CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
157 
just at this time that his fury appeared to be subsiding, so 
allowed him a little more time in which to become his former 
self. His judgment was vindicated, or apparently so, inasmuch 
as the sound of his rattles was again descending the scale to a 
lower pitch, while at the same time he commenced lowering 
his head and body to the ground, slowly retreating from the 
scene. Just then his enemy since Eden days stepped into the 
open to recover his weapon. At the very sight of him his fury 
seemed to surpass his initial show of temper. He “about- 
faced.” His whirring rattles again ascended the scale. He 
began moving back and rorth, assuming the most menacing 
posture, facing his antagonist all the while as he stood almost 
to the full limit of his length. After the manner of Goliath 
before the camp of Israel, he challenged this horseman to 
come forth to battle. This particular observer gave the writer 
a graphic picture of this old patriarch of the hummock which 
left no doubt in our mind that he had been an actual eyewitness 
to the thing described. 
His testimony corroborated that of other laymen on two 
or three interesting points insisted upon by the latter but 
denied by scientists. He endeavored to describe a peculiar 
flickering beam emanating from his eyes, but for want of a 
sufficient vocabulary, was not fully satisfied with his own de¬ 
scription. He described it as somewhat resembling a cat’s eyes 
illuminated by the headlights of an automobile, but flickering 
rather than giving off a steady glow. According to this ob¬ 
server such a countenance, and particularly such eyes, were 
difficult to look upon. This particular detail of such observa¬ 
tion is deemed important. The only other instances of which 
we have ever learned comparing with this observation hap¬ 
pened in broad daylight and therefore might easily be ex¬ 
plained as reflected sunlight, but on this occasion the sun had 
already set behind this vast, dense forest, with not a ray of 
light falling upon the scene. This being true, we feel more 
than justified in the presumption that such light was of his 
own creation and might some day be revealed as the source of 
his uncanny power to kill with his eyes. The horseman was 
fearful of such power and avoided meeting his stare squarely. 
