jak.themothmanprophecies- 第22节

　　
　　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　travels。　Obviously；　the　Martians　and　Venusians　buy　their　equipment　from　the　same　panies　that　supply　our　space　program。
　　
　　VI。
　　
　　Connie　Carpenter's　sighting　of　Mothman　in　November　1966　triggered　off　a　long　series　of　weird　situations。　She　heard　loud　beeping　sounds　outside　her　bedroom　window　on　several　occasions。　Then；　in　February　1967；　someone　tried　to　abduct　her。
　　
　　Early　that　month　she　and　Keith　Gordon　were　married　and　they　moved　across　the　river　to　a　house　in　Middleport；　Ohio。　They　did　not　have　a　phone　and　their　new　address　was　known　only　to　their　families　and　close　friends。　Middleport　is　a　town　of　about　three　thousand　people。　Connie　was　still　attending　school。　An　excessively　slender　girl；　she　would　never　win　a　Raquel　Welch　look…alike　contest。
　　
　　At　8：15　A。M。　on　February　22；　1967；　she　started　out　for　school。　Keith　was　already　at　work。　As　she　began　walking　down　the　quiet；　tree…lined　street　a　large　black　car　pulled　up　alongside。　Since　all　young　people　are　automobile　conscious；　she　said　she　could　positively　identify　it　as　a　1949　Buick。　The　driver　opened　his　door　and　called　to　her；　asking　for　directions；　so　she　walked　over　to　his　car。　He　was　a　clean…cut　young　man　of　about　twenty…five；　she　said　later；　and　was　wearing　a　colorful　mod　shirt；　no　jacket；　despite　the　cold　weather。　His　thick　black　hair　was　neatly　bed　and　he　appeared　to　be　very　suntanned。　He　spoke　with　no　noticeable　accent。　The　car；　though　nearly　twenty　years　old；　was　so　well　kept　it　looked　like　new。　Even　the　interior　had　a　look　of　newness　about　it。
　　
　　When　she　reached　the　vehicle；　the　young　man　suddenly　lunged；　grabbed　her　arm；　and　ordered　her　to　get　in　with　him。　After　a　brief　struggle　she　managed　to　break　away。　She　ran　back　to　her　house　and　locked　herself　in；　pletely　terrified。　She　cowered　in　the　house　until　her　husband　came　home　from　work。　And　she　decided　to　stay　home　the　next　day；　too。　At　3　P。M。　she　heard　someone　on　the　porch　and　there　was　a　loud　knock　on　the　door。　She　waited　awhile　then　cautiously　went　to　the　door。　There　was　no　one　on　the　porch　and　no　car　in　sight；　but　a　note　had　been　slipped　under　the　door。　It　was　written　in　pencil　in　block　letters　on　a　piece　of　ordinary　notebook　paper。
　　
　　〃Be　careful　girl；〃　it　read；　〃I　can　get　you　yet。〃
　　
　　That　night　Connie　and　Keith　went　to　the　local　police。　The　note　was　turned　over　to　officer　Raymond　Manly。　In　March　1967；　I　visited　the　police　station；　hoping　to　recover　the　note　so　I　could　pare　the　handwriting　with　other　notes　I　had　collected。　Manly　had　lost　it　somewhere　along　the　way。　When　I　asked　to　see　their　file　on　the　case　they　produced　a　printed　form　containing　Connie's　name　and　address　and　one　scribbled　line；　〃Dark　Buick；　young　man。〃　The　police　chief　assured　me　that　no　such　car　existed　in　Middleport　and　that　it　was　obviously　a　case　of　some　maniac　trying　to　abduct　a　young　girl。　Officer　Manly　told　me　he　was　keeping　the　house　under　constant　surveillance。　I　had　to　break　the　news　that　the　Gordons　had　moved　back　to　the　West　Virginia　side　of　the　river　shortly　after　the　incident。　Despite　my　sheaf　of　credentials　and　press　cards；　both　men　were　overly　suspicious　of　me　and　asked　me　repeatedly　if　I　really　wasn't　〃from　the　government。〃　This　fear　of　government　agents　was　already　universal　in　1967；　long　before　the　general　breakdown　of　faith　in　the　government　of　the　1970s。　The　UFO　enthusiasts　had　done　then…job　well。　Their　twenty…year　campaign　against　the　air　force　had　really　shut　the　government　off　from　many　UFO　reports。
　　
　　In　the　mid…1950s　I　had　experienced　a　variation　of　this　paranoia　while　traveling　through　the　Orient。　The　CIA　had　already　earned　an　odious　reputation　abroad；　its　butter…fingered　agents　often　operating　as　wandering　journalists；　particularly　in　the　Himalayas　where　they　were　trying　to　foment　revolutionary　activity　against　the　Chinese　who　were　then　settling　down　in　Tibet。　More　than　once　I　was　openly　accused　of　being　a　secret　American　agent　provocateur。　Officials　would　〃lose〃　my　passport　for　days　at　a　time　while　they　checked　me　out　forward　and　backward。　In　Baghdad；　and　again　in　Singapore；　I　was　actually　grilled　by　the　authorities　who　were　apparently　convinced　I　was　after　state　secrets　or　was　planning　to　overthrow　the　government。　Since　I　knew　very　little　about　the　CIA　in　those　days　I　was　perplexed　by　all　this　attention。
　　
　　Eventually　I　learned　that　the　CIA　had　a　habit　of　enlisting　very　young　people　between　the　ages　of　seventeen　and　twenty…five；　frequently　involving　them　in　bizarre　scenarios。　Considerable　evidence　exists　indicating　that　Lee　Harvey　Oswald　was　a　CIA　pawn　early　on。
　　
　　Today　the　CIA　has　an　annual　budget　in　excess　of　11　billion；　and　it　doesn't　have　to　account　to　the　president　or　Congress。　A　large　part　of　this　budget　is　probably　wasted　on　bureaucratic　nonsense；　and　another　large　part　is　spent　on　what　can　only　be　termed　malicious　mischief。　Technically；　the　CIA　has　no　legal　authority　or　responsibilities　within　the　continental　United　States；　but　if　you　open