Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-12-04
STORIES OF BIRDS.

4NAA oul
ont, big hawk dartcd down into
Ethclbcrt ". Pcarcc's born;yard, Up in
Hcrricl1 township, seized n tough old
hon, flow across the road with her, and
settled down behind arail fcncc. Eiddy
was too heavy for tho hawk to sail away
with, and sEo Gqu"wkcd TO tho full c2;-
tent OF her lung po"cr while her broad
winged captor was pinring her to the
ground. Tho hawk appeared to know
that it's actions were boin.s watched, for
every fcwsccoa6S it raisctli its head and
pccpcd between tho rails tc:?aId tho
house, whcro Mr.. Pcarcc, who had got
his rif1o tho moment tho hen thief
dropped behind tho fcnco, was waiting
TO Ecta good shot 1T it. The old hen
squawlicd right along, fluttcrcd for al
she was worth to FREQ herself from tho
hawks big claws, and struggled i'll the
grass, while tho hawk held her down
with apparent case, glanced through
tho fcncc, and seemed to be afraid To
begin to dcvour her SO rcar tho farm
buildings. Twice tho hawk raado all
effort, Ito rise with its noisy prey, but tho
old hens wcightwas evidently several
ounces moro than it had been used to
handling, and again it was forced
to settle down. Mr.. Pcarco had
drawn bead on the spot in the fence
whcro tho hawk Was and tho
nc1t timo it stuck up its head
and pccpcd between the rails. he pulled
tho trigger. For moment thcro was Il
lively Tutoring behind tho fence, and
pretty soon tho hen dashed into tbs
road, with her wings spread out, and
won't llnping and sQuawkinG toward tho
harnyard as though sho vas scared hell
to death. Tho hawk WASH t visible from
whcro Mr.. Pcaroo had banged away ~
it, and he ran to tho fcnco and looked
over. Tho big bird lay sprawlcd ont as
dead az n stone, and when Mr.. Pcarcc
examined it he found that his bullet
had cut tho hawks brain out as nicely
ns q En1fc could havo done tho work.
EARLY in tho spring Farmer Lewis l..
Hanlcy's boys trapped q large male
horned owl on their fathers place in
Pocoao township. The bird wa3 fierce
fighter whenever any ono went near
Kim, and tho boys wanted to contlnc him
in cago. Mr.. llanlCy wouldn't Let
them. and he turned tho owl loose in
ono Of lis barns whcro thcrc were lots
of rats and Iaieo. The owl soon became
ased to the barn, caught and alto enough
:ats to Keep him fat, and acted Us if he
enjoyed his new abode very much
From his porch on q bcaa tho owl
watched for game. and whenever Il rot
showed itself on tho surface OF tho hay
NOW lie dropped down % light and as
noisclCSs rs feather and never missed
catching it in his claws. lie cleaned
out tho rodcIts ct such u rapid ratio that
within q month the II ianiudcr OF them
took fright at his rlurucrou3 h;!Hit3 and
fled to another barn ON tho opposite side
OF tho yard. Mr.. llanlCy then trans
fcrrcd tho owl to tho other barn. where
lo slew tho rats in tho saClc way. Aftor
awhile tho farmer left the barn doors
open q good donl Of tho tirnc, but tho
owl never triLd to fly away TO his Oil
homo in tho woods, seeming to be en-
tirely contcntcd with tho living he was
getting without en- effort.
At nboat this time tho swallows az
rived from tho South and started to fix
Up their old nests to tho; poali Of tho
barn, whcro tho r.ftor3 came together.
Tbo owl was noping ca ono OF the lower
bc&rlS when tho swallows began to rot
ready to rniso Families, hut during tho
day ho lcw to Il higher perch and took
hul' III Gii.lC GuC swallows
caught sight OF tho big bird as he sat
only Il fcw feet below ono OF their
nests, aid no sooner had they 3picd him
than they began 10 give vent to noisy
protests against his remaining there.
Presently tho whole colony was in
en- uproar over the silent and mo-
tionlcss owl. Livery swallow in it flow
back and forth from ono end of tho barn
TO the other. dartcd past tic owl 1T close
as,thcy could without touching him. and
ulatro tho barn ring with their squalls or
anger.
The owl didn't seem to know what all
the fuss and fuzzy was about, but the
pugnacious swallows kept up such q
sGnkot ana li:stamGrad him so hard that