Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Terror of Blue John Gap
Strangehowsuperstitiousthesecountrymenare!IshouldhavethoughtbetterofyoungArmitage,forheisamanofsomeeducationandcharacter,andaveryfinefellowforhisstationinlife.IwasstandingattheBlueJohnGapwhenhecameacrossthefieldtome.
"Well,doctor,"saidhe,"you’renotafraid,anyhow."
"Afraid!"Ianswered."Afraidofwhat?"
"Ofit,"saidhe,withajerkofhisthumbtowardstheblackvault,"oftheTerrorthatlivesintheBlueJohnCave."
Howabsurdlyeasyitisforalegendtoariseinalonelycountryside!Iexaminedhimastothereasonsforhisweirdbelief.Itseemsthatfromtimetotimesheephavebeenmissingfromthefields,carriedbodilyaway,accordingtoArmitage.Thattheycouldhavewanderedawayoftheirownaccordanddisappearedamongthemountainswasanexplanationtowhichhewouldnotlisten.Ononeoccasionapoolofbloodhadbeenfound,andsometuftsofwool.Thatalso,Ipointedout,couldbeexplainedinaperfectlynaturalway.Further,thenightsuponwhichsheepdisappearedwereinvariablyverydark,cloudynightswithnomoon.ThisImetwiththeobviousretortthatthosewerethenightswhichacommonplacesheep-stealerwouldnaturallychooseforhiswork.Ononeoccasionagaphadbeenmadeinawall,andsomeofthestonesscatteredforaconsiderabledistance.Humanagencyagain,inmyopinion.Finally,ArmitageclinchedallhisargumentsbytellingmethathehadactuallyheardtheCreature—indeed,thatanyonecouldhearitwhoremainedlongenoughattheGap.Itwasadistantroaringofanimmensevolume.
