bent upon capturing his prey! Though the beast’s powerful legs were short, he covered the ground with unbelievable swiftness, tearing out trees and the heavy growth of underbrush and leaving in his wake, great gashes in the earth itself. At intervals, one could hear an indescribable growl and with each breath, the beast emitted an odor that baffled description! Finally, only one hundred yards separated the great animal from his prey, then forty, and then twenty yards. At the crucial moment, one could hear the rasping teeth of the pursuing beast coming together as he opened and closed his ugly jaws.
The leader directed the ox in such a manner that he avoided the pit, but the impetus of the great hodag carried him forward over the mass of branches and grass, which covered the trap. In he crashed, emitting a roar that could be heard for miles, as he struggled to extricate himself. Friendly hands led the hero away, and the ox, with tongue hanging from his mouth, was rewarded with a good bed and plenty to eat that night. The men who had planned this hazardous feat, knew to a certainty that there were no
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