The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-19
THE LAUGHING OWL.
The Little Nonsense Sometimss Heard
From the Wisest Bird.

The Little Nonsense Sometimes Heard
From the Wisest Bird.
From the Kansas CITY Times.
Over twenty years ago travelling on foot
through rough section In the eastern part
Of Missouri, found myself toward sunset
in solid German settlement. They almost
without exception keep cross dogs-u,uaIly
bull dogs Of savage ferocity, often danger
Gus for their owners il approached after
being loosened from their chains
at nightfall. For this reason it
was hazardous to travel after
sunset, SO | began an hour before shutdown
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 a camp fire shining on two white
covered emigrsns wagons in the woods
down below the road | was travelling
They proved to be Americans, and when
told them how | was situated they gave me
friendly welcome, and we passed pleas
ant evening by that camp fire.
After we retired to rest and perfect quiet
reigned In the camp there arot on the still
air the most hideous diabolical laughter
that ever greeted the ears Of mortal man.
The boy lying beside me made fair imita-
ton of the sound. "What is it?" asked
That" said the father, sis laughing owl /;
the boy is knocking it In his sleep"
Some time after still prospecting in Mis-
souri,, reached in the dark ferry house
and which was also a tavern, on the
Usage river IN tbinly populated district.
| The house was filled with muattoes and
negroes Of all shades, from that of a new
saddle 10 a pot black. The ferryman was
preparing for spring word on his farm, so
there was no room Tor me.
Two negroes rowed me across the river
IL
starlight q road which | followed but q
short distance, when my way barred by q
| fence. AS l hoped to strike the road again
| 1T another point, I turned off into IN an
| parently 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 a very cool April
night was not desirable, 50 listened earn
| estly for some sound of a human habitation,
! as the Growing OF q cock or barking IT q
! dog, that would lead me to house. Stand
! ing there in that impressive silence of the
| woods at night there came at length a
/ welcome sound, a low laugh as from q
! distance, from some snegro nut. perhaps,
| but better to sit up at night, even in a negro
shanty, than to stumble around in the dark
| ness il the strange depths of the Usage
| woods | started in the direction, Travelled
/ some distance and listened ag ain for repe-
/ tition of the sound, when suddenly right
overhead, arose that uuearthly, blood .curd-
/ ling, fiendsh laughter.
| have stood face to face with furious
| maniac and looked on his glaring bloodshot
/ eyes, lips fiecked with foam, face Of a cada-
| verous hue, and heard mis- forced, soulless
/ laughter until it seemed as if more in con-
tact with some hidcous demon than a msn:
/ yet to me that night that horrid laughter OF
t laughing owl was a 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 laugh
ter in she distance first heard. l climbed
over the fence, followed the road about
mile, reused up the inmates Of a farm house
and was comfortably lodged.
have examined works on natural his
tory, but cannot find any description or
picture Of the laughing owl. As l never
saw him, he exists in memory and my imAg
inAtion only as some imp of darkness.