The Creature

I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII | XIV | XV

VIII

Biology and anthropology were not my fields and I felt at a loss for the proper way to study the creature. I was willing to give complete credit to anyone I could trust and turn over the creature to him. It was not my acceptance alone which was necessary but Kong would have some say-so in the proceedings that were about to be undertaken.

I ran several scientists in my area through my mind and reviewed my association with them. Most were good fellows who liked a joke and light conversation along with their serious pursuit of science. I finally settled on two possibilities, a wildlife expert from my own college and a zoology instructor from a neighboring institution. I finally decided on Barney Prescott the zoology instructor.

It was a Wednesday morning when I drove the thirty odd miles to the other college. Parking was at a premium there since this was a commuter institution. I ended up parking in the street, several blocks from the campus. Students with jock jackets were all over the place, leaning on parking meters and sitting on curbs even though the weather was quite chilly. I asked directions to the biology department since I had never been there even though I knew Barney well from having served on several state committees with him.

After several false starts I found the place and read the roster outside the main biology office. Dr. B. Prescott was in office 206C and his office hours started in about a half hour. I didn't want to have to track him down so I went over to the student snack bar and had a cup of coffee while I waited for the time to elapse. There I studied the boisterous behavior and language of the students and compared them and their life styles to those of Kong. Kong won by comparison. I finally found Barney in his office and was greeted warmly. We talked for an hour or so and I told him that I had a lead on a bigfoot-like creature and perhaps he might wish to check it out with me. Even though he and I had many a joke and beer together at conventions he knew that I was serious and so he responded seriously.

Barney stated that this was a topic of interest to him and that he had made several casts of possible footprints of such a creature when he was a student in Idaho. He had also traveled to western Oregon where he had interviewed many people about the Sasquatch and he was certain such creatures existed. Sasquatch was the Indian name for such creatures. He showed me a footprint cast he had made. I put my foot beside it and felt that it could not possibly be related to Kong since his feet were not that large. It appeared that I had come to the right man.

Barney related stories of hunters, fishermen, and lumbermen of the Cascade Mountains who saw the creature. He told me about a ten second film made by a man on horseback. Barney had a theory about the native Indians knowing and communicating with the Sasquatch but keeping these associations secret since the white and black man are both deceitful and cannot be trusted.

We decided to meet on Thursday at three and I would lead him to the area of my suspicions. Barney had a jeep and we would go in that vehicle. He wanted to meet earlier but my last class was over at two and I couldn't possibly get away before three.

I walked back to my car thinking that I had made a good choice and how great it would be to work with a pleasant fellow like Barney. When I got to my car I found it vandalized. My radio antenna was broken, the hub caps were gone and the window was jimmied on the passenger side and my brief case was missing. I made my way to the local police station and dutifully reported the incident to a bored desk clerk who sent me away with the comforting thought that my insurance would cover it.

At three the next day Barney pulled up in his jeep with a grin of high expectation on his face. He was dressed in a camouflage outfit including a duck hunters cap. This seemed funny and he asked if I was bringing anything especially some scotch whiskey since he knew my addiction to the stuff. I said "no" and piled in and told him to head for the main highway.

As we drove along I looked in the back and saw walkie-talkies, binoculars, cameras, and to my horror a high-powered rifle. I leaned over the seat further and spotted a box of rifle shells.

After questioning him about the rifle he stated that his investigations indicated that the Sasquatch were huge people and even though no one has been harmed by them we shouldn't let our guard down for a minute. We had to be prepared to protect ourselves and we wouldn't use the gun unless it was absolutely necessary. However we would take it into the brush with us.

I let him drive by the Diggins road and led him to the state game lands just north of Dunbar where I had spent many days hiking in the past. The enthusiasm had gone out of my personality and out of my relationship with Barney. We unloaded from the jeep and I laced my hiking boots and adjusted my jacket. We had about two hours of daylight left and I planned to hike him over the rough and ragged rocks up and down every mountain possible. Who knows, we might have seen bigfoot in this wilderness area since it was game lands with food for wild animals.

We walked fast and furious. Barney kept protesting that it would be best to get to a cave area and explore it so I took him to a small cave area I knew and he poked around it with his rifle ready while I pretended to sit upon the upper rocks and act as a spotter. There were many assorted tracks around the cave and a grouse startled Barney sending him reeling backward.

Darkness was falling fast as we got to a tributary stream to Dunbar Creek and followed it to the main creek area. In the near darkness a raccoon could be seen at the waters edge where the tributary met the main stream. Barney pulled up his rifle, took aim and blasted the raccoon into oblivion.

I asked him why he shot the coon and he answered that he hated to bring out his rifle without using it and he was anxious to try out his scope. He didn't take to the idea of shooting a tree or the already bullet riddled signs along the creek area.

We walked over to the animal which lay there with its head half shot away. Along its side was a fish of some sort about eight inches. long. The coon was apparently eating or getting ready to eat the fish. Barney nudged the lifeless carcass with his foot and with a quick jerk he drop kicked the coon into the water. With disgust and a sick feeling in my stomach I kicked the fish in and we made our way back to the car by moonlight.

When we got into the car Barney stated that even though we didn't see bigfoot it was a lot of fun and we should do it again soon. I promised to call him but have not contacted him to this day. With this event I scratched all people from my confidence list.

I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII | XIV | XV