jak.themothmanprophecies-第19节

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　with　Mothman　witnesses　for　two　months　but　never　expected　to　see　the　critter　herself。　Nor　did　she　want　to。　Knowing　that　she　was　psychologically　prepared　to；　maybe；　even　hallucinate　a　sighting；　I　interviewed　her　very　carefully　afterward。　Her　story　held　up。　This　was　a　real　sighting。
　　
　　She　froze　in　her　tracks；　scarcely　believing　her　eyes。
　　
　　〃I　thought　I　could　see　two　legs　。。。　like　men's　legs　。。。　hanging　down　from　it。　It　circled　low　over　Tiny's　and　then　flew　off。〃　She　could　not　see　any　head　or　neck；　the　wings　were　motionless；　and　it　was　pletely　silent。　In　a　way；　it　sounded　almost　like　a　hang…glider。　But　hang…gliding　was　almost　a　pletely　unknown　sport　in　1967。　（*）　Mrs。　McDaniel　was　nervous　and　excited　afterward　but　suffered　no　ill　effects。
　　
　　IV。
　　
　　Gwendoline　Martino　and　her　daughter　returned　from　Europe　in　January　and　visited　the　Christiansens　a　few　days　after　Tiny　rode　off　in　his　darkened　Cadillac。　At　3　A。M。　on　January　13；　1967；　Gwen　and　Connie；　who　were　sharing　a　room；　were　awakened　by　a　loud　sound　seeming　to　e　from　directly　overhead。　The　sounds　were　distant　at　first；　like　someone　hammering　on　metal　with　a　rubber　mallet　or；　possibly；　walking　over　a　metal　surface。　The　noises　grew　steadily　louder　until　they　were　deafening。　〃The　whole　house　seemed　to　shake；〃　Gwen　said。　When　she　started　to　get　up　to　investigate；　the　sounds　stopped　instantly。　As　soon　as　she　was　back　in　bed；　they　began　again。　The　two　women　debated　whether　they　should　wake　up　Ed　Christiansen；　a　heavy　sleeper。　Gwen　started　to　get　out　of　bed　again；　and　again　the　noises　stopped。　Finally　they　faded　away。
　　
　　Two　evenings　later　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Christiansen　returned　home　to　find　their　children　in　a　very　distraught　state。　They　had　heard　the　strange　hammering　sound　again；　followed　by　heavy　footsteps　crunching　through　the　thick　snow　outside　the　house。　Connie's　nineteen…year…old　boyfriend　was　present　and　he　had　looked　out　a　window　in　time　to　see　a　tall　figure　hurrying　away　from　the　house。　It　was　wearing　a　long　white　cape　and　when　it　reached　a　five…foot…high　fence　it　leaped　effortlessly　over　it　and　disappeared　on　the　other　side。
　　
　　The　next　morning　Ed　Christiansen　examined　the　area　for　footprints。　He　found　a　set　of　large　human　tracks　deeply　imbedded　in　the　snow；　leading　to　the　fence　and　continuing　on　the　other；　side。　These　footprints　went　on　to　another　building　some　distance　away　and　stopped　abruptly　at　the　wall　of　the　structure。　There　were　no　other　footprints　around　the　building；　an　old　abandoned　shed；　and　the　witnesses　were　puzzled　as　to　where　the　person　could；　have　gone。　Like　our　hairy　monsters；　little　green　Martians；　and　Mothman；　the　caped　intruder　had　vanished　into　nothingness。
　　
　　
　　
　　＇*＇　Hang…gliders　are　lightweight　frames　covered　with　nylon。　They　look　something　like　kites　and　the　rider　hangs　underneath　on　bars　and　straps。　They　are　launched　from　steep　hills　or　cliffs。　Route　62　runs　along　the　edge　of　the　Ohio　River　and　the　terrain　is　very　flat。　
　　
　　
　　
　　V
　　
　　Enter　Tad　Jones；　a　rarity　among　UFO　witnesses　because　of　his　very　mon　name。　A　gentle；　handsome　man　in　his　thirties；　Mr。　Jones　was　a　deeply　religious　person　who　did　not　smoke　or　drink。　In　1967；　he　lived　in　Dunbar；　a　suburb　of　Charleston；　West　Virginia；　and　managed　an　appliance　store　at　a　place　called　Cross　Lanes。　Urbane；　intelligent；　and　articulate；　he　was　one　of　the　most　impressive　UFO　witnesses　I　have　met　in　my　travels。
　　
　　At　9：05　A。M。　on　the　morning　of　January　19；　1967；　Tad　was　driving　to　his　store　along　the　newly　pleted　multi…lane　highway；　Route　64；　about　ten　miles　outside　of　Charleston。　A　large　object　was　blocking　the　road　ahead　of　him　and　he　first　assumed　it　was　a　vehicle　being　used　by　a　construction　gang　still　working　on　the　highway。　But　as　he　drew　closer　he　saw　that　it　was　hovering　in　the　air；　about　four　feet　off　the　ground。
　　
　　〃It　was　a　large　metal　sphere；〃　he　said。　〃Since　it　was　broad　daylight　I　got　a　very　good　look　at　it。　It　was　about　twenty　feet　in　diameter　and　was　the　color　of　dull　aluminum。〃
　　
　　He　slowed　his　car　and　studied　the　thing　for　about　two　minutes。
　　
　　〃There　were　four　legs　attached　to　it；〃　he　continued；　〃with　casterlike　wheels　on　the　bottom　of　each　one。　And　there　was　a　small　window　about　nine　inches　in　diameter　on　the　side　facing　me。　But　I　couldn't　see　anything　inside　the　sphere。　On　the　underside　there　was　something　like　a　propeller。　It　was　idling　when　I　first　drove　up；　then　it　started　spinning　faster　and　the　whole　object　began　to　rise　upward。　It　disappeared　into　the　sky　and　I　drove　on　to　my　store。〃
　　
　　Shaken　and　puzzled　by　his　sighting；　he　decided　to　call　the　police　and　report　it。　His　story　quickly　found　its　way　into　the　local　papers。
　　
　　The　next　morning　a　crude　note　was　slipped　under　his　door　in　Dunbar。　Written　on　ordinary　notebook　paper　in　block　letters；　it　stated：　〃We　know　what　you　have　seen　and　we　know　that　you　have　talked。　You'd　better　keep　your　mouth　shut。〃　He　decided　it　had　to　be　the　work　of　some　local　prankster。
　　
　　In　nearby　St。　Albans；　Mr。　Ralph　Jarrett；　a　chemical　engineer　and　the　local　UFO　authority；　was　shaving　that　morning　when　his　telephone　rang。　He　put　down　his　razor　and　went　into　the　bedroom　to　pick　up　the　extension。
　　
　　〃I　heard　a　very　clear　'beep…beep'　sound；〃　Jarrett　said；　〃The　beeping　continued　for　about　two；　maybe　three　minutes。　Then　the　phone　went　dead　and　the　dial　tone　came　on。　I've　heard　all　sorts　of　code　transmissions　on　shortwave；　but　nothing　quite　like　that。〃
　　
　　He　went　downstairs　to　breakfast；　opened　his　copy　of　The　Charleston　Gazette；　and　read　about　Tad　Jones's　sighting　。。。　the　first　he　had　heard　of　it。　Jarrett；　an　aggressive；　loquacious　middle…aged　man；　was　a　highly　qualified　investigator。　He　later　contacted　Jones　and　conducted　a　thorough　study　of　the　case。　He　discovered　the　object　had　been　hovering　directly　above　a　major　gas　line　which　passed　under　the　road。　（There　have　been　other　sightings　of　UFOs　directly　over　buried　gas　lines。）
　　
　　A　few　days　later；　another　note　was　slipped　under　the　door　of　Jones's　home　in　Dunbar。　This　one　was　written　on　a　piece　of　cardboard　which　had　been　burned　around　the　edges。　It　repeated　the　earlier　threat；　adding；　〃。　。　。　there　want　＇sic＇　be　another　warning。〃
　　
　　I　arrived　on　the　scene　several　weeks　later　and　during　my　questioning　he　remembered　another　incident　which　seemed　unimportant　to　him　at　the　time。　About　a　week　after　his　sighting；　he　was　driving　along　the　same　highway　at　the　same　tune　in　the　morning　when　he　came　upon　a　man　standing　by　the　road　in　approximately　the　same　spot　where　the　sphere　had　hovered。　Thinking　the　man　was　hitchhiking　and　was　stranded　in　this　isolated　stretch　of　road；　Jones　slowed　his　truck　and　called　out　to　him；　〃Want　a　lift？〃　The　man　did　not　reply　but　merely　waved　him　on。　The　next　morning　this　same　man　was　in　the　same　place　but　this　time　Tad　did　not　slow　down。
　　
　　〃He　was　very　tanned；〃　Jones　recalled；　〃or　his　face　was　very　flushed。　He　looked　normal　and　was　wearing　a　blue　coat　and　a　blue　cap　with　a　visor　。。。　something　like　a　uniform；　I　guess。　I　noticed　he　was　holding　a　box　in　his　hand。
　　
　　Some　kind　of　instrument。　It　had　a　large　dial　on　it；　like　a　clock；　and　a　wire　ran　from　it　to　his　other　hand。〃
　　
　　Later　we　checked　the　local　gas　panies　to　find　out　if　they　had　had　a　man　〃walking　the　line〃　in　that　area。　The　answer　was　negative。　I　also　asked　about　instruments　such　as　Tad　had　described。　No　such　instruments　were　in　use。
　　
　　When　Mrs。　Hyre　and　I　visited　the　spot　on　Route　64　we　found　a　series　of　very　strange　footprints　in　the　mud　beside　the　road。　One　group　of　footprints　were　identical　to　those　I　had　found　behind　the　power　plant　in　the　TNT　area　the　previous　December。　They　looked　like　huge　dog　tracks　and　were　so　deep　the　animal　who　made　them　must　have　weighed　two　hundred　pounds　or　more。　I　couldn't　relate　them　to　Mothman；　and　there　were　a　lot　of　dogs　in　the　area；　so　I　didn't　think　much　about　them　at　the　time。　Tad　made　plaster　casts　of　these　new　prints；　however；　and　none　of　the　local　wildlife　authorities　could　identify　them。　They　were　not　dog　tracks。　Zoologist　Ivan　Sanderson　later　rejected　the　〃big　dog〃　explanation；　also；　and　told　me　similar　tracks　frequently　turned　up　in　places　where　paranormal　events　had　occurred。　And；　in　fact；　I　have　since　e　across　them　myself　in　several　separate　spots　around　the　country。
　　
　　Aside　from　the　dog　tracks；　we　found　a　single　footprint　of　what　appeared　to　be　a　large；　naked　human　foot。　This　was　planted　in　the　center　of　a　muddy　section　with　no　other　footprints　of　any　kind　around　it。　But　a　short　distance　away　I　came　across　some　old　friends　。。。　a　type　of　footprint　that　has　appeared　at　many　UFO　sites　around　the　country。　They　look　like　the　prints　made　by　ripple…soled　shoes　but　their　spacing　is　always　peculiar。　They　don't　start　anywhere　and　they　don't　lead　anywhere。　Ripple　soles　had　been　in　fashion　in　the　early　1960s　and　then　had　faded　out。　I　once　owned　a　pair　myself。　But　these　phantom　prints　had　a　ridge　around　the　edges。　Years　later；　when　the　first　men　walked　on　the　moon；　I　realized　the　photos　of　the　prints　left　by　their　moon…walking　shoes　were　identical　to　the　footprints　I　had　seen　over　and　over　again　in　my　tra