The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-01-06

INTO the giOcmy cavern feared Mt thai
time 10 make any closer inspection.
"These tracks," said Barry, were
ilve-toed. almost exactly like the i'm.
print of gigantic hand. If you can
imagine hand nearly four feet across
the palm"
Gilbert and Barry constructed bar.
ricade for themselves of the largest
rocks they were able TO handle and lay
down TO await the results.
The day wore on and the men were
weary and almost despairing of sue.
cess In their virgil. when just at dusk,
the horrible creature crawled slowly
from the cave. and pauslng at Its
mouth TO take fight. gave them their
first view at close range.
Barry says that the hackneyed
phrase of exaggeration. "made his
blood run cold" is none too strong for
the sight they saw.
The monster slowly moved his
great jaws" declared the hunter, IN
speaking of his experience, "until II
seemed as If he could have swallowed
large horse at one mouthful. He
gave snort that might have been
heard mile. and then slowly spread
his huge wings. We now saw that the
huge body was coated with salt, ap
parently nearly foot in thickness
This explained why the salt humps
dropped at our feet when the bullet
struck the monster. BY this we knew
that the creature must spend much
of its time in the waters of the lake.
"The great beast made short run
before taking flight, taking long jumps
upon its hind legs and tail. The fore
legs were comparatively short, and ap.
peared to be used only when It crawled
fat upon the ground.
THE frlghtful head was not more
than ten feet from us when II rose in
the air, but so well were we screened
by our shelter of rocks that we were
unobserved. The large, fiercely
cleaning eyes, the sharp, serrated
teeth, the wide expanse of wings that
began TO move rapidly ms the horrible
beast rose from the ground and passed
directly over our heads. combined to
make terrible sight--one that | shall
never forget.
I'VE watched It disappear in the
gathering gloom of night, but were for
long time paralyZed with fear, not
knowing when 1t might return. II
was probably an hour later when IL
did come back.
I'VE heard the swish of the mighty
wings before it could he seen, but ms
1t drew nearer. by the light of the
young moon in the west. we saw that
carried in its great jaws was large
horse, which | suppose 1t had swooped
down upon while feeding. The horse
was badly crushed and manged.
FEAsTED on THE HORSE.
The monster carried its burden into
tile cave and we could hear the crunch.
Ing of its jaws and the cracking of the
horses bones as the beast devoured
Its victim. After an hour or so all
was still ard we then slipped quietly
away in the darkness and returned TO
our camp on the eastern shore of the
island.
Had it not been for bad break in
our boat we would have fled the island
that night. AS it was we worked all
night to repair the craft. although the
task might have been accomplished in
two hours except that we feared 10
build fire TO afford light.
1T was just dawn and we were pre.
pairing to launch. when Gilbert said.
There it comes againr In an instant
we turned the boat bottom up and
crawled under it. One end was lifted
about a foot above the end 10y rock,
and we were able 20 watch the mon.
ster's actions.
1t settled down on the beach less
than fifty yards TO the north and dived
| quickly into the lake. From its ac.
tions while nearly buried under the
waves judged that the creature was
gathering and feeding upon the salt
water shrlmps which abound along the
coast there. When the monster came
up 1t was very close to us. and We were
particularly impressed by the fact
that the strong brine had no effect
upon its eyes, which appeared lldless
Evidently the animals food in the wa.
ter was found by the sense of sight
Although of such gigantic size
there was nsthing sluggish in the
movements Of the monster. 1t swan
ana dived as rapidly as any large fish
I'VE watched it for perhaps half an
hour as 1t gradually worked its way
northward and finally disappeared. -
Philadelphia Record.
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