There was no need of
further demonstration with a cap; and nobody volunteered his head for
a final experiment; but all remembered seeing the owl on his nightly
watch, and knew something of his swooping habits. Of course some were
incredulous at first, and had a dozen questions and objections when we
were in camp. No one likes to have a good ghost story spoiled; and,
besides, where superstition is, there the marvelous is most easily
believed. It is only the simple truth that is doubted. So I spent half
the night in convincing them that they _had_ been brought up in the
woods to be scared by an owl.
Poor Kookooskoos! they shot him next night on his watch tower, and
nailed him to the camp door as a warning.
I discovered another curious thing about Kookooskoos that night when I
watched to find out what had struck me. I found out why he hoots.
Sometimes, if he is a young owl, he hoots for practice, or to learn
how; and then he makes an awful noise of it, a rasping screech, before
his voice deepens.
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