A mystical creature with hooves and its tracks. United States

A man named Silas Brown who lived at the edge of a wooded area reported that for the last few weeks he has had visions or encountered an alarming character in the nearby forest but more particularly in the copse adjacent to Mr. Brown’s barn and stable. At numbers of times has an immense figure been seen passing to and fro near the barn, with large horns and terrible claws, which it contracts to a sort of hoof, and has assaulted Mr. Brown, when he attempted after dark to feed his horses and stock, in such a manner and with such violence that he has been compelled to flee to his house for safety. The figure, to the best of Mr. Brown’s recollection seemed about three times as large as a man in its front, and having a back converging from its neck and shoulders horizontally to the distance of some six to eight feet, and supplied on each side with huge and tremendous arms. It is of a pale bluish color when first seen, but upon being irritated by the near approach of any person becomes a deadly white, and issues from its surface a small volume of smoke, accompanied with a sickening smell. This ghoul or unnatural and horrible animal or demon, has been see as often as four times near Mr. Brown’s stable, and when seen, it has lingered till its deadly effluvia has completely impregnated the surrounding atmosphere. One evening Mr. Brown, desiring to have another beside himself see this terrible visitant, induced a courageous gentleman called Siger, who happened with his wife to spend the evening at Mr. Brown’s to go to the stable to feed his horses. Siger, not believing the story, went without hesitation, when, upon entering the stable, he was alarmed by the fall at or near his feet, with a deep rumbling sound, of a tremendous stone. Siger without looking to see whence the rock came, picked the stone up, and it was so hot that he was compelled to drop it. Upon looking up he beheld the unearthly monster not over fifty yards from him, and the air became quickly filled and inoculated with brimstone. Not wishing to be thought a coward, he did not mention anything of this at the house, but upon walking home with his wife the same night he told her of what happened at the stable, and instantly she became alarmed, and was carried home in a state of apparent insensibility.