My family would visit relatives in the small town of Huntsville, Missouri usually late in the summer often around Labor Day.

In 1954 or 55, during a late evening, while my parents and aunts and uncles were sitting outside enjoying the summer sounds of crikets, ciccadias and conversation, my cousins and I (ages 8 and 9) played endless games of hide and seek, kick the can and iceman.

During one of these play times in a dark vacant field next to my uncle's home I noticed outlines of several men and they were all digging in the earth. I could see them pushing the shovel into the earth and digging. I couldn't see dirt being thrown but they were definitely digging.

I can't say that I was frightened but I wanted others to see what I was seeing. My cousins weren't interested, looked once and ran off to hide and play. So I turned to the adults and my Mom in particular. I asked her to look and tell me if she saw the men digging. Of course I received the typical parental brushoff.

My curiosity was not satisfied and, with parents, aunts, uncles and cousins busy conversing and playing, I began to walk slowly toward the digging men. I saw them clearly until I neared about 20 yds. They then disappeared.

I turned to run back to the yard. I glanced over my shoulder but the digging men never appeared to me again - that night or on any other visit over the next eight years.

I often wonder what they were digging for and why they chose to appear to an eight year old boy who couldn't convince anyone that he saw ghostly figures digging their way into . . . . . . Hell?