The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-03-16

the attempt to see what 1t was, but the
night was too dark to make out any
shing even a few yards of. At last I
gave It up. What did It matter. after
AL? It was most likely only my fancy;
but even II there were anything there
I was we'll out OF its way on the top
of my rock. don't know how long l
sat there, smoking and dreaming, but
at last / began to grow sleepy. and be-
fore l mustered up energy enough to
end place to lie down l must have
iozed of where sat. :
woke with a start and rubbed my
eyes, uncertain for the moment where
was or what had happened. 1t was
fght; only a gray, uncertain light, in
Iced, but enough to enable me to see
tie shadowy outline Of the wooded
range in front, and after the first few
seconds TO distinguish vaguely more
than ono Of the great powders that
stood up here and there along the bot
tom OF the little valley, looking like
ghostly sentinels in the dim light. The
moon herself had not yet risen above
the forest range behind me. but the
. whole Of the eastern sky had already
grown white with her coming. I was
looking at the sky over my shoulder.
when l was startled by sound that
seemed to come from the shadows in
front. 1t was not a sound I had ever
heard before, but by an instinct I felt
sure that 1t came from some living crea-
ture. 1t was not loud enough to be
called a roar; 1t wasn't sharp enough
for bark, nor shrill enough for a
scream, nor dull enough to be mistaken
for grunt; yet in some strange way
1t seemed to have something in COM
mon with each OF these. turned with
quick start, and instinctively my hand
reached out for my gun. Ipeered eager
ly into the gray shadows for glimpse
OF something which might explain the
sound. but all was vague and misty.
The edge OF the forest on the higher
ground loomed out darkly in the re-
fiected light from the sky, but the tree
ferns and low shrubs that marked the
course Of the stream were blurred and
indistinct in the ghostly mist, and l
could no longer catch even a glimpse
OF the water that gushed and gurgled
below me in the darkness. / glanced
upward at the Frightening sky and
waited.
The light increased little by little
With each minute the dark forest lines
took more and more the shape OF indi-
vidual trees. Then the gray mist that
hung over the low ground began to
grow thin and the heads Of the taller
tree ferns and bushes began to show
above 1t. like treetops on q river fat in
flood time. Again! And this time
nearer. II was the same strange COM
posite sound, and now it made my
nerves creep and my blood run cold
What could II be? gripped my gun
tightly with my hand and laid it across
my knees Whatever II was. would at
least be ready.
1t came Hike magic. Suddenly the
broad face of the moon showed above
the forest ridge. II was four or five
days past the full, indeed, but still its
silvery disk, clear and bright, threw
a flood oflight across the valley. bent
forward eagerly and searched the still
misty hollow with my eyes for the first
sign Of the thing that had startled me.
Yes, there it was at last. Along tho
bank on the opposite side OF the stream
something was moving. It's movements
were leisurely, almost slow. 1t was not
so very large--not larger than fairly
large wild pig, though it was certainly
not pig. 1t looked strange and weird
and unnatural. What was the reason :?
The chief thing seemed to be its color.
1t was black-to densely, absolutely.
intensely black that it seemed to me
nt the moment ss il had never seen
anything really black before. What
could it be? had lived all my life on
the neighboring continent Of Australia,
and had seen and hunted most of the
wild animals there. l had chased kan
garoos on horsebac and stalked them
on foot. had shot wallabies and ban
dicoots by the score, and more than
once, when I couldn't help it, had
killed an iguana- had shot native
bears, and once in northern Queensland
l had killed large python. But what
was this? I had never seen or even
fancied q creature like It. What could
It be?
Whatever it was, it didn't hurry itself.
Slowly and deliberately It came down
the bank to the stream, and could see
1t dimly in the shadow blacker spot
in the darkness-stoop and drink. 1t
seemed to be long time about ii, but
it moved at last. |, WAS coming across.
] wa,cheI il as i, waded slowly and de-
liberately through the water and
climbed the bank on my side Of the
stream. Then it stood still, and it
seemed to stare up at me as ! sat in
the moonlight. BY this time the moon
shine was falling full upon me, and
felt certain he was looking at me with
a strange, questioning gaze. Suddenly
he raised his head and repeated the cry
l had heard before. Now that / saw
him. l felt that it was exactly the cry
l should have expected from him-so
strange, SO weird, so savage.