be
explained in a perfectly natural way. Further, the nights upon which
sheep disappeared were invariably very dark, cloudy nights with no moon.
This I met with the obvious retort that those were the nights which a
commonplace sheep-stealer would naturally choose for his work. On one
occasion a gap had been made in a wall, and some of the stones scattered
for a considerable distance. Human agency again, in my opinion. Finally,
Armitage clinched all his arguments by telling me that he had actually
heard the Creature--indeed, that anyone could hear it who remained long
enough at the Gap. It was a distant roaring of an immense volume.
I could not but smile at this, knowing, as I do, the strange
reverberations which come out of an underground water system running
amid the chasms of a limestone formation. My incredulity annoyed
Armitage, so that he turned and left me with some abruptness.

And now comes the queer point about the whole business. I was still
standing near the mouth of the cave turning over in my mind the various
statements of Armitage, and reflecting how readily they could be
explained away, when suddenly, from the depth of the tunnel beside me,
there issued a most extraordinary sound. How shall I describe it? First
of all it seemed to be a great distance away, far down in the bowels
of the earth. Secondly, in spite of this suggestion of distance, it was
very loud. Lastly, it was not a boom, nor a crash, such as one would
associate with falling water or tumbling rock, but it was a high whine,
tremulous and vibrating, almost like the whinnying of a horse. It was
certainly a most remarkable experience, and one which for a moment, I
must admit, gave a new significance to Armitage's words. I waited by the
Blue John Gap for half an hour or more, but there was no return of the
sound, so at last I wandered back to the farmhouse, rather mystified
by what had occurred. Decidedly I shall explore that cavern when my
strength is restored. Of course, Armitage's explanation is too absurd
for discussion, and yet that sound was certainly very strange. It still
rings in my ears as I write.

April 20.--In the last three days I have made several expeditions to
the Blue John Gap, and have even penetrated some short distance, but my
bicycle lantern is so small and weak that I dare not trust myself very
far. I shall do the thing more systematically. I have heard no sound
at all, and could almost believe that I had been the victim