SILENT WING THE GREAT HORNED OWL 147 



then, when exhausted, hanging by the chain with his head 

 down. Finally, at his wits' end, he alighted on the top of 

 the pole and was sitting there resting on his uninjured 

 foot when daylight came. 



He did not flinch when the man came near, but, ruffling 

 his feathers and snapping his bill, he was ready to defend 

 himself to the last. But what could he do? When the 

 man came near he attempted to use the talons on the un- 

 injured foot, but he could not cling to the pole with the 

 injured one and so again suffered the agony of hanging 

 by, the chain. He was taken from the trap and put into 

 the corn crib, where the boy saw him a day or two later. 

 There were plenty of mice in this crib and he was expected 

 to become a pet for the privilege of being confined where 

 he could catch the mice that were playing havoc in the 

 corn. That was why he brought no more food to the 

 hungry family. 



Things ran on as usual the latter part of February and 

 the first of March. One day was warm and the next 

 stormy, with flurries of snow interspersed with sleet and 

 rain. The mother owl was sadly handicapped with five 

 baby mouths to feed and no one to help; but she never 

 whimpered, and never did it occur to her that she might 

 desert her family. 



Ringtail the coon lived hard by, and for a week or two 

 the poor mother never left home without the deepest con- 

 cern lest he, while prowling about for his supper, should 

 happen to poke his nose in the hollow tree and discover the 

 precious babies. Ringtail, however, knew the terrors of a 

 great horned owl's talons, and somewhere back in his wise 

 little head was stored the knowledge that if hunger pinches 

 too hard these mighty hunters do not hesitate to catch even 



