Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-11-16

Not until the day of his first real
battle with living creature did Ba-ree
come fully into his Inheritance He
had gone farther than usual from the
windfall = fully hundred yards Here
he found new wonder. 1t was the
creek. He had heard it before and he
had looked down on it from afar =
from a distance of fifty yards at least.
But today he ventured going to the
edge of it. and there he stood Tor
long time, with the water ripping and
singing at his feet, gazing across It IN
to the new world that he saw. Then
he moved cautiously along the stream.
He had not gone dozen steps Wheh
there was furious futtering close TO
him and one of the fierce big eyed jays
of the Northland was directly in his
path. 1t could not fly. One OF its
wings dragged, probably broken IN a
struggle with some one Of the smaller
proving beasts. But for an instant II
was a most startling and defiant bit
Of life to Ba-ree.
Then the grayish crest along MS
back stiffened and he. advanced. Inc
wounded jay remained motionless un
til Ba-ree was within three feet OF IT
In short quick hops it began to retreat
Instantly Ba-ree's indecision had flown
to the four winds With one sharp ex
cited vein he flew at the defiant bird
For few moments there was thrill
Ing race, and Ba-ree's sharp little teetn
buried themselves In the jays featn
ers. Swift as fash the birds beak
began to strike. The jay was the KING
Of the smaller birds. In nesting
season It killed the brush sparrows
the mild eyed moose birds, and the
! tree sappers. Again and again II
sruck Ba-ree with it's powerful beak,
the son of Kazan had now reached
.ge of battle and the pain of the
ia, only made his own teeth sink
.r. At last he found the flesh, and
opyish snarl rose in his throat
nately he had gained hold un
he wing and after the first dozen
the Jays resistance grew weak
Five minutes later Ba-ree loosened
teeth and drew back step to look
at the crumpled and motionless crea
ture before him The Jay was dead
He had won his first battle. And with
victory came the wonderful dawning OF
that greatest instinct of all, which told
him that no longer was he drone In
the marvellous mechanism of wilder
ness life - but part Of it from this
time forth For he had killed.
Half an hour later Gray Wolf came
down over his trail. The jay was torn
into bits It's feathers were scattered
about and Ba-ree's little nose was
bloody, Ba-ree was lying in triumph
beside his victim. Swiftly Gray Wolf
understood and caressed him joyously
When they returned to the windfal!
Ra.ree carried In his jaws what was
left Of the jay.
From that hour of his first kill hunt,
Ing became the chief passion of Ba-
reefs life. When he was not sleeping
in the sun, or under the windfall at
night he was seeking life that he
could destroy He slaughtered an en-
tire family of wood mice. Moose.birds
were at first the easiest for him to
stalk, and he killed three. Then he
encountered an ermine and the fierce
little white outlaw of the forests gave
him his first defeat Defeat cooled his
ardor for few days. but taught him
the great lesson that there were other
fanged ani flesh eating animals be.
sides himself and that nature had so
scbemed things that fang must not
prey upon fang for food. MANY
things had been born in him. Inst'nc'
lively he Stunned the porcupine with
ont experiencing the torture of its
ouills. He came face to face with
fisher cat one day. Fortnight after
his fjpht with tho nrnojne Both were