1 00:03:48,700 --> 00:03:51,480 What do you boys think about going turkey hunting this year? 2 00:03:54,130 --> 00:03:56,700 Think you ought to go... Mr. Willie, my momma 3 00:03:56,740 --> 00:04:00,310 wanted me to ask you would you come down to our house? 4 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:03,260 There's some kind of wild man 5 00:04:03,310 --> 00:04:04,870 down there in the woods by the creek. 6 00:04:05,700 --> 00:04:07,350 Now, Boy, 7 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,240 I want you to go back down there and tell your momma 8 00:04:09,260 --> 00:04:11,920 there ain't a thing in the world to be afraid of. 9 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:14,090 I'll come down there tomorrow and check it out. 10 00:04:17,310 --> 00:04:18,310 Go ahead. 11 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:21,790 Yes, sir. 12 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:25,530 Thank you, Sir. 13 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:28,920 You know that's the third time 14 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:30,920 that ol' lady's sent that kid up here to tell me 15 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,260 there's a big ol' hairy monster down in my field. 16 00:04:33,310 --> 00:04:35,750 I guess I'll have to get down there tomorrow and see about it. 17 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,610 I was seven-years-old when I first heard him scream. 18 00:05:46,660 --> 00:05:50,090 It scared me then, and it scares me now. 19 00:07:42,090 --> 00:07:44,090 This is Fouke, Arkansas. 20 00:07:44,700 --> 00:07:46,700 I grew up here. 21 00:07:46,740 --> 00:07:50,570 The population was about 350 when I was a boy. 22 00:07:51,260 --> 00:07:52,530 It still is. 23 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,790 Fouke is way down in the southwest corner 24 00:07:57,830 --> 00:08:01,350 where Arkansas joins Texas and Louisiana. 25 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:05,050 If you've ever driven from Shreveport to Texarkana, 26 00:08:05,090 --> 00:08:07,130 you'll pass right through Fouke. 27 00:08:07,180 --> 00:08:09,000 Even if you don't remember seeing it. 28 00:08:11,260 --> 00:08:13,180 Aside from homes, 29 00:08:13,220 --> 00:08:15,700 Fouke has several stores, 30 00:08:15,740 --> 00:08:17,440 a couple of gas stations, 31 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:19,610 a post office and school, 32 00:08:19,660 --> 00:08:21,830 garage and motel, 33 00:08:21,870 --> 00:08:24,870 and two cafes for the men folk to stop by 34 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,260 for coffee and conversation 35 00:08:27,310 --> 00:08:30,350 on the fish they've caught, or the duck, quail, squirrel, 36 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,790 or deer they've hunted. 37 00:08:32,830 --> 00:08:36,400 Fishing and hunting take up a lot of almost everybody's time. 38 00:08:37,790 --> 00:08:41,130 Maybe Smokey Crabtree, who lives way back down 39 00:08:41,180 --> 00:08:43,350 on the edge of the Bottoms will tell about 40 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,570 a mink or beaver he or his son Travis caught. 41 00:09:03,530 --> 00:09:06,440 Smokey raises beef cattle and traps part time 42 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:08,610 and works as a pipeline welder 43 00:09:08,660 --> 00:09:10,440 when the good jobs come along. 44 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,350 Travis walks and paddles for miles every morning, 45 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,310 running his trap lines before school starts. 46 00:09:32,090 --> 00:09:34,130 Most of the people who live around Fouke 47 00:09:34,180 --> 00:09:37,530 are farmers or ranchers. 48 00:09:37,570 --> 00:09:39,740 This country is rich and fertile 49 00:09:39,790 --> 00:09:41,960 with plenty of grass and water. 50 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,570 Our land is veined with a great network of 51 00:09:45,610 --> 00:09:48,610 branches, creeks, river and lakes. 52 00:09:48,660 --> 00:09:51,530 Fouke is a right pleasant place to live... 53 00:09:53,570 --> 00:09:55,740 Until the sun goes down. 54 00:10:16,220 --> 00:10:17,700 That day in the store, 55 00:10:17,740 --> 00:10:19,410 Willie Smith didn't believe me when I told him 56 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,260 about a wild, hairy creature in the woods. 57 00:10:23,660 --> 00:10:25,090 He believes me now. 58 00:10:30,310 --> 00:10:32,220 And he ran on East, 59 00:10:32,260 --> 00:10:33,740 jumped over the fence. 60 00:10:33,790 --> 00:10:35,920 It just seemed like he just, sort of, pushed it down 61 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:37,570 with his left hand, just stepped over. 62 00:10:37,610 --> 00:10:40,440 It was wounded and was holding that right chest. 63 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:42,350 It had that right hand on his chest 64 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:44,050 all the time that it was in sight. 65 00:10:44,090 --> 00:10:46,570 Maybe if it hadn't been hurt pretty badly, 66 00:10:46,610 --> 00:10:49,830 why, it might have ran on all four legs, I don't know. 67 00:10:49,870 --> 00:10:51,180 But it wasn't. 68 00:10:51,220 --> 00:10:54,310 It was running on two legs at all times. 69 00:10:54,350 --> 00:10:57,050 That was about all I saw of this thing. 70 00:10:59,310 --> 00:11:00,670 Something came through here last night 71 00:11:00,700 --> 00:11:03,050 and killed my two prized shoats. 72 00:11:03,090 --> 00:11:04,370 Found one of them lying right here 73 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:06,220 deep gashes, 74 00:11:06,260 --> 00:11:08,440 cuts and his tongue was hanging out. 75 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,350 Looked like something had strangled him. 76 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:14,180 I keep them off down here by the creek in this pen. 77 00:11:14,220 --> 00:11:16,740 And whatever it was, got in the pen, 78 00:11:16,790 --> 00:11:19,960 lifted both them 200-pound hogs over the fence. 79 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,830 I couldn't find no place where they'd been dragged under. 80 00:11:22,870 --> 00:11:25,700 I couldn't find no tracks, so I figured whatever it was, 81 00:11:25,740 --> 00:11:29,350 came and left travelling up and down that creek. 82 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,660 Not knowing what had killed them hogs, 83 00:11:31,700 --> 00:11:33,050 I just threw them away. 84 00:11:33,090 --> 00:11:35,180 I carried them way off out there in the bushes 85 00:11:35,220 --> 00:11:37,610 so the smell wouldn't get back up to the house. 86 00:11:38,790 --> 00:11:40,090 Next day, 87 00:11:40,130 --> 00:11:41,400 I got up and looked out there 88 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:43,000 and thought it kind of funny 89 00:11:43,050 --> 00:11:46,350 not seeing any buzzards circling or anything. 90 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,000 So, came down here and both hogs were gone. 91 00:11:51,050 --> 00:11:54,180 That thing, whatever it was, must've come back, 92 00:11:54,220 --> 00:11:57,530 and the grass wasn't even disturbed, where the hogs was. 93 00:11:57,570 --> 00:12:01,350 What kind of thing can pick up 200-pound hogs 94 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:02,870 and walk off with them. 95 00:12:09,610 --> 00:12:12,570 I doubt if you could find a lonelier, 96 00:12:12,610 --> 00:12:14,570 spookier place in this country 97 00:12:14,610 --> 00:12:16,660 than down around Boggy Creek. 98 00:12:22,220 --> 00:12:26,530 It twists and winds its way across the Fouke countryside, 99 00:12:26,570 --> 00:12:28,700 widening and narrowing, 100 00:12:28,740 --> 00:12:31,130 sheltering within its thickly wooded banks 101 00:12:31,180 --> 00:12:33,530 a multitude of creatures 102 00:12:33,570 --> 00:12:38,790 that run, fly, swim, creep and crawl. 103 00:12:38,830 --> 00:12:42,310 Eventually, Boggy empties into Days Creek 104 00:12:42,350 --> 00:12:44,570 and flows onward into the Sulphur River. 105 00:12:45,700 --> 00:12:47,480 Heavy rainfall half the year 106 00:12:47,530 --> 00:12:49,870 causes our creeks and rivers to flood 107 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,350 and spread over wide sections 108 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,700 of densely thicketed and forested bottomland. 109 00:12:58,830 --> 00:13:00,960 In the Sulphur River Bottoms, 110 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:05,260 the water spreads out for miles across the bottomland. 111 00:13:05,310 --> 00:13:08,740 A lot of which is so densely thicketed 112 00:13:08,790 --> 00:13:12,130 that only a few hunters and trappers have the skill 113 00:13:12,180 --> 00:13:16,610 to make their way deep into this wild, swampy country. 114 00:13:19,790 --> 00:13:21,400 A lot of people believe 115 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:24,610 the creature prowls back in here most of the time. 116 00:13:24,660 --> 00:13:26,700 But every now and then, 117 00:13:26,740 --> 00:13:30,130 drawn to civilization like a moth to flame, 118 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:32,830 he creeps out about dusk. 119 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:42,400 These nighttime visits have set off waves of terror 120 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,920 around Fouke for over 15 years. 121 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:48,480 What in the world is this creature? 122 00:13:48,530 --> 00:13:51,480 "Where did he come from, and what does he eat?" 123 00:13:51,530 --> 00:13:55,440 Are questions I've heard discussed a thousand times 124 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:59,660 around winter fires and on hot summer evenings. 125 00:13:59,700 --> 00:14:02,870 When the creature, whom the newspapers quickly named. 126 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:05,870 "The Fouke Monster," was first seen, 127 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,050 he didn't seem to make any special effort 128 00:14:08,090 --> 00:14:10,090 to hide from people. 129 00:14:10,130 --> 00:14:12,260 At least, Fred Crabtree, 130 00:14:12,310 --> 00:14:15,090 a farmer who hunted a lot, had that opinion. 131 00:14:39,790 --> 00:14:42,610 He just didn't look like anything I'd ever seen. 132 00:14:44,310 --> 00:14:47,790 I thought at first, it might be some kind of a wild man. 133 00:14:47,830 --> 00:14:51,260 I couldn't tell under all that hair just what it was. 134 00:14:51,310 --> 00:14:54,260 I changed the shells in my shotgun 135 00:14:54,310 --> 00:14:57,260 from my squirrel shot to my buck shot. 136 00:14:59,310 --> 00:15:01,870 More for my protection than anything else. 137 00:15:02,700 --> 00:15:04,960 If I'd have had my rifle, 138 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,440 I believe I could have knocked him down easy. 139 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:09,790 But I doubt if I would have. 140 00:15:09,830 --> 00:15:12,790 'Cause I kept thinking there's just a chance 141 00:15:12,830 --> 00:15:14,700 he might be a man. 142 00:15:14,740 --> 00:15:16,130 And if I had shot that thing, 143 00:15:16,180 --> 00:15:18,130 and it turned out to be a man, 144 00:15:18,180 --> 00:15:20,570 I'd have had to live with that for the rest of my life. 145 00:15:23,180 --> 00:15:25,260 Although he was never sure, 146 00:15:25,310 --> 00:15:27,000 Fred got the impression 147 00:15:27,050 --> 00:15:30,000 the creature had been washing his feet in the icy water. 148 00:15:33,660 --> 00:15:35,440 A few months later, 149 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:38,220 James Crabtree was squirrel hunting. 150 00:15:38,260 --> 00:15:39,960 Only a short distance from the spot 151 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,660 where Fred Crabtree had seen it. 152 00:15:43,700 --> 00:15:46,570 I've spent a lot of my life in these woods, 153 00:15:46,610 --> 00:15:49,790 and there was something strange about that evening 154 00:15:49,830 --> 00:15:53,220 that I couldn't put my finger on it. 155 00:15:53,260 --> 00:15:55,570 It was just a feeling I had. 156 00:15:55,610 --> 00:15:58,220 There didn't seem to be as many birds 157 00:15:58,260 --> 00:16:00,400 and little small animals out as usual. 158 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:03,610 In fact, they seemed mighty scarce. 159 00:16:42,570 --> 00:16:44,400 It stepped right out in plain sight. 160 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:46,870 Right out there in front of me. 161 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:48,960 And he was... It was some kind of thing 162 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,700 that I've never come across before. 163 00:16:51,740 --> 00:16:54,350 Well, he stared at me for a little while 164 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:56,090 and just slipped out of sight. 165 00:16:57,130 --> 00:16:59,700 I never saw him again. 166 00:16:59,740 --> 00:17:02,260 Neither Fred Crabtree, nor his uncle James 167 00:17:02,310 --> 00:17:04,960 told anyone about their experience for years. 168 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,790 They figured nobody would believe them. 169 00:17:11,350 --> 00:17:13,700 He always travels the creeks. 170 00:17:15,610 --> 00:17:18,220 That was one of the first things we figured out. 171 00:17:23,220 --> 00:17:26,660 This little branch feeds into Boggy Creek. 172 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:29,920 The Searcy Family lives here. 173 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,090 Mary Beth Searcy is a teenage student. 174 00:17:33,130 --> 00:17:35,050 Right now, her older married sister 175 00:17:35,090 --> 00:17:36,530 and her baby are visiting. 176 00:17:36,570 --> 00:17:39,050 Her father's working in another town, 177 00:17:39,090 --> 00:17:42,260 and her younger brother is spending the night with a friend. 178 00:17:42,310 --> 00:17:44,960 So, this evening, just the two girls, 179 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,180 their mother and the baby will be alone in this house. 180 00:17:48,220 --> 00:17:49,960 They have no phone 181 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,090 and the nearest neighbor is a mile or so across the woods. 182 00:20:03,830 --> 00:20:04,870 Mary Beth? 183 00:20:06,870 --> 00:20:09,220 Mary Beth, would you please hang something over the window? 184 00:20:09,260 --> 00:20:10,660 There's a draft on the baby. 185 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,440 Yeah. Okay. Just a minute. 186 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:41,090 Come here, Kitty. 187 00:20:41,130 --> 00:20:43,000 Come here, Kitty. Come here. 188 00:20:43,050 --> 00:20:45,130 Come, Kitty. 189 00:21:31,570 --> 00:21:32,610 Mary Beth, 190 00:21:32,660 --> 00:21:34,260 would you please hurry up! 191 00:21:34,310 --> 00:21:36,130 This draft's gonna give the baby a cold. 192 00:21:36,180 --> 00:21:38,260 Okay! Okay! 193 00:22:28,790 --> 00:22:30,870 Mary Beth, what's the matter with you? 194 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:32,870 What happened? Tell me. Answer me... 195 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:35,530 It was a long night of terror. 196 00:22:35,570 --> 00:22:37,960 In a few minutes, Mary Beth was revived, 197 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,610 and the three women, shaking in fear, 198 00:22:40,660 --> 00:22:44,090 freezing at every sound in the darkness, 199 00:22:44,130 --> 00:22:47,960 waited out the long hours of blackness. 200 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,000 The baby slept peacefully through it all. 201 00:22:51,050 --> 00:22:54,050 Next morning, they would discover their dead kitten 202 00:22:55,740 --> 00:22:58,050 completely unmarked. 203 00:22:58,090 --> 00:23:02,220 Apparently, she had simply been scared to death. 204 00:23:05,350 --> 00:23:08,220 The beauty of the Bottoms under soft moonlight 205 00:23:08,260 --> 00:23:11,830 is transformed into dark and menacing danger. 206 00:23:11,870 --> 00:23:14,960 And the shadows of the night trigger your imagination 207 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:19,400 into being places, where possibly, the creature is lurking. 208 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:22,660 Because you know he's out there somewhere. 209 00:24:15,870 --> 00:24:18,660 If, like this 13-year-old boy, 210 00:24:18,700 --> 00:24:21,610 you've grown up as a woodsman and hunter, 211 00:24:21,660 --> 00:24:25,310 you never miss an opportunity to get yourself a deer. 212 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:34,310 Yes, there's no doubt about it, 213 00:24:34,350 --> 00:24:36,000 the dogs are hot on the trail 214 00:24:36,050 --> 00:24:37,700 chasing the deer in this direction. 215 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,180 Later, they found two-inch saplings 216 00:26:31,220 --> 00:26:34,400 broken down by the creature in his pain and fury. 217 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:36,870 They saw crushed underbrush and blood stains, 218 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:38,310 which in the excitement, 219 00:26:38,350 --> 00:26:40,700 no one thought to gather a sample of. 220 00:26:40,740 --> 00:26:43,920 But they did not find the creature. 221 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:45,480 The terrifying stories 222 00:26:45,530 --> 00:26:47,960 of face to face encounters with the creature 223 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:50,660 triggered the Fouke community into action. 224 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:53,960 A big hunt was organized 225 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:55,400 with some of the best hunting dogs 226 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:57,740 in Arkansas and Texas involved. 227 00:26:57,790 --> 00:27:00,610 They even brought in some famous dogs from Tennessee. 228 00:27:00,660 --> 00:27:02,530 I got to go along. 229 00:27:02,570 --> 00:27:06,350 And I still vividly recall how I was trembling with excitement. 230 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,260 We'd heard that earlier, some other dogs 231 00:27:08,310 --> 00:27:10,220 had refused to trail the creature, 232 00:27:10,260 --> 00:27:12,220 cowering in fear and running back 233 00:27:12,260 --> 00:27:14,870 at the first whiff of his sour pig-pen smell. 234 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:18,350 But we were confident our dogs would get the job done. 235 00:27:24,090 --> 00:27:26,790 Hey, Earl, where did that ol' boy go that brought them dogs in here. 236 00:28:03,530 --> 00:28:05,700 While several groups hunted on foot, 237 00:28:05,740 --> 00:28:08,180 others scouted designated areas on horseback. 238 00:28:18,660 --> 00:28:22,050 While we made our way along the dirt road he had been crossing, 239 00:28:22,090 --> 00:28:24,480 the men on horseback swept across the woodlands 240 00:28:24,530 --> 00:28:25,920 along the creek areas. 241 00:29:21,570 --> 00:29:25,130 About this time, our dogs struck his trail where he'd crossed the road. 242 00:29:25,180 --> 00:29:27,960 Go get him. Spot, go get him! 243 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:29,310 They found his trail. 244 00:29:29,350 --> 00:29:31,790 Go get him! Atta boy! Trail him now. Get him. 245 00:29:31,830 --> 00:29:34,000 You've never seen a more embarrassed 246 00:29:34,050 --> 00:29:36,000 and angry group of dog owners. 247 00:29:36,050 --> 00:29:39,260 Neither one of these famous hunting dogs 248 00:29:39,310 --> 00:29:41,660 would trail the creature's scent. 249 00:29:41,700 --> 00:29:43,610 They whined, tucked their tails, 250 00:29:43,660 --> 00:29:46,350 and came running back obviously scared. 251 00:29:47,350 --> 00:29:49,310 I was sure disappointed. 252 00:30:14,700 --> 00:30:17,790 Despite the failure of the dogs to trail the creature, 253 00:30:17,830 --> 00:30:20,610 several groups of hunters kept going far into the night. 254 00:30:23,570 --> 00:30:24,870 Later, we got word 255 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:26,870 that one hunting party had got the creature 256 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:30,400 to scream angrily back at a wounded rabbit call, 257 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:32,660 but moved deeper into the forest 258 00:30:32,700 --> 00:30:34,570 when they tried to get closer. 259 00:31:08,310 --> 00:31:11,350 Not too many of the hunters were interested in plunging 260 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:13,830 into thick woods in pitch darkness 261 00:31:13,870 --> 00:31:15,480 knowing he was out there. 262 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:23,350 Often I've tried to imagine how the creature must feel. 263 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:27,480 Since his very appearance and the sounds he makes frightened us, 264 00:31:27,530 --> 00:31:31,700 our immediate reaction was to try to kill him. 265 00:31:31,740 --> 00:31:34,400 I suppose if a strange-looking creature 266 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,610 from another world showed up, 267 00:31:36,660 --> 00:31:38,220 he'd get the same reception. 268 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:40,740 Actually, at first, 269 00:31:40,790 --> 00:31:43,480 the creature didn't try to harm anybody, 270 00:31:43,530 --> 00:31:46,830 but now, after being hunted and hurt, 271 00:31:46,870 --> 00:31:48,610 he suddenly disappeared. 272 00:31:48,660 --> 00:31:50,740 So, far as we know, 273 00:31:50,790 --> 00:31:53,050 he wasn't seen again for eight years. 274 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:56,350 Where did he go? 275 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,660 Well, we believe he simply headed back 276 00:31:58,700 --> 00:32:01,310 deeper and deeper into the Bottoms, 277 00:32:01,350 --> 00:32:03,400 beyond the reach of men. 278 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:05,920 Only the alligator and wolf, 279 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:08,090 crane and possum, 280 00:32:08,130 --> 00:32:10,960 and a thousand other wild creatures 281 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,350 heard his occasional, lonely cries 282 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:17,050 ringing out over his watery domain. 283 00:33:11,660 --> 00:33:13,660 The seasons passed, 284 00:33:15,050 --> 00:33:17,660 summers into falls, 285 00:33:17,700 --> 00:33:20,530 winters into springs. 286 00:33:20,570 --> 00:33:24,310 And somewhere in the remote wilderness of the Bottoms, 287 00:33:26,050 --> 00:33:28,050 the creature spent his days. 288 00:35:14,830 --> 00:35:18,130 Now, none of us Fouke Boys would admit it, 289 00:35:18,180 --> 00:35:19,700 but for a long time, 290 00:35:19,740 --> 00:35:21,530 knowing the creature might be around 291 00:35:21,570 --> 00:35:25,180 had put a damper on our pack trips back into the wilderness. 292 00:35:25,220 --> 00:35:28,180 But as time passed, and stories and conversation 293 00:35:28,220 --> 00:35:30,830 about the Fouke Monster died down, 294 00:35:30,870 --> 00:35:33,130 teenage boys again began to go off 295 00:35:33,180 --> 00:35:35,870 on long camping trips in the Bottoms. 296 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:37,830 Travis Crabtree is the kind of fearless, 297 00:35:37,870 --> 00:35:40,310 outdoor kid that would have gone anyway, 298 00:35:40,350 --> 00:35:42,870 even knowing the creature was around. 299 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:44,660 There's nothing Travis likes better 300 00:35:44,700 --> 00:35:46,480 than to spend the weekend camping 301 00:35:46,530 --> 00:35:48,130 on one of the hilltop islands 302 00:35:48,180 --> 00:35:51,000 created by high water deep in the Bottom land. 303 00:38:23,610 --> 00:38:25,310 When he's down in the Bottoms, 304 00:38:25,350 --> 00:38:26,920 Travis always stops off 305 00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:29,830 for a visit and a cup of coffee with Herb Jones. 306 00:38:29,870 --> 00:38:33,740 Herb Jones is a man who likes a lot of privacy. 307 00:38:33,790 --> 00:38:37,310 He's been living alone in these Bottoms for the past 20 years. 308 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:02,000 Hey, Herb! 309 00:39:10,740 --> 00:39:12,130 Well, Travis. 310 00:39:20,090 --> 00:39:23,400 Travis always enjoys these visits with Herb, 311 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:27,180 and never fails to bring him tobacco and other supplies. 312 00:39:27,220 --> 00:39:29,310 Herb can spin yarns for hours 313 00:39:29,350 --> 00:39:30,920 about his experiences 314 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:33,740 with the wild creatures of the Bottomland. 315 00:39:33,790 --> 00:39:35,700 Herb tells Travis to be on the look out 316 00:39:35,740 --> 00:39:39,000 for a big ol' wild boar with double curled tusks 317 00:39:39,050 --> 00:39:40,830 he spotted a day or two earlier. 318 00:39:40,870 --> 00:39:43,400 Herb limps because he once accidentally shot 319 00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:46,090 part of his foot away in a boating accident. 320 00:39:46,130 --> 00:39:47,660 Although he was all alone, 321 00:39:47,700 --> 00:39:49,830 he made it out of the Bottoms to a doctor. 322 00:39:57,260 --> 00:40:01,000 I've been living down here by myself for a long time. 323 00:40:02,130 --> 00:40:04,350 About 14-miles by boat 324 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:07,480 from my place to the nearest road, 325 00:40:07,530 --> 00:40:09,830 then it's a pretty good walk to town. 326 00:40:10,530 --> 00:40:13,180 Them Crabtree boys, 327 00:40:13,220 --> 00:40:15,180 especially that Travis, 328 00:40:15,220 --> 00:40:16,870 always drop by to see me 329 00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:18,400 when they come hunting and fishing. 330 00:40:19,790 --> 00:40:22,260 They always brung me tobacco and sugar 331 00:40:22,310 --> 00:40:24,050 and stuff like that. 332 00:40:24,090 --> 00:40:28,050 Even a bottle of wine every once in a while. 333 00:40:28,090 --> 00:40:31,610 Did you notice my bottle tree on the way in? 334 00:40:31,660 --> 00:40:36,920 I use them bottles as hooks on my trout lines. 335 00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:41,050 I catch some mighty big catfish and buffalo on them lines. 336 00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:47,220 And an old crane flies over every day. 337 00:40:47,870 --> 00:40:49,440 Looks at my place. 338 00:40:50,660 --> 00:40:52,740 I don't know what he's looking for. 339 00:40:54,790 --> 00:40:58,610 Once you get to know these Bottoms, 340 00:40:58,660 --> 00:41:00,830 you never lack for something to do. 341 00:41:00,870 --> 00:41:06,180 People always ask me why I stay down here. 342 00:41:06,220 --> 00:41:10,000 I tell them I stay 'cause I like it better here 343 00:41:10,050 --> 00:41:12,660 than I would anywhere else. 344 00:41:12,700 --> 00:41:16,130 Looks like they could figure that out for themselves. 345 00:41:16,180 --> 00:41:19,000 And another thing, 346 00:41:20,130 --> 00:41:23,050 people always ask me 347 00:41:23,090 --> 00:41:25,480 have I seen the Fouke Monster. 348 00:41:26,310 --> 00:41:28,310 Let me tell you something, 349 00:41:28,350 --> 00:41:30,870 there ain't no such thing. 350 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:32,790 I've been living here in these Bottoms 351 00:41:32,830 --> 00:41:36,310 for better than 20 years. 352 00:41:36,350 --> 00:41:39,790 I ain't never seen nor heard no monster. 353 00:41:46,090 --> 00:41:47,530 What was that? 354 00:41:47,570 --> 00:41:49,660 I don't know, but let's get out of here. 355 00:42:14,050 --> 00:42:16,090 The creature was back. 356 00:42:16,130 --> 00:42:18,480 Once again, the lure of civilization 357 00:42:18,530 --> 00:42:20,050 had brought him out of the wilderness. 358 00:42:49,350 --> 00:42:52,050 Soon, newspaper headlines would herald, 359 00:42:52,090 --> 00:42:54,440 "The Return of the Fouke Monster." 360 00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:57,130 And people would get together around Fouke to relate 361 00:42:57,180 --> 00:43:00,480 the latest rumors on the creature. 362 00:43:00,530 --> 00:43:02,660 Every dead animal found in the forest 363 00:43:02,700 --> 00:43:03,870 was blamed upon him. 364 00:43:04,870 --> 00:43:07,050 This dog and others found dead, 365 00:43:07,090 --> 00:43:09,180 might well be his victims. 366 00:43:09,220 --> 00:43:11,440 Excitement in the community reached a new peak 367 00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:13,660 when a farmer named O.H. Kennedy 368 00:43:13,700 --> 00:43:16,400 discovered these strange three-toed footsteps 369 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:18,530 in Willie Smith's bean field. 370 00:43:18,570 --> 00:43:21,350 Radio, newspaper and television coverage 371 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:24,220 resulted in nation-wide publicity. 372 00:43:24,260 --> 00:43:27,090 Must not be over four inches wide. 373 00:43:27,130 --> 00:43:28,610 Mr. Kennedy, 374 00:43:28,660 --> 00:43:31,740 you say you found these tracks late Sunday. 375 00:43:31,790 --> 00:43:34,050 Now, was that late yesterday afternoon? 376 00:43:34,090 --> 00:43:36,570 Yes, Sir. Just about sundown. 377 00:43:36,610 --> 00:43:39,000 My wife and I went out for a ride, 378 00:43:39,050 --> 00:43:41,220 she's been feeling poorly lately. 379 00:43:41,260 --> 00:43:43,790 And we decided to stop by the bean field 380 00:43:43,830 --> 00:43:46,660 to see if the ground was too wet to plow. 381 00:43:46,700 --> 00:43:48,660 We called Willie Smith right away. 382 00:43:48,700 --> 00:43:50,870 Mr. Kennedy, do you think 383 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:53,260 this creature could be a Sasquatch? 384 00:43:53,310 --> 00:43:56,130 A... A Sasquatch? 385 00:43:56,180 --> 00:43:58,570 I don't believe I know what that is, Sir. 386 00:43:58,610 --> 00:44:00,350 Well, the Sasquatch was 387 00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:02,700 the Indians' word for a legendary giant tribe 388 00:44:02,740 --> 00:44:04,530 of very shy people. 389 00:44:04,570 --> 00:44:06,700 They live mostly in the woods 390 00:44:06,740 --> 00:44:08,440 up in the Pacific Northwest. 391 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:11,530 Well, I didn't see anybody. 392 00:44:11,570 --> 00:44:13,400 All I've seen, Sir, is these tracks. 393 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:15,260 Well, now, doesn't the Sasquatch 394 00:44:15,310 --> 00:44:17,260 have a normal five toes? 395 00:44:17,310 --> 00:44:20,050 This thing here has only three toes. 396 00:44:20,090 --> 00:44:22,660 Yes, and the adult Sasquatch footprint is bigger, too. 397 00:44:22,700 --> 00:44:24,700 It's 18 inches long on the average. 398 00:44:24,740 --> 00:44:26,400 Could these be gorilla tracks? 399 00:44:26,440 --> 00:44:28,260 No, I don't think it's a gorilla. 400 00:44:28,310 --> 00:44:30,130 A gorilla has five toes, 401 00:44:30,180 --> 00:44:33,260 and very seldom moves upright on two legs for very long. 402 00:44:33,310 --> 00:44:35,260 This thing, it had to drop down on all fours 403 00:44:35,310 --> 00:44:36,440 to travel this far. 404 00:44:37,700 --> 00:44:40,050 What about an orangutan? 405 00:44:40,090 --> 00:44:42,610 This is the same thing people around here 406 00:44:42,660 --> 00:44:45,570 reported seeing over the past few years. 407 00:44:45,610 --> 00:44:47,480 He's reddish-brown, 408 00:44:47,530 --> 00:44:50,130 that's the same color as an orangutan. 409 00:44:50,180 --> 00:44:53,260 Well, I don't think this could be orangutan. 410 00:44:53,310 --> 00:44:54,920 The number of the toes are wrong. 411 00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:58,220 Now, excuse me, Mr. Kennedy, 412 00:44:58,260 --> 00:45:01,260 you spend a lot of time working in this field, right? 413 00:45:01,310 --> 00:45:02,960 Did you ever see tracks like this 414 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:04,570 when you were here before? 415 00:45:04,610 --> 00:45:07,660 No, Sir. Can't say that I have. 416 00:45:07,700 --> 00:45:11,000 There's a lot of fresh animal tracks around this field all the time. 417 00:45:11,050 --> 00:45:12,920 Deer, wolf, bobcat, 418 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:15,350 and all kinds of other tracks. 419 00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:17,400 But I've never seen anything like these before. 420 00:45:17,440 --> 00:45:20,920 Well, Mr. Kennedy, did you ever hear anything 421 00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:22,700 out of the ordinary down here? 422 00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:24,960 Well, 423 00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:27,310 I've heard some pretty peculiar things down here, 424 00:45:27,350 --> 00:45:30,740 but I've never seen anything unusual like this before. 425 00:45:30,790 --> 00:45:33,310 I wonder what moves the creature 426 00:45:33,350 --> 00:45:35,610 to pick a particular patch of woods 427 00:45:35,660 --> 00:45:38,350 and return to it again and again. 428 00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:40,740 These woods next to the bean field 429 00:45:40,790 --> 00:45:42,960 must be one of his favorite haunts. 430 00:45:46,090 --> 00:45:48,440 More than what I heard, I guess it was 431 00:45:48,480 --> 00:45:50,700 what I didn't hear that made it kinda spooky. 432 00:45:51,740 --> 00:45:53,480 Even when that tractor is running 433 00:45:53,530 --> 00:45:54,870 and you can't hear nothing, 434 00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:58,000 you get a funny feeling that 435 00:45:58,050 --> 00:45:59,310 something's wrong. 436 00:46:00,570 --> 00:46:03,260 Then, I think, wasn't sure, 437 00:46:03,310 --> 00:46:06,610 but I think I'd hear a low growl, a hoot, a grunt or something 438 00:46:06,660 --> 00:46:08,790 from back at the trees. 439 00:46:08,830 --> 00:46:11,530 And you know that someone out there is watching you. 440 00:46:11,570 --> 00:46:13,960 I tell you, there's some kind of animal 441 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:15,920 hanging around this field, all right. 442 00:46:16,610 --> 00:46:17,870 And he's no animal 443 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:19,440 from this part of the country. 444 00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:24,350 He always travels Boggy Creek. 445 00:47:36,870 --> 00:47:38,830 That's Bessie Smith's children 446 00:47:38,870 --> 00:47:41,220 playing at the edge of the woods over there, 447 00:47:41,260 --> 00:47:43,310 where Kennedy heard the creature. 448 00:47:45,310 --> 00:47:47,130 Grandpa! Grandpa! 449 00:47:47,180 --> 00:47:49,790 Grandpa! Grandpa! 450 00:47:49,830 --> 00:47:51,700 Be quiet. You're gonna wake up your grandpa. 451 00:47:51,740 --> 00:47:53,870 I saw him, I saw that monster. 452 00:47:53,920 --> 00:47:55,790 You're getting filthy down there... 453 00:47:55,830 --> 00:47:57,740 Grandpa! Grandpa! We saw the monster. 454 00:47:57,790 --> 00:48:00,740 Be quiet! You're gonna wake up your grandpa. 455 00:48:00,790 --> 00:48:02,700 If you don't be quiet, you'll get a switch. 456 00:48:02,740 --> 00:48:05,530 Well, Mom, will you come down and see it if I show you? 457 00:48:05,570 --> 00:48:06,740 Show me what? 458 00:48:06,790 --> 00:48:08,700 Show you... The Fouke Monster. 459 00:48:08,740 --> 00:48:10,570 Oh, you know there isn't anything there. 460 00:48:10,610 --> 00:48:12,530 Yes, there is! 461 00:48:12,570 --> 00:48:14,480 Come on, hurry. He might go. 462 00:48:51,180 --> 00:48:53,260 He's over there. 463 00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:07,530 Let's go back home! 464 00:49:07,570 --> 00:49:08,920 Come on! 465 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:12,180 Where now? Where did you see it? 466 00:49:12,220 --> 00:49:13,920 It was right over there. 467 00:49:13,960 --> 00:49:15,090 Right over there. 468 00:49:15,130 --> 00:49:16,960 See, there isn't anything over there. 469 00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:18,790 Well, there was. He was. 470 00:49:18,830 --> 00:49:19,920 He was. 471 00:49:19,960 --> 00:49:21,180 That's where we saw him last. 472 00:49:31,130 --> 00:49:33,310 Run! Go! Run! 473 00:49:33,350 --> 00:49:34,790 Go! Run! 474 00:49:34,830 --> 00:49:38,310 Run! 475 00:49:54,130 --> 00:49:57,220 That's Charlie Walraven coming down the road. 476 00:49:57,260 --> 00:50:00,610 This road runs along the north side of the woods. 477 00:50:00,660 --> 00:50:02,260 It was long about dark. 478 00:50:02,310 --> 00:50:05,000 I was heading into town that evening. 479 00:50:05,050 --> 00:50:07,180 When I seen this thing coming out across the road 480 00:50:07,220 --> 00:50:08,920 in front of my car. 481 00:50:11,350 --> 00:50:13,570 I just couldn't even believe what I was watching. 482 00:50:18,570 --> 00:50:20,400 You know, I reckon there's a lot of folks 483 00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:21,870 that don't believe anything 484 00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:24,570 until they see it for themselves. 485 00:50:24,610 --> 00:50:26,220 Of course, if they're like me, 486 00:50:26,260 --> 00:50:27,870 they'd be wishing they hadn't seen 487 00:50:27,920 --> 00:50:29,090 what they did. 488 00:50:30,350 --> 00:50:32,000 You know, that thing's gonna 489 00:50:32,050 --> 00:50:33,610 up and kill somebody one of these days, 490 00:50:33,660 --> 00:50:35,480 sure as the world. 491 00:50:35,530 --> 00:50:38,000 On a bright, moonlight night like this one, 492 00:50:38,050 --> 00:50:39,920 you'd figure he'd stay out of sight. 493 00:50:39,960 --> 00:50:41,920 But nothing seems to worry him 494 00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:44,180 when the urge to prowl comes over him. 495 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:47,050 It could've been a fatal mistake 496 00:50:47,090 --> 00:50:48,220 if the man who lives here 497 00:50:48,260 --> 00:50:49,790 had been home tonight. 498 00:50:49,830 --> 00:50:51,960 He has a high-powered rifle handy, 499 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:53,440 and knows how to use it. 500 00:50:53,480 --> 00:50:55,130 His daughter, Nancy, 501 00:50:55,180 --> 00:50:56,830 has invited two girlfriends over 502 00:50:56,870 --> 00:50:58,740 for a bunking party. 503 00:50:58,790 --> 00:51:01,700 No, our team's much better than Arkansas High. 504 00:51:01,740 --> 00:51:03,480 You know that. Arkansas High had a win. 505 00:51:03,530 --> 00:51:05,130 I know, but they're defensive. 506 00:51:05,180 --> 00:51:08,310 Yeah, look at their offense. 507 00:51:08,350 --> 00:51:10,180 Nancy, I like the way they cut your hair. 508 00:51:10,220 --> 00:51:11,790 I think it's cute. 509 00:51:11,830 --> 00:51:13,790 Well, Frank liked it long. 510 00:51:13,830 --> 00:51:15,660 He's been sulking all week. 511 00:51:15,700 --> 00:51:17,350 Now, don't pay any attention to him, 512 00:51:17,400 --> 00:51:19,440 he doesn't know anything about it. 513 00:51:22,260 --> 00:51:23,530 Did y'all hear something? 514 00:51:25,790 --> 00:51:26,920 That's the wind. 515 00:51:45,740 --> 00:51:48,570 I can't see anything. Do you? 516 00:51:48,610 --> 00:51:50,920 No, I don't see anything. 517 00:51:50,960 --> 00:51:52,440 Then it must've been the wind. 518 00:51:54,790 --> 00:51:56,130 I hope. 519 00:51:57,350 --> 00:51:58,740 Let's all have a Coke. 520 00:51:58,790 --> 00:51:59,960 Do you all want one? 521 00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:01,960 Yeah, get me one. Yeah. 522 00:52:18,570 --> 00:52:20,310 Nancy, there's somebody moving around 523 00:52:20,350 --> 00:52:21,440 outside this trailer. 524 00:52:25,090 --> 00:52:27,790 Do you... Do you think it could be some of the guys? 525 00:52:27,830 --> 00:52:30,400 If it is, I'll kill 'em. 526 00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:32,700 I can't believe it's them. 527 00:52:32,740 --> 00:52:35,090 They went to that game in Texarkana. 528 00:52:37,740 --> 00:52:38,740 Listen. 529 00:52:42,480 --> 00:52:44,310 I hear something breathing. 530 00:53:03,310 --> 00:53:04,740 I can hear it, too. 531 00:53:12,530 --> 00:53:14,050 Get the gun! Get the gun! 532 00:53:20,000 --> 00:53:21,260 Where are the shells? 533 00:53:21,310 --> 00:53:22,440 Where are the shells? 534 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:32,130 Go away! 535 00:53:44,790 --> 00:53:46,310 Go away! 536 00:53:50,400 --> 00:53:52,700 Shh. Shh. Hey, shh. Shh. 537 00:53:52,740 --> 00:53:54,310 I don't hear it anymore. 538 00:53:55,260 --> 00:53:57,130 I don't either. 539 00:53:57,180 --> 00:53:58,920 Be still, I'm gonna look out. 540 00:53:58,960 --> 00:54:00,180 No. 541 00:54:19,220 --> 00:54:21,660 Next morning when her parents returned, 542 00:54:21,700 --> 00:54:25,350 they would find the girls still half hysterical with shock. 543 00:54:25,400 --> 00:54:27,570 Before the creature finally wandered off, 544 00:54:27,610 --> 00:54:29,220 he smashed flower pots 545 00:54:29,260 --> 00:54:31,220 and over turned everything in sight. 546 00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:34,310 These radical changes 547 00:54:34,350 --> 00:54:36,350 in his usually cautious behavior 548 00:54:36,400 --> 00:54:39,440 may be caused by lonely frustration, 549 00:54:39,480 --> 00:54:42,700 for he apparently is the only one of his kind. 550 00:54:42,740 --> 00:54:45,870 Normally, he never comes out of the woods before dusk, 551 00:54:45,920 --> 00:54:48,090 and then moves very cautiously, 552 00:54:48,130 --> 00:54:49,700 staying within quick return 553 00:54:49,740 --> 00:54:51,440 to the shelter of the trees. 554 00:54:51,480 --> 00:54:53,960 But tonight, he's on the rampage. 555 00:55:10,130 --> 00:55:11,740 It wasn't the first time the creature had 556 00:55:11,790 --> 00:55:13,050 prowled in the vicinity 557 00:55:13,090 --> 00:55:15,220 of Howard Walraven's mobile home, 558 00:55:15,260 --> 00:55:17,480 which is located only a couple of hundred yards 559 00:55:17,530 --> 00:55:20,480 from where Boggy Creek flows across Highway 71. 560 00:55:22,610 --> 00:55:24,480 We heard him lots of nights. 561 00:55:24,530 --> 00:55:26,050 Sometimes, it sounded like 562 00:55:26,090 --> 00:55:27,790 he was right outside of the window, 563 00:55:27,830 --> 00:55:29,180 it was so loud. 564 00:55:29,220 --> 00:55:32,440 And I had my two good dogs 565 00:55:32,480 --> 00:55:34,700 tied up right there behind the house. 566 00:55:34,740 --> 00:55:36,570 And they'd always get excited 567 00:55:36,610 --> 00:55:38,370 and scared, you know, whenever he'd come around, 568 00:55:38,400 --> 00:55:39,740 we heard him, 569 00:55:39,790 --> 00:55:42,830 but, heck, I never figured he'd attack them. 570 00:55:42,870 --> 00:55:45,660 It just looked to me like he grabbed my dog 571 00:55:45,700 --> 00:55:47,960 and ripped the hide right off his back. 572 00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:49,700 Now let me tell you something. 573 00:55:49,740 --> 00:55:52,350 He killed the finest dog that I ever had. 574 00:55:52,400 --> 00:55:54,090 But I'm gonna get him one of these days 575 00:55:54,130 --> 00:55:55,870 and that's gonna be all she wrote. 576 00:56:01,000 --> 00:56:03,920 Sometimes, the creature sticks to one patch of woods 577 00:56:03,960 --> 00:56:05,440 for a long time. 578 00:56:05,480 --> 00:56:07,790 Then, impulsively works his way 579 00:56:07,830 --> 00:56:09,180 far up the creeks 580 00:56:09,220 --> 00:56:10,830 before being heard from again. 581 00:56:12,480 --> 00:56:14,480 The creeks... 582 00:56:14,530 --> 00:56:17,480 He always travels the creeks. 583 00:56:17,530 --> 00:56:19,480 When he next showed up, 584 00:56:19,530 --> 00:56:21,480 it was several miles upstream. 585 00:56:24,350 --> 00:56:27,400 In the spring, this house was rented to two young couples 586 00:56:27,440 --> 00:56:29,740 who moved in together to save money. 587 00:57:03,260 --> 00:57:04,960 They were Charles Turner, 588 00:57:06,400 --> 00:57:07,480 his wife, Anne, 589 00:57:08,310 --> 00:57:10,090 and Don Ford, 590 00:57:10,130 --> 00:57:12,350 who was Anne Turner's brother. 591 00:57:12,400 --> 00:57:14,400 And Don's wife, Sue. 592 00:57:15,570 --> 00:57:18,220 Each couple had a small child. 593 00:57:18,260 --> 00:57:20,180 Don and Charles had just been hired 594 00:57:20,220 --> 00:57:22,480 by a big cattle ranch in the Fouke area. 595 00:57:23,610 --> 00:57:25,220 Since both men would be required 596 00:57:25,260 --> 00:57:26,530 to work late at night, 597 00:57:26,570 --> 00:57:28,570 the girls would be company to each other. 598 00:57:34,180 --> 00:57:35,440 Thank you. Thank you. 599 00:57:36,570 --> 00:57:38,740 The two families moved in on Monday. 600 00:57:39,400 --> 00:57:40,700 Thursday night, 601 00:57:40,740 --> 00:57:42,400 the first of a series 602 00:57:42,440 --> 00:57:44,700 of hair-raising incidents occurred. 603 00:59:13,440 --> 00:59:14,790 What's the matter? 604 00:59:21,660 --> 00:59:23,480 Did you hear that? Yeah. 605 00:59:56,700 --> 00:59:58,870 That chair... Put that chair under the door. 606 01:00:46,570 --> 01:00:48,260 Who do you suppose that was? 607 01:00:48,830 --> 01:00:50,570 I don't know. 608 01:00:50,610 --> 01:00:52,660 Let's take the kids and go to the landlord's. 609 01:01:44,830 --> 01:01:46,310 I had a pretty good look around 610 01:01:46,350 --> 01:01:47,700 and I couldn't find a thing. 611 01:01:47,740 --> 01:01:50,050 Are you sure you don't want to go back to my place 612 01:01:50,090 --> 01:01:51,350 till the men get here? 613 01:01:51,400 --> 01:01:53,260 No, no. That's okay 614 01:01:53,310 --> 01:01:55,350 if you checked and you're sure there's nothing here, 615 01:01:55,400 --> 01:01:56,790 then we'll be okay, I think. 616 01:01:56,830 --> 01:01:58,400 I couldn't find a thing. 617 01:01:58,440 --> 01:02:00,870 But I'll come back in a little while and check on you. 618 01:02:00,920 --> 01:02:02,530 Okay, listen, Mister, 619 01:02:02,570 --> 01:02:04,700 we sure do thank you and we appreciate it 620 01:02:04,740 --> 01:02:06,920 so much... Well, you're welcome. 621 01:02:06,960 --> 01:02:08,870 I'll wait here till you get in the house. 622 01:02:08,920 --> 01:02:10,440 Okay. Buh-bye. 623 01:02:10,480 --> 01:02:11,480 Bye. 624 01:02:26,440 --> 01:02:28,090 The next day, Friday, 625 01:02:28,130 --> 01:02:30,130 the Fords and Turners had visitors. 626 01:02:30,180 --> 01:02:32,570 Don Ford's younger brother, Bobby Ford, 627 01:02:32,610 --> 01:02:34,700 and a cousin, 12-year-old Corky Hill, 628 01:02:34,740 --> 01:02:36,350 arrived for the weekend. 629 01:02:36,400 --> 01:02:38,740 They'd heard about the great fishing around Fouke 630 01:02:38,790 --> 01:02:40,790 and were anxious to wet a hook. 631 01:02:40,830 --> 01:02:42,660 Y'all be back before dark. 632 01:02:42,700 --> 01:02:44,830 Yeah, yeah. We're gonna bring back some supper. 633 01:04:01,400 --> 01:04:02,700 Bobby. 634 01:04:02,740 --> 01:04:04,960 Who told you the fishing was good here? 635 01:04:06,480 --> 01:04:08,570 They're here. Just have patience. 636 01:04:45,870 --> 01:04:47,400 Bobby, come here. Come here! 637 01:04:49,180 --> 01:04:50,740 What do you want? 638 01:04:50,790 --> 01:04:52,310 Just come here. Come here! 639 01:05:09,740 --> 01:05:12,310 Boy, look at the size of that guy's footprint! 640 01:05:13,130 --> 01:05:14,610 That ain't no footprint. 641 01:05:17,260 --> 01:05:18,310 That's funny. 642 01:05:18,350 --> 01:05:19,790 What's so funny about that? 643 01:05:19,830 --> 01:05:21,610 He's only got three toes! 644 01:05:31,000 --> 01:05:32,400 Well, it's getting kinda late, 645 01:05:32,440 --> 01:05:33,920 and the fish aren't biting anyway, 646 01:05:33,960 --> 01:05:35,220 so I think we oughta go. 647 01:05:37,130 --> 01:05:38,920 Sure is spooky down here. 648 01:05:52,260 --> 01:05:55,350 I still say, that's the biggest foot that I've ever seen. 649 01:05:55,400 --> 01:05:56,480 No. 650 01:08:06,090 --> 01:08:08,310 Shh. I think I hear something. 651 01:08:33,050 --> 01:08:34,050 Go get Annie and Sue. 652 01:08:39,310 --> 01:08:40,790 Get up, get up. Bobby heard something. 653 01:08:44,830 --> 01:08:46,700 Oh, my gosh. It's back. 654 01:08:48,260 --> 01:08:50,440 Shh. I heard something. 655 01:08:57,050 --> 01:08:58,220 Is that him back? 656 01:08:58,260 --> 01:08:59,400 It's gotta be. 657 01:09:06,400 --> 01:09:07,920 Corky, go get the kids. 658 01:09:29,050 --> 01:09:30,790 I seen him! He's coming around the porch! 659 01:09:33,310 --> 01:09:34,750 Bobby, put that chair under the door. 660 01:10:12,610 --> 01:10:14,130 I think I heard a car. 661 01:10:17,920 --> 01:10:20,310 Phew! It's Don and Charles. 662 01:10:22,220 --> 01:10:25,480 Hey, Don. Hey, Don. Listen, listen. I swear... 663 01:10:25,530 --> 01:10:27,960 You wouldn't believe what happened. 664 01:10:28,000 --> 01:10:29,570 You wouldn't believe what happened. 665 01:10:29,610 --> 01:10:31,090 I've never seen nothing like this. 666 01:10:31,130 --> 01:10:33,200 All right. Hold it. Hold it. You wouldn't believe it. 667 01:10:33,220 --> 01:10:34,830 You wouldn't believe what happened. 668 01:10:34,870 --> 01:10:36,920 I just can't believe what happened. 669 01:10:36,960 --> 01:10:38,440 I just can't... I'm sorry, I ain't... 670 01:10:38,480 --> 01:10:40,260 Calm down. Everybody's talking at once. 671 01:10:40,310 --> 01:10:41,790 That's right. I saw it. 672 01:10:42,790 --> 01:10:44,350 All right, just calm down. 673 01:10:44,400 --> 01:10:46,180 He's been around this house. 674 01:10:46,220 --> 01:10:47,700 We can't all talk at one time. 675 01:10:47,740 --> 01:10:49,020 I told you there was something funny 676 01:10:49,050 --> 01:10:50,530 about that footprint I found. 677 01:10:50,570 --> 01:10:51,830 I just told you there was. 678 01:10:51,870 --> 01:10:54,700 Charles, this is the second time in two nights 679 01:10:54,740 --> 01:10:57,130 that someone has been around this house. 680 01:10:57,180 --> 01:11:00,000 I think you oughta get some protection, man. 681 01:11:00,050 --> 01:11:02,020 Think we oughta go to the landlord's to get the gun? 682 01:11:02,050 --> 01:11:03,400 That'd be a great idea. 683 01:11:03,440 --> 01:11:05,180 Why don't you go down and get the gun 684 01:11:05,220 --> 01:11:07,530 I'll stay here with them... Be careful. 685 01:11:07,570 --> 01:11:10,220 And everything will be a little quieter. 686 01:11:10,260 --> 01:11:11,790 Okay, I'm going to go with you. 687 01:11:11,830 --> 01:11:15,050 We're have a gun here so y'all don't be scared. 688 01:11:15,700 --> 01:11:16,700 Go on in the house. 689 01:11:53,260 --> 01:11:56,130 No way. No. 690 01:11:56,180 --> 01:11:58,050 I'm just glad Charles and Don are home. 691 01:11:58,090 --> 01:11:59,350 Yeah, me too. 692 01:11:59,400 --> 01:12:01,180 Listen, Corky, you gotta get some sleep 693 01:12:01,220 --> 01:12:02,310 and so do you. 694 01:12:02,350 --> 01:12:04,130 I'm gonna go on the bed. 695 01:12:04,180 --> 01:12:05,790 Okay. 696 01:12:09,660 --> 01:12:11,350 What happened? What happened? 697 01:12:11,400 --> 01:12:13,130 I saw him! 698 01:12:13,180 --> 01:12:15,660 I swear, I ain't ever seen nothing like it in my life. 699 01:12:15,700 --> 01:12:18,130 He just came through there. I saw him. 700 01:12:18,180 --> 01:12:20,090 He was long and hairy. 701 01:12:20,130 --> 01:12:23,350 It was like a bear or something. Hold it, hold it, hold it. 702 01:12:23,400 --> 01:12:25,400 Hold it. Don, go get the light 703 01:12:25,440 --> 01:12:26,920 and we'll go see what this thing is. 704 01:12:29,220 --> 01:12:30,530 All right, once more. 705 01:12:31,660 --> 01:12:33,530 If he's out here, let's get him now. 706 01:12:34,830 --> 01:12:36,570 I'll look back here, just a minute. 707 01:12:39,610 --> 01:12:41,960 Keep your eyes open. 708 01:12:42,000 --> 01:12:44,700 Say, I ain't scared, this ain't no thing. 709 01:12:46,870 --> 01:12:48,130 What's that right there? 710 01:12:48,180 --> 01:12:49,610 That right over there? 711 01:12:50,350 --> 01:12:51,830 Is that him right there? 712 01:12:51,870 --> 01:12:53,790 Yeah, that's him. 713 01:12:53,830 --> 01:12:55,230 You better say something out there. 714 01:12:56,400 --> 01:12:57,870 You better say something. Hey, Man. 715 01:12:57,920 --> 01:13:00,220 Gonna shoot. Shoot him. He's not saying anything. 716 01:13:00,260 --> 01:13:01,920 Shoot him. Shoot him! 717 01:13:02,660 --> 01:13:04,260 Shoot him! 718 01:13:06,870 --> 01:13:09,310 See, right there. 719 01:13:16,660 --> 01:13:18,400 Get him? I don't know. 720 01:13:18,440 --> 01:13:21,740 Hey, I think you got him. I don't see a thing. 721 01:13:21,790 --> 01:13:23,220 Shine your light over here. 722 01:13:24,790 --> 01:13:26,310 I don't see anything. 723 01:13:26,350 --> 01:13:27,570 Nothing out there either. 724 01:13:27,610 --> 01:13:29,220 I think that you got him. 725 01:13:29,260 --> 01:13:31,000 Hey, let's go get the sheriff. 726 01:13:33,570 --> 01:13:35,570 Hey, let us through, will you? 727 01:13:35,610 --> 01:13:37,660 All right, leave the gun here with me. 728 01:13:38,920 --> 01:13:40,480 Did you shoot him? 729 01:13:40,530 --> 01:13:42,740 We don't know. We don't even know if we hit it. 730 01:13:42,790 --> 01:13:44,960 He's going after the sheriff. I'm gonna stay here. 731 01:13:45,000 --> 01:13:47,700 I'm gonna go with him, all right? Go inside. 732 01:13:48,310 --> 01:13:49,830 Hurry back. 733 01:14:25,000 --> 01:14:26,590 There's something here outside of the house. 734 01:14:26,610 --> 01:14:27,920 What did it look like? 735 01:14:27,960 --> 01:14:29,400 Well, best I can tell, 736 01:14:29,440 --> 01:14:33,130 the thing was tall and had a lot of hair. Red eyes. 737 01:14:33,180 --> 01:14:35,480 Find anything, Constable? Not yet. 738 01:14:35,530 --> 01:14:37,660 This piece been like this the whole time? 739 01:14:37,700 --> 01:14:38,960 No, Sir, it hasn't. 740 01:14:39,000 --> 01:14:40,350 Have you looked in under there? 741 01:14:40,400 --> 01:14:42,130 No, Sir, we haven't looked down there. 742 01:14:44,790 --> 01:14:46,920 This is a panther track and her little cub 743 01:14:46,960 --> 01:14:48,480 with it under this house. 744 01:14:48,530 --> 01:14:50,790 You mean a panther's been living under the house? 745 01:14:50,830 --> 01:14:52,740 That's what it is. It's a panther track. 746 01:14:52,790 --> 01:14:55,350 That wasn't any panther we shot at, Constable. 747 01:14:56,400 --> 01:14:59,220 That's what that track is. 748 01:14:59,260 --> 01:15:02,570 You keep this shotgun and this light, these shells, 749 01:15:02,610 --> 01:15:04,870 and if you need me, you come ask. 750 01:15:04,920 --> 01:15:06,530 Okay, Sir, we sure will. 751 01:15:06,570 --> 01:15:08,440 I'm gonna drive up the highway 752 01:15:08,480 --> 01:15:10,790 to see if I can see anything. 753 01:15:10,830 --> 01:15:12,220 We'd sure appreciate it. Yeah. 754 01:15:12,260 --> 01:15:14,440 And I'll pick the gun up tomorrow sometime. 755 01:15:14,480 --> 01:15:16,050 I sure do thank you for coming by. 756 01:15:16,090 --> 01:15:17,440 You're welcome. Thank you, Sir. 757 01:15:17,480 --> 01:15:19,530 You're welcome. If you need me, give me a call. 758 01:15:19,570 --> 01:15:21,350 Okay, we sure will. 759 01:15:21,400 --> 01:15:22,920 We're damn glad you came. Yeah. 760 01:15:22,960 --> 01:15:24,050 Good night. Good night. 761 01:15:24,090 --> 01:15:25,700 What kind of place is this? 762 01:15:25,740 --> 01:15:28,570 I mean, we have a panther living under the house, 763 01:15:28,610 --> 01:15:30,400 somebody trying to break in? 764 01:15:30,440 --> 01:15:32,570 Well, we've got the flashlights, we've got the guns. 765 01:15:32,610 --> 01:15:33,870 Now let's all go to bed 766 01:15:33,920 --> 01:15:35,400 and get some rest. I'm with you. 767 01:15:35,440 --> 01:15:37,440 Let's go to bed. Come on, Annie. 768 01:15:37,480 --> 01:15:39,220 Let's go. Come on, Annie. 769 01:15:39,260 --> 01:15:40,720 I gotta stay here with the thing coming in through the window? 770 01:15:40,740 --> 01:15:44,350 Don't worry about it. We got the guns. 771 01:15:44,400 --> 01:15:47,050 I don't wanna stay here no more with that thing... 772 01:15:48,000 --> 01:15:49,610 I gotta go to the bathroom. 773 01:16:25,920 --> 01:16:27,400 What's the matter? 774 01:16:27,440 --> 01:16:30,180 Back there. Tried to come through the window. 775 01:16:30,220 --> 01:16:31,350 What's the matter? 776 01:16:31,400 --> 01:16:33,350 Oh, my God! 777 01:16:33,400 --> 01:16:35,350 Right there. Right there. 778 01:16:35,400 --> 01:16:38,220 Tried to come in through the window. 779 01:16:38,260 --> 01:16:40,310 Get your gun, Charles. Let's go. 780 01:17:07,310 --> 01:17:08,310 There he is! 781 01:17:09,400 --> 01:17:10,740 Hold this, Bobby. 782 01:17:12,050 --> 01:17:13,530 Bobby, take the light. 783 01:17:29,870 --> 01:17:31,830 You got him. That's it! He fell. 784 01:17:42,000 --> 01:17:43,870 I think you got him, Man. 785 01:17:43,920 --> 01:17:45,440 I think I saw him fall over there. 786 01:17:46,050 --> 01:17:47,130 Let's go see. 787 01:17:48,130 --> 01:17:49,740 Be careful. 788 01:17:49,790 --> 01:17:53,350 Be careful! 789 01:17:53,400 --> 01:17:55,480 Don't get too far. Come back! 790 01:18:33,400 --> 01:18:34,830 Somebody come back here! 791 01:18:34,870 --> 01:18:37,180 Bobby, will you go back and take care of the girls? 792 01:18:37,220 --> 01:18:38,310 Charlie... 793 01:18:52,260 --> 01:18:54,660 Help! Bobby! 794 01:19:18,960 --> 01:19:20,480 When Bobby could not be aroused 795 01:19:20,530 --> 01:19:22,090 from the state of shock he was in, 796 01:19:22,130 --> 01:19:23,700 everyone piled into the car 797 01:19:23,740 --> 01:19:26,000 and raced to Constable Walraven's house for help. 798 01:19:26,050 --> 01:19:28,090 Walraven took one look at Bobby, 799 01:19:28,130 --> 01:19:29,790 arranged a police escort 800 01:19:29,830 --> 01:19:32,310 and sent them on to the hospital in Texarkana. 801 01:20:27,440 --> 01:20:31,180 Nurse, what do you think's wrong with him? He hasn't said a thing in the car on the way here. 802 01:20:31,220 --> 01:20:32,830 Let's check him up. 803 01:20:32,870 --> 01:20:36,350 Doesn't move. Hasn't said a word. Breathing's kinda funny. 804 01:20:36,400 --> 01:20:38,130 You think he'll be all right? 805 01:20:38,180 --> 01:20:41,700 Let's check. We'll let you know. 806 01:20:41,740 --> 01:20:45,180 Blood pressure's 60 over 40. I think we better start an IV. 807 01:20:45,220 --> 01:20:46,480 He's in a state of shock. 808 01:20:47,660 --> 01:20:49,350 Bobby recovered swiftly, 809 01:20:49,400 --> 01:20:51,350 and the Fords and Turners moved away. 810 01:20:52,310 --> 01:20:54,050 They don't plan on coming back. 811 01:20:59,440 --> 01:21:02,350 What the creature was after inside the Ford house 812 01:21:02,400 --> 01:21:04,530 is perhaps the biggest mystery of all. 813 01:21:18,700 --> 01:21:20,220 I was thinking about it today 814 01:21:20,260 --> 01:21:21,570 when I decided to drive out 815 01:21:21,610 --> 01:21:23,260 to our old home place, 816 01:21:23,310 --> 01:21:25,310 now run down and abandoned. 817 01:21:26,180 --> 01:21:27,570 Standing out in this field, 818 01:21:27,610 --> 01:21:29,790 it all comes rushing back. 819 01:21:29,830 --> 01:21:32,660 And an icy tingle starts down my spine 820 01:21:32,700 --> 01:21:34,000 when I recall that 821 01:21:34,050 --> 01:21:36,960 terrible, lonesome cry. 822 01:21:56,260 --> 01:21:58,130 It was so long ago that 823 01:21:58,180 --> 01:22:01,350 it seems incredible that the creature is still out there 824 01:22:01,400 --> 01:22:03,960 somewhere right this minute, 825 01:22:04,000 --> 01:22:06,310 maybe even watching me. 826 01:22:13,570 --> 01:22:15,440 Of course, you may not believe that, 827 01:22:15,480 --> 01:22:18,480 or any of this story. 828 01:22:18,530 --> 01:22:20,830 You may think the whole thing is a hoax. 829 01:22:20,870 --> 01:22:22,870 And that's your privilege. 830 01:22:26,960 --> 01:22:28,480 But if you're ever driving down 831 01:22:28,530 --> 01:22:30,870 in our country along about sundown, 832 01:22:30,920 --> 01:22:33,050 keep an eye on the dark woods 833 01:22:33,090 --> 01:22:35,350 as you cross the Sulphur River Bottoms, 834 01:22:35,400 --> 01:22:36,960 and you may catch a glimpse 835 01:22:37,000 --> 01:22:39,090 of a huge, hairy creature 836 01:22:39,130 --> 01:22:41,180 watching you from the shadows. 837 01:22:44,400 --> 01:22:46,400 Yes, he's still here. 838 01:22:46,440 --> 01:22:48,610 And you know, I'd almost like to hear 839 01:22:48,660 --> 01:22:50,400 that terrible cry again 840 01:22:51,220 --> 01:22:52,790 just to be reminded 841 01:22:52,830 --> 01:22:55,920 that there is still a bit of wilderness left. 842 01:22:55,960 --> 01:22:59,700 And there are still mysteries that remain unsolved, 843 01:22:59,740 --> 01:23:02,660 and strange, unexplained noises 844 01:23:02,700 --> 01:23:04,090 in the night. 845 01:25:30,570 --> 01:25:33,830 Where he searches, where he goes, 846 01:25:35,130 --> 01:25:37,350 this, of course, nobody knows. 847 01:25:38,610 --> 01:25:42,090 But once you've heard his lonely cry, 848 01:25:42,130 --> 01:25:44,870 you can guess the reason why. 849 01:25:44,920 --> 01:25:48,220 Whether he's a beast or man, 850 01:25:48,260 --> 01:25:51,350 what drives him wandering across the land? 851 01:25:52,530 --> 01:25:56,180 His love for others of his clan, 852 01:25:56,220 --> 01:25:59,220 and loneliness, he cannot stand.