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e fire but it was burned out； as if it had been struck by lightning。 So in the critical days that followed； the sheriffs department was without its main transmitter。
I was disenchanted with the TNT area because of the crowds that were now streaming back there nightly to watch for the newest sensation…flying saucers。 I started searching for a private place where I could carry out my observations quietly。 Don； Dan； Mary； and myself had interviewed a number of people in the little munity of Gallipolis Ferry； a couple of miles south of Point Pleasant on Route 2； and I had been impressed by their testimony。 House lights frequently dimmed there and television sets often acted up late at night。 Great blobs of light had been seen on top of the wooded hills in the sparsely settled animal preserve called the Chief Cornstalk Hunting Grounds just south of the village。 One resident was having trouble with poltergeist phenomenon 。。。 lights moving through his house； rappings on the doors and windows； the sounds of babies crying and 〃women screaming；〃 telephones malfunctioning…the works。 Rolfe Lee； a farmer with a big spread in the area； confessed that he had seen so many UFOs over his land that he didn't pay attention to them anymore。
Officer Harold Harmon and I slipped away to Gallipolis Ferry on the night of March 31 while nearly everyone else headed for the TNT area。 We soon saw a number of bright starlike objects which flitted about the sky with rapid zigzag movements。 Two local teen…agers were sitting on a nearby hilltop next to a roaring bonfire； hoping to lure the UFOs down。 I called up to them and asked them to put the fire out； knowing that bright lights tended to repel rather than attract the objects。
Harmon fiddled vainly with his police radio。 He could get nothing but static。 Later I learned that all the police forces for miles in both directions had constant trouble with their radios that week。 Heavy magnetic interference totally disrupted munications among law authorities while the UFOs carried out their mysterious missions。 The destruction of Sheriff Johnson's transmitter was just one small part of the scenario。 Telephones； too； went bonkers that week。 It seemed as if half the phones in the valley were either out of order altogether； or were dogged with crazy beeps and buzzes。
Acpanied by the two teen…agers； I left Harmon and hiked into the nearby hills in the total blackness。 As my eyes became acclimated to the night I began to distinguish a number of vague purple shapes hovering over a woods on Rolfe Lee's property。 At first I thought they might be stars low in the sky； gleaming through the natural haze。 But when I flashed my six…celled light at one of these purple blobs it suddenly and jerkily moved to one side； as if it were jumping out of my light beam。 Fascinated； I repeated the experiment several times。 Then I tried flashing the light at obvious stars to see if this wasn't just some trick of my eyesight。 The stars didn't move； naturally。
We sat on the hilltop studying the purple blobs for several minutes when suddenly the whole forest in the valley below lit up and glowed with a bright； eerie purple light。 There were no houses or roads down there。 It would have been a long hike in the dark and the boys were reluctant to join me； so we just sat and stared at the glowing forest until the light faded。
III
The next night； Saturday； April 1； Mary Hyre and I drove up Five Mile Creek Road below Gallipolis Ferry until we reached a hilltop which manded a view of the hills and valleys I had visited the night before。 There was a single farmhouse on the hill and the people who lived there went to bed at 9：30 each night； being early risers。 So the whole area was silent； deserted； and without lights throughout the night。
A few minutes after we arrived； Mary pointed out a small reddish light low on a steep wooded hill south of our position。 It appeared to be blinking on and off； and bobbing up and down in a manner quite different from any of the stars on the horizon。 While we watched breathlessly； barely speaking； it slowly circled the distant fields and woods and crossed in front of us； edging closer and closer。 The farmhouse was about seventy…five feet in front of us。 The object now appeared to be square or rectangular。 It could not be mistaken for a star。 It vanished momentarily behind some trees north of the farmhouse and when it reappeared it was much closer。 Now we could make out a dark form。 The red glow seemed to be a window。 It hovered about fifty feet off the ground。 I thought I could see a shadowy human figure in the 〃window〃 but Mary thought it was some kind of partition。 This was the only point on which we disagreed。
We sat transfixed for several minutes； fully expecting the object to land directly in front of us and ask to be taken to our leader。 I finally got out of the car and flashed my powerful beam directly at the object。 It responded instantly； quickly shooting straight up into the sky； the red light going out pletely。
〃I guess I blew it；〃 I groaned。 But there would be other nights and more funny lights。
The following night we returned to the same hilltop。 The brilliant night sky was filled with stars 。。。 and things not on my star map。 We could easily recognize the UFOs because they were brighter and more brilliantly colored than normal stars。 Some were red flashers； some were cold purple blobs； and some were multi…colored。 Mrs。 Hyre confirmed that they jumped out of the way of my flashlight。 I picked out an especially large object and flashed： …。。/。/。。。/…。…。/。/…。/…。。 （〃descend〃）。 Mary gasped as it began to lose altitude。
〃It looks like it's going down a flight of stairs；〃 she noted。 We were watching the famous 〃falling leaf motion which has been described by many UFO witnesses。
About 12：30 A。M。 Mrs。 Hyre decided to call it a night。 She drove off leaving me alone in my car sitting； like an idiot； waiting for something to happen。 And it did。 One hour later； at 1：35 A。M。 on April 3； 1967； I had my best sighting。 A clearly defined circular object suddenly zipped down from the sky and passed parallel to my car。 It was so colorful that it is burned into my memory。 The greenish upper surface was topped by a bright red light。 There were reddish 〃portholes〃 or circular lights around the rim。 The colors were so brilliant they were almost unearthly。 It disappeared behind some trees to my left。 I felt it was very close 。。。 perhaps only a few hundred feet from my car。 Although it had been in full view for several seconds I never even thought of picking up the movie camera on the seat beside me。
I had three interesting physical reactions to this sighting。 First of all； although I am used to prowling graveyards and TNT areas alone late at night； I was scared to death。 My first thought was to start the car and get the hell out of there。 But I managed to brace myself。 I did lock the car doors。 Second； while I was watching the object I thought I heard a sizzling or hissing sound。 Later I realized I couldn't be sure if the sound had been real。 Third； the next morning my eyes were sore