An account in Wayne County, Missouri

WE WERE DRIVING ALONG HIGHWAY 35 THROUGH WAYNE COUNTY MO. A SECTION OF THE HIGHWAY WITH THE TREELINES CLOSE TO BOTH SIDES OF THE HIGHWAY. THERE WERE WAIST HIGH WEEDS LEADING FROM THE TREELINE TO THE ROAD. AS WE APPROACHED A SMALL BRIDGE WE SAW A LARGE BLACK FIGURE COME FROM THE LEFT OUT OF THE TREE LINE AND THROUGH THE WEEDS. IT WAS ABOUT 50 YARDS IN FRONT OF US SO WE SLOWED DOWN NOT TO HIT IT. IT CROSSED THE ROAD IN A GALLUP, RUNNING DIAGONALLY AWAY FROM US. THE LARGE FIGURE, RUNNING ON ALL FOURS, HAD A LOT OF CURLY MATTED NASTY LOOKING HAIR. IT HAD ALL KINDS OF DIRTY AND STRAW AND OTHER THINGS STUCK IN THE MATTED MESS. ITS FRONT ARMS WERE LONG, MUCH LONGER THAN ITS SQUATTY REAR LEGS. THE CREATURE HAD POWERFUL SHOULDERS AND HIPS. I WOULD SAY IT LOOKED MALNOURISHED AND THAT IT HAD MANGE. AS SOON AS IT WAS THERE IT WAS GONE. THE ONLY WORDS WE COULD MUSTER WAS "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT"? I URGED MY FRIEND TO STOP THE CAR TO LOOK BUT HIS FOOT HIT THE ACCELERATOR AND WE DROVE OFF. HE WOULDN'T SAY BUT HIS EYES WERE SO WIDE I COULD TELL HE WAS SPOOKED. I WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN OUT. IT WAS THE FREAKIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. IT WAS LIKE NO OTHER ANIMAL I HAVE EVER SEEN. SOME HAD SUGGESTED IT WAS A FERREL HOG. BUT IT WAS NO HOG, I WOULD ACCEPT MAYBE A SICKLY BLACK BEAR, BUT I SAW NO EARS OR SNOUT. JUST A MOUND OF LONG BLACK MATTED HAIR