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ering fingers。 He wore a cheap…looking； ill…fitting black suit； slightly out of fashion； and his tie was knotted in an odd old…fashioned way。 Strangely； he was not wearing an overcoat despite the fierce cold outside。
〃My name is Jack Brown；〃 he announced in a hesitant manner。 〃I'm a UFO researcher。〃
〃Oh；〃 Mary pushed aside the pile of papers on her desk and studied him。 The day was ending and she was ready to go home and try to get some sleep at last。
After a brief； almost incoherent struggle to discuss UFO sightings Brown stammered； 〃What…would…what would you do…if someone ordered…ordered you to stop？ To stop printing UFO stories？〃
〃Say； are you with those two men who were here earlier？〃 she asked； surprised to hear the same weird question twice in one day。
〃No。 No…I'm alone。 I'm a friend of Gray…Gray Barker。〃
Gray Barker of Clarksburg was West Virginia's best…known UFO investigator。 He had published a number of books on the subject and was a frequent visitor to Point Pleasant。
〃Do you know John Keel？〃
His face tightened。 〃I…I used to think…think the world of K…K…Keel。 Then a few minutes ago I bought a…a magazine。 He has an article in it。 He says he's seen UFOs himself。 He's…he's a liar。〃
〃I know he's seen things；〃 Mary flared。 〃I've been with him when he saw them！〃
Brown smiled weakly at the success of his simple gambit。
〃Could you…take me out…t…t…take me where you… you and K…K…Keel saw…saw things？〃
〃I'm not going to do anything except go home to bed；〃 Mary declared flatly。
〃Is K…K…Keel in P…P…Point Pleasant？〃 〃No。 He lives in New York。〃 〃I…I think he m…m…makes up all these stories。〃 〃Look； I can give you the names of some of the people here who have seen things；〃 Mary said wearily。 〃You can talk to them and decide for yourself。 But I just can't escort you around。〃
〃I'm a friend of G…G…Gray Barker；〃 he repeated lamely。
Outside the office a massive crane creaked and rumbled； dragging a huge hunk of twisted steel out of the river。
III。
On April 22； 1897； an oblong machine with wings and lights 〃which appeared much brighter than electric lights〃 dropped out of the sky and landed on the farm near Rock…land； Texas； owned by John M。 Barclay。 Barclay grabbed his rifle and headed for the machine。 He was met by an ordinary…looking man who handed him a ten…dollar bill and asked him to buy some oil and tools for the aircraft。
〃Who are you？〃 Barclay asked。
〃Never mind about my name； call it Smith；〃 the man answered。
The UFO lore is populated with mysterious visitors claiming inordinately mon names like Smith； Jones； Kelly； Allen； and Brown。 In 1897； they often claimed to e from known villages and cities and were even able to name prominent citizens in those places。 But when reporters checked； they could find no record of the visitors and the named citizens disavowed any knowledge of them。
One of the proved hoaxes of 1897 （there were many hoaxes； largely the work of mischievous newspapermen） concerned an object which is supposed to have crashed into Judge Proctor's windmill in Aurora； Texas。 The remains of a tiny pilot were supposedly found in the wreckage and buried in the local cemetery by the townspeople。 The story was published in the Dallas Evening News。 From time to tune； Aurora was visited by self…styled investigators who sifted the dirt on the old Proctor farm and marched through the cemetery reading tombstones； always without finding anything。
The story was revived in 1972； and in 1973 a man identifying himself as Frank N。 Kelley of Corpus Christi arrived in Aurora。 He said he was a treasure hunter of long experience。 He set to work with his metal detectors and instruments and quickly unearthed several fragments of metal near the windmill site。 They appeared to be something like the skin of modern aircraft； he announced。 He kept some of the pieces and turned the rest over to a reporter named Bill Case。 Analysis showed the pieces were 98 percent aluminum。
Kelley's alleged discovery created a stampede to Aurora。 UFO investigators descended from as far away as Illinois and battled for permission to dig up graves in the cemetery。 The story received wide play in the national press in the summer of 1973。
〃When efforts were made to find Frank Kelley in Corpus Christi it was found that he had given a phony address and phone number； and that no one in treasure…hunting circles have ever heard of him。 Mr。 Kelley was apparently another one of the impressive but elusive hoaxsters who haunt the UFO field。 The joke was pointless； expensive； and； sadly； very successful。
IV。
The moment I met Mrs。 Hyre's niece Connie Carpenter in 1966； I knew she was telling the truth because her eyes were reddened； watery； and almost swollen shut。 I had seen these symptoms many times in my treks around the country investigating UFO reports。 Witnesses who were unlucky enough to have a close encounter with an unidentified flying object； usually a dazzlingly brilliant aerial light； are exposed to actinic rays 。。。 ultraviolet rays 。。。 which can cause 〃eyeburn；〃 medically known as klieg conjunctivitis。 These are the same kind of rays that tan your hide at the beach。 If you lie in the bright sun without protecting your eyes you can get conjunctivitis。 Whatever they are； UFOs radiate intense actinic rays。 There are now thousands of cases in which the witnesses suffered eye…burns and temporary eye damage 。。。 even temporary blindness 。。。 after viewing a strange flying light in the night sky。
One of the most extreme cases of UFO blindness occurred on the night of Wednesday； October 3； 1973； in southeastern Missouri。 Eddie Webb； forty…five； of Greenville； saw a luminous object in his rear…view mirror。 He put his head out the window of his truck and looked back。 There was a bright white flash。 Webb threw his hands to his face； crying； 〃Oh； my God！ I'm burned！ I can't see！〃 One lens had fallen from his glasses and the frames were melted。 His wife took over the wheel of their vehicle and drove him to a hospital。 Fortunately； the damage was not permanent。
What puzzled me about Connie's case； however； was that she had not seen a splendid luminous flying saucer。 She had seen a giant 〃winged man〃 in broad daylight。
According to her story； Connie； a shy； sensitive eighteen…year…old； was driving home from church at 10：30 A。M。 on Sunday； November 27； 1966； when； as she passed the deserted greens of the Mason County Golf Course outside of New Haven； West Virginia； she suddenly saw a huge gray figure。 It was shaped like a man； she said； but was much larger。 It was at least seven feet tall and very broad。 The thing that attracted her attention was not its size but its eyes。 It had； she said； large； round； fiercely glowing red eyes that focused on her with hypnotic effect
〃It's a wonder I didn't run off the road and have a wreck；〃 she mented later。
As she slowed； her eyes fixed on the apparition； a pair of wings unfolded from its back。 They seemed to have