Vampire of Pine Ridge

The year of 1895 was drawing to a close, and the Pine Ridge area of Nebraska's Dawes County was held in an iron grip of terror. Attacks on cattle and the unfortunate men tasked with tending to them had been coming in thick and fast, and rumours surrounding the culprit were swirling like a dark mist over the community. People whispered about supernatural monsters and undead abominations. People whispered about a vampire on the loose.

## From Dusk Till Dawn

Many different herds of cattle had been attacked by this terrifying creature, and even some wild animals were found to have met their ends at the hands of the Pine Ridge Vampire. However, these weren't just regular chupacabra-style rumours - no, instead many of the people involved in spreading the thick miasma of stories swore that the horrific attacks had been carried out by a man. This man was said to be a bona fide vampire, and was alleged to hunt down animals using only his bare hands as weapons. He would wrestle his prey to the ground before literally tearing it asunder using unnatural strength. Some witnesses claimed to have seen this mystery man lapping the blood of his victims in the same way that a dog would lap water. Nobody had any idea who this sanguivorous spectre was - he just seemed to have suddenly appeared in December of 1895. Numerous attempts to capture the vampiric vagrant were made, but all were unsuccessful.

## Jack Lewis Meets the Vampire

The eponymous Jack Lewis was a cowboy operating among various ranches on the Black Hills and in the northern Nebraska Prairie. Such a desert environment would presumably be the last place one would imagine as the setting for a Gothic vampire attack, and yet this is apparently exactly what happened to the unfortunate Mr. Lewis if his story is to be believed. He and a group of animal wranglers had been home on the range for several days in mid-December, tending to the herds and enjoying some Western peace. One night, however, Jack wandered away from his group to enjoy some personal time. This personal time apparently involved meditation in the soft light of the early evening out on the winter prairie. He dismounted his horse and prepared to settle down when something leaped out of the shadows at him.

Jack was knocked to the ground - presumably before he could realise that the legendary vampire was upon him. It clawed at his neck, trying to choke him. As he gasped for air between the savage blows, Lewis was able to draw his firearm and fire at least two rounds. It is unknown if these hit their target, but whether or not they did the monster seemed unharmed. However, these gunshots attracted the attention of Jack's companions - who quickly arrived on horseback and gave chase to the fleeing vampire. The monster somehow managed to elude them, though, and as dusk turned into night it was able to vanish into the darkness. Jack had survived the assault, but was badly injured. His face and neck had been torn by the teeth of the savage assailant. He would later describe the attacker as frothing at the mouth, causing great alarm to his fellow community members. Interestingly, although this description perhaps implies some kind of infection, there is no record of Jack later contracting the same odd condition. In fact, it seems that the vampire was never seen again after this incident. Perhaps it died of the wounds Jack might've inflicted upon it, or perhaps it disappeared back off to whatever shadowy realm it originated from...

## Source

'Vampires of Nebraska' on the *History Nebraska Blog*