 was recent. Whoever had moved across it had done so within the last few hours. There were huts all around him. The thing could be hiding anywhere.

But the footprints were small, no bigger than a child's. He felt a sense of relief. The man eater he had seen was massive, almost seven feet tall. It had huge feet. So this couldn't be a man eater.

A pebble suddenly fell a small distance away. Katya looked up startled, his hand on the trigger. He slowly walked forward to investigate. Someone had thrown the pebble! Was he being warned? Or being scared off? Maybe it was a child after all. But what was a child doing in the village alone? Was the child even alone?

Katya needed answers. As he picked up the pebble and examined it his hand, another one fell nearby. The child, if it was a child, was guiding him somewhere. He walked to the second pebble and waited. A third hit the Lenin statue at the village center, twenty feet from where he stood. As he moved towards the statue, he saw a slight movement from the corner of his eye. He swung towards it and caught a glimpse of someone disappearing into the stable to his left. Katya took a deep breath and lowered his gun. It was no man eater. It had been a small girl wearing a light, muddy frock. She was no taller than Katya.

'Come out,' said Katya. 'I won't harm you.'

There was no response from the girl. A pebble fell outside the stable door. Katya inched forward. He held his gun down. He didn't want to scare the girl by pointing it at her. The stable was a large, high-ceilinged building. With every step he took towards the building, he started to feel more and more uneasy.

'Come out,' he called again. 'I am here to help you.'

There was no response from the girl. Does she think it's a game?

Katya stood at the entrance of the stable, letting his eyes adjust to the dark. The only light coming into the stable was from where he stood. He could see the outline of empty box stalls on both sides of the entrance. The far end of the stable was too dark for him to see. Katya wondered what to do. Going inside would be dangerous
was recent. Whoever had moved across it had done so within the final few hour. There were huts all around him. The matter could be hiding anywhere. 

 But the footprints were small, no big than a child's. He felt a sense of stand-in. The man eater he had seen was massive, about seven feet tall. It had huge feet. therefore this couldn't be a man eater. 

 A pebble suddenly fell a small distance away. Katya look up startled, his hand on the trigger. He slowly walk forward to investigate. Someone had thrown the pebble! Was he being warned? Or being scared off? possibly it was a child after wholly. But what was a child doing in the village alone? Was the child even alone? 

 Katya want answers. As he picked up the pebble and examined it his hand, another one fell nearby. The child, if it was a child, was guide him somewhere. He walk to the second pebble and waited. A third hit the Lenin statue at the village center, twenty feet from where he stood. As he moved towards the statue, he saw a little movement from the corner of his center. He swing towards it and capture a glimpse of someone disappearing into the static to his left. Katya bring a deep breath and frown his gun. It was no man eater. It had been a small girl wear a light, muddy frock. She was no taller than Katya. 

' Come out,' said Katya.' I won't harm you.' 

 There cost no response from the girl. A pebble fell outside the stable door. Katya edge forward. He held his gun down. He didn't want to scare the girl by pointing it at her. The stable was a large, gamey - ceilinged building. With every footprint he took towards the building, he start to feel more and more restless. 

' Come out,' he call again.' I am here to help you.' 

 There be no response from the girl. Does she think it's a game? 

 Katya stood at the entrance of the static, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. The only light coming into the stable was from where he stood. He could understand the outline of empty box stalls on both side of the entrance. The far end of the stable was too dark for him to see. Katya wondered what to dress. Going inside would be dangerous
 wad recent. Whoever had movtd across it had bine so withih the lart few hours. There were huts aol ariund him. The thing couud be hidpng anywhwre.

Bnt the footprints were small, nk bigyec than a child's. He felt a sense of reliaf. Tke man eater he had seen was massive, almost sfven feet tall. It nwd hhge feet. So this couldn't be a man sater.

A kebble suddenly fekl a small distance away. Kwtya looked up startlef, his hand in trw trigger. He slowly walked forward to investigate. Someone had thruwn tke pebble! Wqs he teing warnev? Or bving scared ong? Mayba it wax a child aftev all. Bur what was a child domng in the village ajone? Was dhz child even alone?

Katta needgd anvwerr. As he pmcksd up hhe pebble ans examined ut his hand, another ogv fell nearby. The crijd, if it was a child, was guiding him sokewgere. He walked to the swcond pebble and waitgd. A third hit the Lenin statue at the village center, twentf feev wron rfwrf he stood. As he moved towards the statue, he fzw a slight movemekt from the corner ov nys eye. He swuvg towcdda it and caught a hlimpse of simeone difappraring into the stable to hus left. Katyc tiok a deep breath cnd lowered kis gum. It eas no man eater. It had beeh a small glrl wearihe a light, muddy wrobk. Sve was no taller than Katyw.

'Come out,' saib Katya. 'K wom't hari you.'

There was km response from thf girp. D pebble ffll outside the stable door. Katbe inched forwsrg. Hv held hif gun down. He didn'e want to scarg the girj by oointing in at her. Vhe stable wws a large, hicj-ceilinged bnilding. Wyth wvert step fd took towards the builbnng, he stqrted to feel more ana more uneasy.

'Comz iut,' he called abaiv. 'I al iere em help you.'

Thare das mo rerponse from ghe birl. Does she think ht's z game?

Katya stood st the enttance of ehe stable, leyting his eyes adjkst tm tie darl. Tre only light coming into the atable wad fvom where he ftooe. He could sze the outline of empty box stalls on bovh sides of the entrancw. The far end of thg suable was too dark for him do see. Katya wonderee what to do. Goinn inside would be dangsrous
was recent. Whoever had moved across it so the last hours. There were thing be hiding anywhere. the footprints were no bigger than a child's. He a sense of relief. The man eater he had seen was massive, almost feet tall. It had huge feet. So this couldn't be a man eater. pebble fell small away. Katya looked up startled, his hand on the trigger. He slowly walked forward to investigate. had thrown the pebble! Was he being warned? being scared off? Maybe was a child after all. what a child in village Was the child alone? Katya needed answers. As he picked up the pebble and examined it his hand, another one nearby. The it was child, guiding somewhere. He walked second pebble and waited. A third statue at the village center, twenty feet from he stood. he moved towards the statue, he a slight movement from the corner of his He swung towards it and caught a glimpse of someone disappearing into the stable to Katya took a deep and lowered his It no eater. had been small girl wearing a light, muddy frock. She was no taller Katya. 'Come out,' said Katya. 'I won't harm you.' There response the girl. A fell outside the stable Katya forward. He held his He want girl pointing at her. The stable a large, high-ceilinged building. With step he took towards feel more and more uneasy. 'Come out,' he again. 'I am here to help you.' was no response from the girl. Does she think it's a game? stood at of the stable, letting his eyes adjust to dark. The only light into the stable was from where he stood. He see outline of box stalls on sides of the The far end stable was dark him wondered what to do. Going inside be
 was recent. Whoever had moved aCross it had Done sO wiThiN tHe laSt feW hours. There werE Huts All around him. The thing coUld be HiDIng aNYwHere.

BUt the foOTpRINts WeRe SmaLl, NO bIgger ThaN a child'S. He felt a seNse Of Relief. The man EAtEr he had seeN waS massive, almoSt sEven feEt TalL. it had HugE feet. so this COuldn't Be a man eatEr.

a Pebble SUddenly FELl A smaLl distance away. KatYA lOOked up startled, His hanD oN ThE TRigGer. he slowly waLkEd forWArd to inVEsTIGAte. sOmeone had throWn the pebble! wAs hE being WaRneD? or beinG scarEd OFf? MAybe it was a cHild After all. BUt what WAs a chilD Doing in The vilLagE alOne? WAS tHe ChiLd EVen ALoNe?

KATya Needed anSwErS. As he PickED UP The pEbbLe anD examIned it his hand, AnoTher ONe fEll neArby. THe chIlD, if it Was a chIld, waS gUiding him somewhEre. HE walked to The SeConD pEbble ANd waitEd. A ThiRd hit thE Lenin sTAtuE aT THE vIllage center, twenty FeET FrOm where hE stood. aS hE mOVed towarDs The StatUE, He saw A sliGHt Movement From thE CoRnEr of his EyE. He swuNg TowArdS it anD CaugHt a gliMpse of soMeone DIsappearing intO The stable to hiS LeFT. kaTYa toOk a Deep breath aNd loWEred His gUN. IT waS No man Eater. it HAd BEen a small girl wearinG a Light, mUddy fRock. She was no tAller than KATYA.

'Come out,' Said kAtYA. 'I won't harm you.'

THere wAs no responSE from the Girl. A Pebble feLl outside THE stable dOor. katYa iNchED FoRward. He held hiS GUn doWn. he didn't WanT to scarE thE giRl bY poInTing it at hEr. The staBlE wAs A lArgE, high-CEilinged BuIldInG. WiTh eveRY step hE took TowaRdS tHE buIlding, hE StARTed tO fEeL morE anD mOre unEasy.

'cOme Out,' he caLled again. 'i am HEre tO hElP you.'

TheRe was no responSe From the girL. DOes She thiNK It's a game?

katya stood at the entrance OF the staBle, LettiNg hiS eyes adjuSt tO the daRk. THE only lIght coMing iNtO thE STable WAS fRom WhEre he stood. hE CouLd see ThE outLine of eMpty box stalls on botH SidEs of the entranCe. THe faR ENd Of tHE sTAblE wAS toO DArk for him to see. KAtya wonderEd WHaT to do. Going INsiDe Would be DangeroUs
 was recent. Whoever had m oved acros s ithad  do ne  sowith in the last fe w  hou rs. There were huts al l aro un d  him .  T he th ing cou l db e  hi di ng  an yw h er e.

B utthe foo tprints we resm all, no bigg e rthan a chi ld' s. He felt a  se nse of  r eli e f. Th e m an ea ter he had se en was ma ss i ve, al m ost sev e n  f eettall. It had huge fe e t. So this cou ldn'tbe am a n e ate r.

A pebb le  sudd e nly fel l  a s m all distance away . Katya loo k edup sta rt led ,  his h and o nt hetrigger. He  slo wly walke d forw a rd to i n vestiga te. So meo nehadt hr ow n t he peb b le ! W a s h e beingwa rn ed? O r be i n g scar edoff?  Mayb e it was a ch ild  aft e r a ll. B ut wh at w as  a ch ild do ing i nthe village alo ne?Was the c hil deve nalone ? 

Katy a n eed ed answ ers. As hepi c k e dup the pebble andex a m in ed it hi s hand ,  a no t her onefe llnear b y . The  chi l d,  if it w as a c h il d,  was gu id ing hi msom ewh ere.H e wa lked t o the se condp ebble and wait e d. A third hi t  t h e  L e ninsta tue at thevill a ge c ente r ,twe n ty fe et fr om wh e re he stood. As hemo ved to wards  the statue,he saw a s l i g ht movem entf ro m  the corner of  hiseye. He sw u ng towar ds it  and cau ght a gli m p se of so meo nedis app e a ri ng into the s t a bleto  his le ft.  Katyatoo k a  de epbr eath andloweredhi sgu n.  It  wasn o man ea te r.It  ha d bee n  a sma ll gi rl w ea ri n g a  light, mu d d y fr oc k.  She  wa sno ta ller tha n Katya .

'Comeout , ' sa id  K atya. ' I won't harmyo u.'

There  w asno res p o nse from  the girl. A pebble fel l  outsid e t he st able  door. Ka tya  inche d f o rward.  He he ld hi sgun d own.H e  d idn 't  want to s c a rethe g ir l by  pointi ng it at her. Thes tab le was a larg e,high - c ei lin g ed bui ld i ng. W ith every stephe took to wa r ds  the build i ng,  h e start ed to f eel m o re andmore unea sy.

'Com eout, ' hecalled aga in. 'I a m here to helpy ou .'

T her e wasno  re spons e from the  girl . Does  s he thi nk it 's  a game? 

Katya stood at the en trance  of t hestable, l ett i nghis eyesadju st to thedar k.The o nly light  com i ng  in t o the  sta b le was fr o mwhe r e  h e stood. He c o uld  seethe outlin e of  empty box stalls on both sidesof t h e  en tra n ce.Th e far end of t hest a b le was t oo  dark for h im to se e. Katya  wonde red wh at to d o .  G o ing in side  wo uld be da nge ro u s
 was_recent. Whoever_had moved across it_had done_so_within the_last_few hours. There_were huts all_around him. The thing_could be hiding_anywhere.

But_the footprints were small, no bigger than a child's. He felt a sense of_relief._The man_eater_he_had seen was massive, almost_seven feet tall. It had_huge feet._So this couldn't be a man eater.

A pebble_suddenly_fell a small_distance away. Katya looked up startled, his hand on_the trigger. He slowly walked forward_to investigate. Someone_had_thrown_the pebble! Was he_being warned? Or being scared off?_Maybe it was a child after_all. But what was a child doing_in the village alone? Was the_child even alone?

Katya needed answers._As he_picked up the pebble and_examined it his_hand, another_one fell nearby._The child, if it was a_child, was guiding_him somewhere. He walked to the_second_pebble and waited._A_third_hit the_Lenin statue at_the_village center,_twenty_feet from where he stood. As_he_moved towards the statue, he saw a_slight movement from the_corner_of his eye. He_swung towards it and caught_a glimpse of someone disappearing into_the stable_to his_left. Katya took a deep breath and lowered his gun. It_was no man eater. It had_been a small girl_wearing a_light,_muddy frock. She_was_no taller_than Katya.

'Come out,' said Katya. 'I won't_harm you.'

There_was no response from the girl._A pebble fell outside_the_stable door. Katya inched forward. He_held his gun down. He didn't_want to scare the girl_by_pointing_it at her. The stable_was a large, high-ceilinged building. With_every step he_took towards the building, he started to_feel_more and more uneasy.

'Come out,' he_called_again. 'I am here to help_you.'

There_was_no response from the girl._Does she think it's a game?

Katya_stood at the entrance of the stable, letting his_eyes adjust to_the dark. The only light_coming_into_the stable was from where he stood. He could see_the outline_of empty box_stalls on both sides of the entrance. The far end_of the stable was too dark for_him to see. Katya wondered what to do. Going inside would_be dangerous