（the most mon being the sound of a car door slamming outside the house when there were no cars in sight）。 One family showed us how the flap covering the entrance to their attic had been mysteriously moved。 It was a hole in the ceiling of a bedroom and could only be reached with a high ladder。 Others plained of 〃Gypsies〃 marching across their property late at night； men in bright reflective clothing and women in ankle…length dresses； all with long hair and dark Oriental faces。 （This was well before the hippie explosion of the late 1960s。）
North of Gallipolis； Ohio； I impulsively stopped at an isolated farmhouse one afternoon and when I knocked at the door a grim…faced man answered with a shotgun in his hands。 I started to show my credentials and explain who I was but he cut me short。
〃I know who you are；〃 he growled。 〃We don't want anything to do with you。 Get out of here。〃
Puzzled； I reported back to Mary and suggested that she visit the farm to see if she could find out the reason for the man's strange behavior。
The next day we went back。 I remained in the car while she talked with him for several minutes。 Finally they both came out to the car laughing。
〃You're not going to believe this；〃 the farmer began apologetically； 〃but ten minutes before you arrived here yesterday I got a phone call。 It sounded like a neighbor of mine and he said he was calling to warn me about a crazy man 。。。 a real dangerous type 。。。 with a beard 。。。 that had just been to see him。 Said I shouldn't have anything to do with him。 Ten minutes later you showed up。 After you left； I called him back。 He was out in the fields。 Had been all day。 His wife had to go get him。 He said he hadn't made that call。〃
I looked sternly at Mary。
〃Is this some kind of a put…on？〃
〃Absolutely not；〃 she answered； turning to the farmer。 〃Tell him the rest of it。〃
〃Well； about a week ago something scared my cows real bad；〃 he continued。 〃You know； we ain't told anyone about this； Mrs。 Hyre。 You aren't going to put it in the paper； are you？〃
〃Not if you don't want us to。〃
〃e on。 Let me show you something。〃
He led us into the field behind his barn。 There was a thirty…foot circle of scorched earth on the hillside。 I had seen several of these 〃fairy circles〃 before。
〃That night our cows really acted up；〃 he went on。 〃They stampeded。 They were so scared they went right through the fence over there。〃 He pointed toward a stretch of wire fence that had obviously just been repaired。 〃It's an electric fence。 Now you know that it takes a lot to make cows charge through an electric fence。 Anyway； when I heard the ruckus I ran outside and I saw my cows scattering down the road。 And there was a big red and white glowing thing sitting right in the field。 I've got to say that it scared me half to death。 I ran back in my house to get my gun。 Didn't take me more than a minute。 But when I got outside again the thing was gone。 This circle was all that was left。 It took the rest of the night to round up my cows。〃
〃Were any of them lost or missing？〃 I asked。
〃No。〃 He paused。 〃But Herk…that's Hercules…my big old collie dog ran off that night and we ain't seen him； since。〃
Mary had been with me when I had checked into other missing dog incidents。 She gave me a meaningful glance and he caught it。
〃Say； you don't think that thing took old Herk； do you？〃
〃No。 It was probably just some kind of electrical phenomenon；〃 I answered gently。 〃Herk will probably e back。〃
〃I hope so。 We sure loved that dog。〃 He looked thoughtful。 〃Electrical； huh。 Let me show you something else。〃
He led us into bis barn and showed us a brand…new circuit box。
〃I had to have this put in the next day so I could run my milker。 The old box was pletely burned out。 In fact； it was melted 。。。 like somebody had put a welding torch to it。〃
〃See； it must have been some kind of electrical thing；〃 I said lamely。 I knew Ivan Sanderson had investigated an almost identical incident in New Jersey only weeks before。 But in that case the cows had been in their stalls in the barn and were found dead。
〃Has anyone else been around to talk to you about this？〃
〃No 。。。 I haven't told anyone。 Just some fellows from the electric pany who turned up the next day。 They fussed around with the transformer on the pole by the road。 I tried to talk with them but they didn't have much to say。〃
〃Did you know them？〃
〃Never saw them before。 e to think of it； they didn't have a regular electric truck。 Just a panel truck。〃
〃Would you recognize them if you saw them again？〃
〃Sure would。 They was foreigners。 You know； Japs or something。 Like I said； they weren't very friendly。〃
〃How were they dressed？〃
〃Oh； you know 。。。 ordinary coveralls。 I did notice their shoes； though。 They had on funny shoes with very thick rubber soles。 Guess when you work around electricity you need insulation。〃
Mary shuddered perceptibly。
〃Say； do you know these fellows？〃 he asked。
〃Well； I saw a man with thick…soled shoes like that once；〃 Mary began。 I cut in sharply； thanking the man； promising to keep him out of the papers； and reminding Mary that we had an appointment elsewhere。
Back in the car； Mary could no longer curb her natural curiosity。
〃What do you make of all this； John？〃
〃The more I find out； the more confusing it bees。〃
〃That's the way I feel。 That phone call 。。。 sounds like someone didn't want you to talk to him。〃
〃It could work the other way； too；〃 I suggested。 〃Maybe this whole thing was set up so I would talk to him。 I just picked his farm out at random。 If he had just turned me away with a smile I would never have bothered him again。 But when he came to the door with a gun 。。。〃
〃But how did they know you were going to stop there？ How could anyone have possibly known？〃
〃That's the real question。 How could anyone have known？〃
II。
A few days before leaving New York I called Gray Barker in Clarksburg and he agreed to meet me the following Tuesday in Point Pleasant。 As soon as he hung up； I dialed Woodrow Derenberger's unlisted number and spoke
to his wife。
〃When are you ing to see us again？〃 she asked。
〃I expect to be in West Virginia next week；〃 I replied。
〃I know。 I hear you're having a secret meeting with Gray Barker on Tuesday。〃
I was stunned。
〃I'm meeting with Gray；〃 I admitted； 〃but it's not very secret。 I didn't know about it myself until a couple of minutes ago； so how on earth did you know？〃
There was a pause。
〃Charlie Cutler over in Ohio told us about it a couple of days ago；〃 she finally said。
〃And how did he know about it？〃
〃I…I don't know。 I suppose he heard it somewhere。〃
When you enter the unreal world of the contactees； predictions； prophecies； and a mysterious invasion of your privacy bee monplace。 Contactees seem to develop heightened perceptions； ESP； and precognition。 The changes occur almost overnight。 In their meetings with the entities they are served up platters of propaganda along with rumors and nonsense which they accept and repeat as fact。 Many of the choicest tidbits in UFO lore were not actual events but were put into circulation by contactees who placed their plete trust in their contacters。 The entities spun wild tales about crashed saucers being confiscated by the U。S。 Air Force； farmers shooting and wounding spacemen； and so forth。 Contactees repeated the stories to wild…eyed UFO enthusiasts and so they spread in ever…widening circles until they appeared in articles and books。
Derenberger never claimed psychic powers。 He said he received telepathic messages from Indrid Cold giving him specific information。 Others such as Ted Owens and Uri Geller have also claimed that their psychic abilities came from space intelligences。 Mr。 Owens has racked up an impressive record predict