
the bayou bank.
From cabin and from cottage cheer the
sturdy piowmen 60 to fields hard by, there
TO resume the turrow left unfinished at the
calling OF the breakfast bell
And so the day begins; apparently day
OF varied yet of willing toll by each one at
his part
Sure. one would say, this is region full
OF thrift and calm content But hear I
Scarce have the piercing plows upturned
their second furrow. when the ear is
touched by yet another sound like. and
yet different from the keen, clear whistles
of the industrious mills
Different, indeed: for those were the in
dices Of prompt. exciting industry; this is
the evidence, as later learned. that in
dustry and II are strangers. Once more it
sounds, and quick behind il
come the voices Of baying hounds.
Coo-hoo! Coo-hoo! You hear ID
now, and you may be sure that you shall
hear it at almost any hour. So heard II
once. of TO my right . mile. perhaps.
Again a little later, farther to the north.
An hour afterward it came again; and so
all through the day.
did not know its cause or purpose for
awhile; but as the days went by, and still
that sound was here and there and all
around me, it became annoying. as some
sounds do. solely because we do not know
them-what they are or why.
Whatever the time was-morning, noon
or ightfali--somewhere yet never near, |
heard that sound. Coo-hoo! Coo-hooi l
saw no one, heard no other note nor
voice by which l might learn the nature
of it. There was about it no real
mystery; OF that I was assured
by the plain, even course oil
life around me. No one about me seemed
at all disturbed, excepting that now and
again q sort of half sneer would show IT,
self on the lip of this or that one, and
though no word was spoken, traced q
timeliness between the half sheer and the
distant sound.
At last the thing was clear. 0vertaken
by Q shower Of rain one day, when near
some cabins, ran to one of them and
sought shelter under its porch roof. Fol-
the same purpose . stranger had already
established himself there. Ny mild salute
the toll politeness exacted of me--was
answered with grunt. and. yielding to the
implied advice that farther acquaintance
was not longed for. satisfied myself with
snatching glimpses of my companion from
time 10 time as the rainfall continued.
He was young-not % yet. judged. OF
rural birth and life evidently. His clothing
was whole, yet far from well-kept- In fact,
it appeared to have been on its wearer
since he first donned it. In that respect il
had been well kept. His trousers were
more or less tucked into pair Of rough
boots, and rs he waited The showers pleas
ure. he le&ned on shotgun.
Pacing the little porch. my back was for
a moment turned. when. as suddenly and
as unlocked for as the shot from his gun,
that execrabie, long-heard, but here tofore
distant Coo-hool Coo-hooi rang in my
ears.
in the very act, was that abominabie blast
which had hung upon the air until had
felt il burden on my patience.
Until now it had borne with il an indie
Unable advertisement OF idleness- ! un-
derstood now the iull appropriateness OF
that impression.
Here was youth-hale. hearty. sound
in limb and body, and adequately fitted for
q young mans active part in life. Yet. as
il seemed 10 me, all day and every day, this
stout STRIPPING tramped the country, idiing,
dawdling life away.
I afterward ascertained more concerning
him. on mentioning 10 friends our meeting
and the antipathy his horn previously had
aroused in me.
lie lived near By. His wealth would not
excite the ire of Communist. Indeed,
his means OF support were such as were
provided by others of his family, with
whom he would not quarrel because Of
their willingness to labor for their advan-
sage and his own. His only invested CAPT.
tai was the price paid for his shotgun. Yet,
asoof or in the saddle. all the noise he made
in the world was the sound OF his gun
shots and tina, almost incessant Coo-hoo !
Coo. hoo, Coo-hoo, At his call, for such IL
proved. and the only call he ever had for
them--a pack OF haggard hounds came
bounding TO him, and at the same mo-
ment my impotence threw my seif-control
aside, so that the last note of his
COW horn had just sounded when. more
distinctly than I intended, i exclaimed
"oh. shut upl" Whether he heard my
words clear or not do not know; but the
hunter quickly glanced at me. and step
ping out into the rain. was gone, followed
by his hounds. I am glad TO say | have
never seen him since. JanEs Il. CABLE.
A Prodigy OF Memory.
Professor Hsnkle, writing in the yossrysn