In Darkest Depths

Author’s Note

As long-time readers of the popular Wilderness series are aware, Nate King, like many mountain men, loved to tell tall tales. He relates a number of them in his journal.

In order to truly show Nate’s character and quirks, I have taken the liberty of turning some of those tall tales into stories. The Lost Valley and Fang and Claw are two of the more notable. (Some would add Mountain Devil to the list, but I leave it up to you whether such creatures as Sasquatch or Bigfoot exist.)

Which brings us to In Darkest Depths. It, too, might qualify as a tall tale, except that in his journal Nate states that the events really happened and were not a figment of his brandy-influenced imagination.

As with Mountain Devil, you must decide whether to believe or disbelieve. I would only note certain news accounts, some of which you might have heard, where incredibly huge fish have been pulled from lakes and rivers and even ponds.

Perhaps, to take a page from McNair’s passion, there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy.