《Slime》（史莱姆）五(5)

大多数搜索者都以极大的怀疑态度看待德洛雷斯·雷尔 (Delores Rell) 的情节剧故事。他们指出，在昏暗的月光下，一头疯狂的、眼睁睁地看着即将发生的谋杀的流浪汉可能很像某种怪物。女孩的歇斯底里大概放大了她所看到的。
夜幕降临，阴郁的沼泽结束时，安德贝克酋长不情愿地暂停了狩猎。然而，鉴于凶手可能还潜伏在树林中，他决定在与沼泽平行的高速公路上建立一个夜间巡逻系统。如果采石场隐藏在危险的树木和灌木丛中，他将无法在不遇到巡逻队的情况下逃到高速公路上。离开沼泽的唯一其他途径是穿过沼泽数英里，公海冲刷着芦苇滩。而且，逃犯也不太可能试图朝那个方向逃跑。
巡逻队每三小时一班，巡逻队由两名男子组成，两人全副武装，都配备了强大的探照灯。他们被命令调查他们在高速公路边的灌木丛中发现的每一个声音或动作。在发出停止命令后，他们要开枪杀人。任何好奇的驾车者停下来询问狩猎情况，在被警告不要给任何人搭便车并报告所有搭便车的人后，将在途中迅速招手。
When Police Chief Miles Underbeck saw Old Man Gowse come into headquarters in Clinton Center, he sat back and sighed heavily. He was busy this morning and undoubtedly Old Man Gowse was coming in to inquire about that infernal cow of his that had wandered off.

The old eccentric had a new and startling report, however. He claimed that Rupert Barnaby was missing. He'd gone into the swamp the night before, Gowse insisted, and had not returned.
When Chief Underbeck questioned him closely, Gowse admitted that he wasn't positive Barnaby hadn't returned. It was barely possible that he had returned home very early in the morning and then left again before Gowse arrived.
But Gowse fixed his flashing eyes on the Chief and shook his head. "He never came out, I tell ye! That dog of his knows! Howled, he did, like a dog howls for the dead! Whatever come took Sarey–got Barnaby in the swamp last night!"