The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-20
not hide their nests from him, nor the wild

not hide their nests from him, nor the wild
creatures escape him. He had a tame buzz
zard that sometimes followed him about IN
his rambles. He set traps for flying SOUR
rels, and tanned them as soon as his hands
touched them. He handled snakes fear
lessly, and his feats with them were as
founding to the tow lad until Joe dis
covered that the serpents were not OF the
poisonous species. In handling nigh
land moccasins and spreading adders
jim Polk confined his feats to seiz-
ing them by their tails AZ they ran
ana swapping their heads off. Whenever
he killed one in this way he always hung
it on a bush or tree, in order, as he SAID.
to bring rain. When it failed to rain his
explanation was that, as a snake never
early in the morning it may be killed, 1T
had twisted and writhed until it fell from
the limb or bush on which it was hung.
Jim-Polk had many gifts and acquire
ments that interested Joe Maxwell. Once
when the two lads were walking through
the woods, they saw q pair of hawks
some distance away. Jim-Polk motioned to
Joe to hide under a hawthorn bush. Then.
doubling his handkerchief before his mouth,
he began to make u curious nolse-a series
of smothered ordinations that sounded
like hoo!-hoo! -hoo-hoo! He was initial
ing the CRY, OF the swamp owl, Whlen zoe
Maxwell had never heard. The imitation
must nave been perfect, for Immediately
there was a great commotion in the woods.
The smaller birds 1uttered away and dis
appeared; but the wv hawks, REINFORCED
by a third, came flying toward the noise
with their feathers ruffled and screaming
with indignation. They meant war. JIM
Polk continued his muif1ed cries until pres
entity tina boys heard a crow cawing in Tho
distance.
"Now you'll SEQ fun, y said young Gather.
Just keep right STILL"
Tho crow was flying high in the air, and
would have gone over, but the mutled cry
OF the owl!-hoo! hoo! hoo! ~hoo!-caught
its ear and it paused in its flight. aiighting
IN the top of q tall pine. Swinging in this
airy outlook, it sent forth Its hoarse Rig-
mails, and in Il few minutes the pine was
black with its companions. all making y
tremendous cutlery. Some OF them dropped
down into the tops of the scr1b oaks. They
could not find the owl, but they caught
sight of the hawks. and sounded their war
CRY. Such .cRwing, screaming, iluttering
and fighting Joo Maxwell had never seen
before. The hawks escaped from the
crows, but they left many OF their feathers
on tho battlefield. One of the hawks did
not wholly escape, for. in his fright he flew
out of the woods into the open ind there
he was bounced upon by II king-bird. which
Jim-Polk called u bee-mnrtin. This little
bird, not larger than his cousin. the cat
bird, lii on the hawks back and stayed
bnCTo KS lCllE I'M Nlty IotHNiLttu III hlAuks
The commotlon set up by the crows had
attracted the attention of all the birds, ex-
oept tho smallest and they flow about in
the trees. tutoring notes of anger or alarm,
all trying to find the owl.
The incident was yery. interesting to Joe
Maxwell. lie discovered that the owl ia
the winged lshmael of tho woods, the most
hated and most feared of all the birds. A
few days afterward he went with Harhert
to SEQ the hogs fed, and told the negro how
all the birds seemed to hate the owl.
Lord! yes snh said Harbert. who
seemed to know all about the matter.
Amt you never Is hear tell or dc tale bout
do owl an do yuther birds2 Ole man Re-
mus tole it ter me dis many a wear ago. an
sense den l bin hear talk aboutit mo- times
dan what l got fingers an toes."
OF course Joe wanted to hear
THE STORY OF THE OWL.
"Well, sah." said Harbert, shit run sorter