The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1892-10-21
THE LAUGHING owl.
The Little Nonsense sometimes Ursrd
rturee,ling from This Nlsest Hird.

Tho Little Nonsense sometime. ursrd
rtureeting from Thi. Nisest Hird.
Over twenty years agu. travelling ON
furt through rough section In the
eastern part ~ Missouri I found my.
self toward sunset IN solid Gcrman
settlement They almost without cN-
ccptiun keep crpss dogs usually built
logs NJ savage frrucity, often danger
Gus for their owners ifnpproachcd after
being lnoscurd from their chains ut
uiRhtfull For this reason " was has-
ardous tn travel after sunset, So hc-
gau m hour before shutdown to Hud "
! lodging place for the night. but the
| Gcrmnus either could not or would not
understand me, Tho shades of night
/ wore gathering when saw with pleas
urc the light ~ u campfire shining nu
| two whitc.cnvcrcd cmiErant wagons IN
! the woods down below the road ! was
travelling They proved ,o hc Amcri-
cans. and when I told thcm how ! was
! situated they gave mo n friendly wei.
/ come. aud We PASSED q pleasant even.
II Y by that campfire,
After We retired - rest. aud perfect
quiet rcirrcd IN Tho camp, there arose
90 the still night mir the must hidcous
diaholirHl laughter That ever greeted
the ears of mortal man The hoy lying
! bcsidc ne mudc fair imitation 81 the
sound what is IT, asked That
said Tho father. "h u laughing owl. the
hoy IL mocldnR IL IN his sleep
some time after, attn prospecting In
Missouri. reached nf,cr dnrl, = ferry
house and which was Hl."p tavern. On
the Osogc river. IN thinlv populated
district The huusc was filled Wit,
mulnttnrs aud ncurocs ~ all shades
FROM That 81 n new saddle 60 a pot
black The fcrrvnan WIS prvparinr
for sn,inu vnrl, un his farm 50 thro
vRs me- rpciu for nae. Two ncgrrcs
rnvcd me arrcss tl,r river and g,dng
M the bnnl, suou fb,uul hy Tho stu
light road which I followed hut u
.hurt distance. when my way
was barred hv "A fence vs.
hancd ,u strike the road again ut m
other point. I turned or into M npp1r.
entity new road ia The woods hut suor
In the darkness lost my landmark the
fcncc aud my way. too.
TuStny IN the woods on very COO
Npril uivht WINS not desirable, so
listened earnestly for some SCUM,
~ human hnnitntion ms tive
croviur uf cuclJ 81 mriduE cf q
dor. that would lead ne tpN house
standing There IN that impressive al
lcncc ~ the woods at night There can'
nt length welcome sound, Il low
laugh ms FROM n distance. frou son'
- negro hut. perhaps, but better to sit ~
ut night, even iu a negro shnntv, thar
Y To stunhla around IN thu dnrlSnc.9 "
the strange depths 81 the Usage woods
started Ia the direction, travclc,
' some distance aud listened again Tor
repetition ~ the sound. when suddenly
II rirht overhead. arosr that uncarthly
: hlood curdlur ncudish laughter,
fhnvc stood face to face with IN
e rinus manincRud looked ON his glnrinR
T. Mnodshot eyes. lip htckcd with foam
= face of cntavcrona hue, md heard hi
g forced. .nullc.s laughter until II scomc
!" MS II more in contact with spmc hidoou
' demon than man. vet ON" that nigh
/" that horrid laughter of the louVhin
- owl was greater strain on the norVc
v than the denaniae laughter ot the ma
Mac.
IS However. the laughing owl had don
e me u good turn IN bringing mo hnrlS
, the road nHpin. fpr Ills voice WIS tn
T. low laughter NV tn distance trs
~ heart climbed over the fence ~
'c lowed the rnnd about II mile. rousod "
~ the inmates of ~ farmhouse aud wH
!" comfortably lodged
y | have cNumiucd works on natur'
" history but can not find any dcscriptio
+ nr picture nt the laughing owl As
20 never suw him Ia CNists IN memory AN
IN my Imagination only rs s"mc imp Z
dnrl,ucss kansas city Times.