Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-07

sibly half mile On the opposite
bank the green meadows stretched
away for miles to meet the foothills
of the Blue Ridge mountains. Our
house was an old fashioned frame
building with stone basement about
four feet above ground, with barred
| windows. AS these basement WIN
dows are connected with my story,
don't forget them.
I was lonely little girl without
brother or sister, or playmate. ! had
a great love for animals and pets OF
ali kinds. While out on hunting
trip enc day. my father called my at
| tention to an immense owl, sitting
high up on the dead limb of tree. He
fired and killed her, and in falling
she struck squarely on her nest. that
had been entirely concealed from view
bl leaves. Down, down, she came, and
when ran to pick her up | found two
little yellow downy puffballs of owls
under her body. One had been killed
outright by the fall. but the other
seemed lively and well. put him in
my bosom and took him home. For
days the poor little owl cried for its
mother, but finally grew reconclled to
me. | fed him for weeks with tender
bits of raw meat, chicken, worms and
mice. had to forage lively some
times to satisfy Tandy's enormous ap-
petite for he grew rapidly and soon
learned to know me and love me.
Wherever l went "Tandy' followed
me in short awkward jumps with
somewhat the actions of a parrot
When he could fly, we romped to-
gether Such a quick jump as he
could give when he saw poor little
field mouse, used to be source Of sur
prise to me. When he grew tired or
the sun was too bright he would give
a little "Who who" and jump up on
my shoulder and stick his head under
my sunbonnet His long sharp talons
often hurt me, but could not bear
to put him down. When / rode my
pony three miles to town for the mail
Tandy always few along over my head
and when tired would light on the
horn Of my saddle and ride like big
baby.
AS he grew older l fastened him in
the basement at night and let him
catch mice. He kept the cellar free
from all such pests. I always locked
the windows for his feet were so
strong he could open any door or win
dow that swung ON hinges or that was
( 'aned by button. Uuring the day
he orten flew away to the forest ana
I would be SO afraid he would join
other owls and never come back! But
if | would go out on hill and call,
.Who, who, Tandy," he always an
swered me, "Who, who" in his deep
gutteral, for he was now grown bird,
over a year old If he was ready to
return he always called twice, and
then would see his immense brown
wings. shining in the sun. coming
towards me. l would often drop down
in the tall grass and hide, for randy
could not see very we'll in the daytime.
He would fly right over me, go on TO
the house and light on a tree and call
He would keep up his "who, whoing."
until answered him and then ne
would be angry and sit up high on the
tree and pout because had fooled
him.I would lie down under the tree
and wait. Finally down he would ny,
and come walking in his com1cal parrot
fashion, cuddle up beside my face, and
bite my ears and whisper his "Whos"
in my face. When found dead chick:
ems in the coops I gave them to MIN.
He would never eat one or take IT IN
his beak, but hold out one big claw Tor
it and hop off, dig a hole and bury IT
and come back for more AT some
time when no one saw him he dug
them up and ate them.
For hours we used to lie under the
trees, Tandy sleeping with one eye
open, rubbing his head against my
cheek and talking his bird language
to me, while told him all my dreams
He was my confident in my little
childish woes. He understood 1t all,
thought then, for no little girl or ten
wears ever had more lovoble pet than
randy. or stranger one. think ne
must have been an unusual owl, for
I never heard of another like him.
When he was two years Ola ne &C
CURED the bad habit of stealing young
chickens and that was finally his un-
doing. | tried to reason with MIN
and he seemed sorry, but the very next
time a nice chicken came near, out
went his mighty foot and one SQUEAK
was all the poor little chicken ever
knew. Its life was crushed out ike
bubble. I always tried to keep MN
fastened after dusk for that was MS
time to steal. He certainly loved
darkness better than light. one un-
fortunate night I sent negro servant
to fasten Tandy in the basement ana
she failed to lock the window. That
night my father had caught some Two
dozen broiler chickens and had them
nut into crate to send to market early
the following morning. The crate was
put near the basement window Dur
ing the night Tandy opened the win
dow. came out and pulled off the Stats
of the crate, entered it and killed every
chicken in it, He took only one OUT
and ate that on top Of the crate. MY
father arose early and went out to the
crate. Tandy sat there blinking MS
big ewes at the rising sun, greeting my
father with his usual good morning OF
'Who, who
This was too much for my father.
who decided that Tandy could live no