Old Dan knew he had some worthless swampy land
that was dark and sinister even on the best of days. The
legends went back to the earliest days, of when folks told Dan they
thought spooks and haunts could be seen in the swamp from time to
time. He knew of an old trail into the swamp, and told more
than one visitor it was a shortcut to town...many who entered never
came out.
Old Dan never entered the swamp at night for he
too had seen things he did not want to talk about. On one such
visit he found an old graveyard he did not know existed for it was
from before his time. Some said it was the scene of a
massacre. Others said it was a place spirits took their
victims to the underworld. Once, someone found a talisman that
appeared to be that worn by a druid priest, but everyone knows this
was never the home of druids.
The sounds people hear from the swamp today are
just as scary as they were back in the days the Taymans roamed the
area. If you find yourself in the swamp, be sure to remember
these words of warning: Beware of the quicksand and things that move
on the ground. And whatever you do, do not leave the trail.
Some folks who have made it through the trail have told wild stories
of horrible spirits still lurking, looking for fresh victims.
So take warning that the creatures of the swamp, the spirits of the
underworld, or just the swamp itself may swallow you up and you will
be lost forever. If you see the Greenman, do not look him in
the eye—you will be taken into the realm of the netherworld.