Billy glanced at the window, poorly protected by a cotton mosquito screen, and shivered.
"Nobody knows what it is," he whispered. "Some say it's a gorilla and others say it's a big lynx. Ol' Harry's the only one who saw it, an' he's so clawed and bit he can't describe it to nobody."
"Great Scott! Bill, you mean to say it got ol' Harry?"
Billy nodded. "Yep, last night. He was asleep when that thing climbed in his winder an' tried to suck his blood away."
"Ugh!" Anson shuddered and pulled the bed clothes up about his ears. "How did it get it, Bill! Does anybody know?"
"Well, there was a tree standin' jest outside his winder same as that tree stands outside this one. It climbed that tree and jumped through the mosquito nettin' plumb onto ol' Harry. He was able to tell the doctor that much afore he caved under."
Anson's blue eyes were staring at the wide unprotected window. Outside, the moon swam hazily above the forest; shadows like huge, misshapen monsters prowled on the sward; weird sounds floated up and died on the still air.
"Bill," Anson's voice was shaking, "I don't feel like sleepin' longside this winder. That awful thing might come shinnin' up that tree an' gulp me up. I'm goin' down and ask Ma if I can't sleep out in the shed with Moll an' the pups."
Billy promptly scented a new danger to his plans. "If I was you I wouldn't do that, Anse," he advised.
"Well, I'm goin' to do it." Anson sat up in bed and peered onto the floor.