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ard to understand them。 Their voices were sort of singsongy and high…pitched。 It was like listening to a phonograph record played at the wrong speed。 And they kept asking me for the time。 They asked 'What is your time？' two or three times。 Finally they just walked back to the thing and it took off。 Then I could move again。 I was scared out of my wits but I decided not to tell anyone。 Then a couple of days later I heard about a man up near Parkersburg who had the same thing happen to him。〃
〃His name is Woodrow Derenberger；〃 I volunteered。 〃Have you met him？〃
〃No。 I just heard something about him on the radio。〃 She paused and moistened her thin lips。 〃I wonder 。。。 did he ever see those men again？〃
〃He says he did。〃
She looked relieved。
〃Well； I saw them again。 I saw them in broad daylight。 Walking right down the main street in Gallipolis。 This time they were dressed in normal clothes。 They looked like anybody。 They sort of nodded to me when they passed me。 I got scared all over again。 Real scared。 That's when I went to the police and told them what I saw。 They laughed at me and said I was probably just imagining things。〃 She paused again and shook her head sadly。 〃You see； I've been to the police before 。。 。 about my cattle rustlers。 I guess they think I'm some kind of a nut。 I went to the FBI； too。 They came out to my place but said they couldn't find anything。 After that somebody tapped my telephone。 Maybe it was the FBI。〃
I was scribbling in my pocket notebook。 A year or two earlier I would have classified Mrs。 Bryant as a paranoid…schizophrenic。 But she didn't seem like a mon run…of…the…mill nut。
She and her two teen…aged children lived on a farm outside of Gallipolis。 She kept cows there and beginning in 1963…64 she started to have trouble with cattle rustlers who butchered the animals in the field。
〃Whoever they were；〃 she observed； 〃they didn't seem to want the choice cuts。 They just took the brains； eyeballs； udders； and organs that…you know…we'd normally throw away。〃
Had she ever caught the culprits in the act？
〃Several times；〃 she said。 〃I'd see them out in the field and go after them with a shotgun。 But they always got away。 They're tall men and they wear white coveralls 。。。 which is kind of stupid because they really stand out in the dark。 And they can certainly run and jump。 I've seen them leap over high fences from a standing start。〃
Her home burned to the ground during that period and she built a new one…story ranch house on the same site。 One night when she was alone in the new house； she said； she woke up and found herself unable to move。 She felt a wave of almost overpowering heat as she heard the kitchen door open。 She had double…locked it before going to bed。 While she lay there helplessly； she said she saw a tall figure walk through the kitchen and apparently go out another locked door on the other side。 After it left； she was able to move。
Other strange sounds pervaded the house； she claimed。 She and her children often heard heavy footsteps on the roof and loud metallic clangs。
After interviewing her； I drove out alone to her house to talk to her children。 The Bryant farm was quite isolated on a hilly back road。 The house stood on a knoll overlooking the surrounding fields。 Her teen…aged son was a down…to…earth boy； used to the responsibilities of being the man in the family。 He confirmed his mother's stories about the rustlers and added some interesting details。 He pointed out some nearby trees。 One night； he said； as he and his mother were walking up the road they saw a large glowing object hovering directly above the trees。 〃She was scared real bad；〃 he noted。 Their telephone often went dead for no reason。 Other times they got calls that just consisted of strange beeping sounds and 〃electronic music。〃 He also mentioned the big gray 〃flying boxcars〃 that often flew over the area at treetop level。 〃It's a wonder they don't crash；〃 he said。 〃If they flew any lower they'd have to put their wheels down。〃
When I examined the kitchen of the little house I found that the locked door through which the nocturnal phantom had supposedly exited led to nowhere。 There were no steps outside； just a very steep drop of about ten feet to the ground。
Later I checked with the local police about rumors of disappearing dogs and cattle in the area； and I brought up Mrs。 Bryant's name。 〃That poor woman；〃 I was told。 〃She's always seeing things。 Just a couple of months back she came in here with some story about spacemen walking around Gallipolis。 Before that it was cattle rustlers。〃
So Mrs。 Bryant still sits on her farm； watching the strange lights in her fields； and when her phone rings she waits a long time before she picks it up。
11 … If This Is Wednesday； It Must Be a Venusian
1。
James Lilly stood on his lawn surrounded by reporters from Charleston and Huntington newspapers； Sheriff George Johnson and his wife； and a host of others。 Hundreds of automobiles lined the Camp Conley Road； dark and silent except for the glows of cigarettes。 Other cars cruised in slow streams along the rutted roads of the TNT area to the north。
〃It's just about that time；〃 Jim Lilly announced； glancing at his watch。 It was exactly 8：30 P。M。 〃They e over every night right about now。〃
Horns suddenly began to bleat and excited shouts echoed through the trees。
〃Right on time；〃 Lilly chuckled。 〃You can set your watch by 〃em；〃
〃My God！ What is it？〃 A reporter and novice UFO…watcher cried out as a brilliant white light slowly glided into view。 It arched gracefully overhead about one hundred feet above the trees。 Car doors slammed up and down the road as families scrambled out of their vehicles to watch。 Newsmen floundered with their expensive cameras。
〃What in hell is the matter with this？ The shutter didn't trip！〃
The light passed slowly toward Point Pleasant； the ground below lighting up in its glow as it passed；
〃Where's that guy Keel？〃 someone asked。
〃He's probably up there riding in that damned thing；〃 someone else answered。
A light plane suddenly circled over the TNT area； all its lights ablaze。
〃Here es Doc Shaw again；〃 Jim Lilly laughed。 〃Who does he think he's fooling？〃
But voices were crying out in the dark； 〃There goes another one！〃
The plane cut its engine for a moment and glided。
George Johnson turned to his wife。 〃Well； you wanted to see a UFO。〃
〃It was like seeing a ghost；〃 she shuddered。
The air was filled with the sounds of auto engines grinding away impotently and drivers snarling and cursing because their cars wouldn't start。
The light traveled on to the ravine that passed behind North Park Road； then it dipped down and moved low along the bottom of the ravine。 Betty Kelly； thirteen； looked out the kitchen window of the Kelly house and screamed。
〃Ma 。。。 it's back！〃
The glowing thing was appearing nightly behind the Kelly home。 It seemed to settle in their backyard at times and the glow faded slightly so they could see a definite object。 They even thought they saw a triangular doorway in it and what appeared to be frosted glass windows。 Their neighbors had all been watching； too； but had wisely avoided publicity。 They didn't want their street to bee another Camp Conley Road or TNT area。
When Betty cried out； Bill Kelly； her father； grumbled in the living room。 He was an electronics engineer and he had just taken the back off the family's brand…new color TV set。 The set had blown out the night before when the object had paid a visit。 〃Somebody should do something about these things；〃 he plained。
The object began to glow more intensely and then it vanished。
〃Where did it go？〃 Mrs。 Kelly asked her daughter。
〃I don't know…it…it just went。〃 She started to cry。 She would be so nervous and upset that she wouldn't go to school the next day。
The phone rang。 Bill Kelly looked at it as if it were a snake。 He picked it up slowly； listened and scowled； then replaced the receiver。 His wife glanced at him expectantly。
〃Another one of those calls 。。。 beep； beep； beep；〃 he nodded。
On top of a hill east of Point Pleasant Mary Hyre and I stood by our cars looking down at the village。
〃Where did it go； John？〃
I was straining my eyesight through a cheap telescope。
〃I think it went down that ravine by North Park。 But I can't see it now。〃
〃At least it was right on schedule。〃
Flickering red and green lights suddenly appeared。
〃A plane；〃 I noted。
〃Probably Doctor Shaw。 He told me he's been spooking the people at the TNT area。〃
〃It's hard to mistake an airplane for one of those UFO lights。〃
〃Look！〃 she called out sharply。 〃Something is following that plane。〃
A few hundred feet behind the plane I could see a large black object； almost as big as the plane itself but pletely without lights。
〃Mothman！ Is it Mothman？〃
I fumbled with my telescope。 It's very difficult to zero in on an object in the night sky with a handheld telescope。 I couldn't even locate the plane。
The plane crossed the river and headed for the Gallipolis airport。 The thing following him was quickly lost in the black sky。
We returned to Mary's office and found all the phones ringing。 People were seeing flying objects all up and down the valley。 Some had probably just seen the good doctor's nocturnal sortie； but others described what sounded like genuine UFOs。
That was April 5； 1967； a Wednesday。 I had collected and analyzed some seven hundred UFO reports from 1966 and discovered that the greatest number of sightings； 20 percent； took place on Wednesdays。 I called this 〃the Wednesday phenomenon。〃 The events of 1967 conformed to this curious pattern； as have the sightings of later flaps。 The major events of October 1973 were concentrated around Wednesdays； particularly Wednesday； October 17。
So here was another curious contradiction。 The entities professed to be ignorant of our time frame； yet the objects managed to fly to a rigid schedule that could be measured by our clocks and calendars。
When I interviewed attorney Robert Wright in Sistersville； West Virginia； he told me the things have turned up every Wednesday throughout the summer of 1966； 〃like clockwork。〃
No one except the U。S。 Air Force had attempted even a superficial statistical analysis of UFO sightings before； so my findings were greeted with howls of derision by the scientists who posed as experts on the phenomenon。 Then Dr。 David Saunders of Colorado University fed several thousand sightings into a puter and found the Wednesday phenomenon remained stable。 That day produced the largest number of sightings； well beyond the laws of chance and averages。
In March 1967； Ralph Jarrett talked me into violating my 〃low…profile〃 policy and I appeared with him on the Jackie Oberlinger show on WCHS…TV in Charleston。 In the course of our discussion I mentioned that the best time to see a UFO was 10 P。M。 on a Wednesday。 Mrs。 Oberlinger； a vivacious blond lady and very much a local celebrity； took me at my word。 On Wednesday； March 29； she and a group of her friends gathered in her backyard in Charleston and； sure enough； at exactly 10 P。M。 three globes of brilliant white light passed directly overhead in a V…formation。
The Wednesday phenomenon works。 I've been studying it for years and I still can't say why it works。 Researchers in other parts of the world have now followed my example and found similar time patterns in the sightings of their own countries。 The table below is a breakdown of sightings recorded in 1950； as analyzed by Saunders； United States； Ballester…Orlando； Spain； Bonabot； Belgium。
II
Soon after arriving in Point Pleasant and getting a handle on the scope of the situation； I phoned the Lockburn Air Force Base in Ohio and outlined w