CHAPTER ONE BEAST IN THE FOREST high high in the forested mountains of Washington State not far from Ape Canyon Ruby Ann Easthouse and her family were enjoying a camping trip They had taken a hike to an overlook Nothing out there but trees Ruby said to her younger brother Henry The sun was low in the sky as the family turned down the trail back to camp Night would be falling Legends about mysterious ape-like creatures exist in cultures around the world 5
Bigfoot sightings are common in the forested mountains of the Pacific Northwest soon It was already growing dark under the canopy of trees Ruby was tired She lagged behind the others Then she stopped Hurry up Henry called to her Never mind he said to their parents I’ll go back for her you go on ahead 6
Henry found Ruby staring down at a patch of mud near the trail Check this out she said It looks like a footprint She shined her flashlight down on the ground There was a clear outline of what looked like a human footprint It had large toes More footprints led off the trail in the direction of a bog Wow you’re right Henry whispered These are footprints But they’re huge Do you think it’s a bear Suddenly they both heard an eerie noise It sounded like a whistle or a shriek A strange and awful smell filled the air The children froze in Bigfoot’s Cousins Many other varieties of unidentified ape-like creatures have been reported around the world One is the so-called Skunk Ape People frequently claim to have spotted this smelly ape in Florida swamps On the island of Sumatra in Indonesia another legend describes an unknown primate called the orang pendek This mysterious animal is much shorter than a typical Bigfoot The orang pendek reportedly stands between two and a half and five feet 0 8 1 5 m tall 7
