164 KNOWING BIRDS THROUGH STORIES 



through this dreadful piece of woods before dark. But 

 hurry as he might, the sun set before he reached his des- 

 tination. Knowing he could not stay over night and 

 ashamed to ask someone to accompany him home, he de- 

 livered his message and started homeward as fast as his 

 weary legs could carry him. When he entered the woods 

 twilight was already falling, and before he reached the 

 other side it was dark. This was the first time the boy had 

 ever been out alone after dark, and the fact that he was 

 in the very woods where a coyote had been seen only three 

 days before, where also wild cats were still believed to live, 

 did not add to his peace of mind. When he was nearly 

 through the woods he heard a "snap, snap" in a tree near 

 by, and then the most unearthly, blood-curdling scream 

 to which he had ever listened. The screaming of a woman 

 who is being murdered added to the sobs and sighs of the 

 lost could not be more terrible. The boy's hair rose up 

 straight on his head. The cold sweat came out on his brow. 

 He tried to run, but his feet were rooted to the ground. 

 The agony of ages followed. A second blood-curdling 

 scream came from the tree just over his head and then 

 followed the softest, gentlest ^'Whoo-hoo-hoo,'' and a 

 great homed owl alighted almost by the boy's side. Re- 

 lieved ? Well, rather ! He knew that this owl was not at- 

 tacking him, and then he recalled his father's stories of 

 how the scream of the great horned owl, although heard 

 only at rare intervals, can scarcely be distinguished from 

 that of the female panther. Undoubtedly this was Silent 

 Wing, who was hunting in these woods and recognized the 

 boy as his one time friend and in the best way 

 he knew was expressing his delight at finding him again. 

 This bird would not quite allow the boy to catch him. 



