The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1926-11-04

their hootS would sound Tar and VIDE.
Spencer also took notice that in the
forepart of the night he would hear
the call of one owl to the other. Fol-
lowing the suond Spencer found that
the call came from the border of the
lake where the ducks were concealed.
This was noted night after night, the
call would be repeated, and one even
ing going out for stroll Spencer
heard a commotion among the ducks.
Proceeding towards the lake and COM
ing to the shore on one side this sight
met his eyes. The large owl who had
been calling sat on rock and on the
ground lay duck with its head sew
cred. The head held by the owl.
The commotion among the ducks
was explained and the nightly calls OF
the owls became clearer. Several dead
ducks were found around the lake.
A duck hunt was staged by the men
who were working for Spencer later
on. They stole quietly into the lake
one night with long poles as fire arms
were prohibited and the post guard
house awaited those who were caught
in such an act. After getting into the
reeds where the ducks were the COM
motion began, quacking ducks, the
whirring of hundreds of wings and
the threshing of the poles among the
ducks and reeds. One man Pat Burke
of Irish descent chased duck and
struck him bringing the duck to earth
on the bank Pat made a plunge to get
the duck which was not there and Pat
went head first in the water, cussing
the duck for not being where he should
have been. The flight of the ducks
and whirring of the many wings on
the night was sufficient to cause a
cessation of duck hunting. The game
was collected and the next day being
Thanksgiving, needless to say that
duck was in the menu.
Jack Rabbit and Brier Snow Shoe
The Jack Rabbit is found in most all
parts of the west or sage brush coun-
try. 1t is a very large species of the
rabbit family with long hind and short
front legs and long ears. AS whole
resembling kangaroo when standing
erect. A peculiar feature of the Jack
Rabbit is its ability to change its color
to fit the season and protect it from
its enemies. A Jack Rabbit made its
home in pile of thing near the power
plant and Spencer had an opportunity
to watch and study its characteristic
during the summer. Mr.. Jack was o.
brown grey color and during the
day would set close in his squat bur
when night fall came he sailed fortl
to forage Off food. The route he woult
, take would be towards the large grain
storage sheds at the cavalry post
: There he and others would gather TIL
: offals and loose grain that would sif
: through the floor cracks, also he coul'
be seen shopping around the garbag
2 cans along the soldiers barracks an
| officers rows. Jack is vegetaria
r and in country where he is numerou
2 he is destructive to young trees an
! grain.
AS the summer months passed an
!. the winter months set Mr.. Jack bega
$ to change from his summer color t
his winter dress of white. The mi
S season dress making him look some
: what like pinto pony. In the middl
d of winter he would be snow whit
T with just a black spot on the end c
each long ear. In this costume he wa
|. hard to distinguish from the whit
I snow on which he travelled Agai
l. nature assisting to protect its ward
: from their antural enemy, the coyot
: or eagle. Spencer would invariabl
: meet Jack returning to his quat eac
n morning from his trip to the CON
q misary, if the path was not clear c
e filled with snow having fallen durin
e the night Spencer would know thu
u Jack was just ocning home after a
o all night meet with some Of h
IL friends.
= When they would meet Spence
would say Well Jack who keeps tt
trail. Sometimes Jack would keep
and other times Spencer would, so,
that way he passed the writer's trai
y Jack holding down his squat unit
, Spring when the tile were remove
. Brer Snow Shoe dwells in the timb'
L and he has the characteristics regar,
ing the changing of his color as tt
o Jack Rabbit but the leading characte
&c istic and from which he derives h
- anne of snow shoe is the formation
~ his rear feet. The toes are long al
- wide covered with coarse hair al
u forming shoe that will carry him {
T. +or of +bo cyour Tbaraforp hn ic call