The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-09-07
The Laughing Owl.

OFel- IWeutJ yeafo aEo, IaSellhS ou
foot through a rough section in the east
ern part of Missouri, I found myself
toward sunset in a solid German settle
ment. They almost without exception
keep cross dogs, usually bull dogs of say.
age ferocity, often dangerous for their
owners if approached after being loosen:
ed from their .chaius at nightfall. For
this reason it was hazardous to travel
after sunset, so I began an hour before
sundown to find lodging place for the
night, but the Germans either could not
or would not understand me The shades
Of night were gathering when saw with
pleasure the light of camp fire shining
on two white covered emigrsnt wagons
in the woods down below the road I was
travelling. They proved to be Ameri-
cans, and when I told them how I Was
situated they gave tns friendly vel
come, and we passed a pleasant evening
by that camp FIRE.
After ne retired to rest and perfect
quiet reigned in the camp, there arose
on the still night air the most hideouS,
.diabolical laughter that ever greeted the
ears of mortal man. The boy lying be.
side me made a fair imitation of the
sound. "Wbat is it?" asked. "That,"
said the father, is laughing owl the
boy is mocking it in his sleep"
Some time after, still prospecting in
Missouri, I reached after dark ferry
house and which was also tavern, on
the Usage river, in thinly populated
district. The house was filled with mu-
lattoes and negroes of all shades. from
that of new saddle to pot black. The
ferryman was preparing for spring work
on his farm 30 there was no room for
me. Two negroes rowed me across the
river, and going up the bank soon found
by the starlight road which I followed
but short disr'nce. when my way WAS
barred by fence As I hoped to. strike
the road again at another point, I turned
off into an apparently new road in the
woods, but soon in the darkness lost my
landmark, the fence and my way, too.
To stay in the woods on very cold
April night was not desirable, so I lis
tened earnestly for some sound of
human habitatiou, as the growing of q
cock or barking of dog, that would lead
me to house. Standing there in that
impressive silence of the woods at night
there came at length welcome sound, q
low laugh as from distance, from some
negro hut, perhaps, but better to sit up
at night, even iu a negro shanty, than to
stumble around in the darkness in the
.strauge depths of the Usage woods. I
started In the direction, travelled some
distance and listened again for repeti-
tion of the sound, when suddenly, right
overhead, arose that unesrthly, blood
curdling, fendish laughter.
have stood face to face with furious
maniac and looked on bis glariug, blood.
shot eyes, lips aecked with foam, face of
cadaverous hue, and heard his forced
soulless laughter until it seemed as if
more in contact with some hideous
demon than man; yet to me that night
that horrid laughter of the laughing owi
was greater strain on the nerves than
the demoniac laughter Of the maniac.
However, The laughing owl had done
me good turn in bringing me back to
the road again, for his voice Was the low
laughter in the distance 1 first heard. /
climbed over the fence, followed the road
about mile, reused up the inmates of a
farm house, and was comfortably lodged.
I have examined works on natural his
tory, but cannot find any description or
picture of the laughing owl. As I never
saw him, he exists in memory aud my
imagination only as some imp of dark.
ness.-Kansds City Times.