The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

THE LEGEND OF THUMPDRAG

A LONG TIME AGO WHEN CAMP OZANAM FIRST OPENED THERE WAS THIS
COUNSELOR NAMED SAM WHO LOVED CHILDREN VERY MUCH BUT HE DIDN'T
LIKE IT WHEN BIG KIDS PICKED ON THE LITTLE ONES. IN THE GROUP THAT
WAS ASSIGNED TO SAM THERE HAPPENED TO BE TWO BULLIES NAMED MARK
AND SEAN. THESE TWO ALWAYS USED TO PICK ON THIS ONE LITTLE GUY
JOE. WELL, ONE DAY SAM GOT TIRED OF SCOLDING MARK AND SEAN AND
DECIDED TO PUNISH THEM BY MAKING THEM CLEAN THE MESS HALL BY
THEMSELVES. SEAN AND MARK WERE FURIOUS AND PLOTTED AGAINST SAM.
ONE NIGHT LATER THAT WEEK MARK AND SEAN SNEAKED OUT OF
THE CABIN AND WAITED FOR SAM TO GET OUT OF HIS NIGHTLY
COUNSELOR MEETING. AFTER THE MEETING WAS OVER SAM SAID
HIS GOOD-BYES AND HEADED BACK TO THE CABIN. WHEN SAM
WAS OUT OF SIGHT OF THE OTHERS SEAN AND MARK JUMPED HIM
AND KNOCKED HIM UNCONSCIOUS. WHEN SAM WOKE UP HE WAS
STRAPPED TO A BENCH AND GAGGED. SEAN AND MARK HAD POURED
GASOLINE ALL OVER HIM AND WERE STANDING OVER HIM WITH LIT
MATCHES THREATENING TO SET HIM AFIRE. THE NEXT THING THAT
HAPPENED WAS THAT ANOTHER COUNSELOR FOUND SEAN AND MARK
OUTSIDE THE HALL CRYING IN THE FACE OF THE BLAZING FIRE.
THE TWO BOYS CONFESSED TO WHAT THEY HAD DONE BUT IT WAS
TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. JUST THEN THEY SAW
WHAT LOOKED LIKE A MAN LIMPING OUT OF THE FIRE DRAGGING
ONE LEG. ALL THE COUNSELORS SEARCHED EVERYWHERE FOR HIM
BUT HE RAN INTO A CORNFIELD AND COULDN'T BE FOUND. AFTER
A WHILE THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT AND EVERYONE SETTLED BACK INTO
THEIR CABINS INCLUDING, MARK AND SEAN. THE TWO BOYS WERE
REQUIRED TO STAY AT THE CAMP FOR ONE MORE NIGHT BECAUSE
THEIR PARENTS COULDN'T COME TO GET THEM UNTIL THEN. THAT
NIGHT AS THE TWO BOYS LAY SLEEPING IN THEIR BEDS THE DOOR OF
THEIR CABIN SWUNG OPEN AND THE SOUNDS THUMP! DRAG!
WERE HEARD SCRAPING ACROSS THE FLOOR. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN
MARK AND SEAN LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS THIS THING ALL BURNT
AND DEFORMED THAT GRABBED THEM BOTH AND DRAGGED THEM
SCREAMING OUT THE DOOR. THE COUNSELOR WOKE UP FROM THE SCREAMS
AND WENT RUNNING OUT THE DOOR AND TRIPPED. THE COUNSELOR
GOT A GLIMPSE OF THE THING AND FIGURED IT MUST OF BEEN SAM.
WHEN THE COUNSELOR GOT UP HE FOUND THAT WHAT HE TRIPPED OVER
WAS THE BODIES OF MARK AND SEAN. THE TWO HAD DIED OF FRIGHT.
AFTER THE AUTHORITIES GOT AHOLD OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED THEY
PUT OUT A STATE-WIDE MANHUNT FOR SAM BUT TURNED UP WITH
NOTHING.

Submitter comment: THIS STORY WAS TOLD IN THE CAMP HALL WHICH AT ONE TIME
BURNED DOWN SOME YEARS AGO AND HAD BEEN REBUILT. THE MORAL
POINT OF THE STORY IS NOT TO PICK ON THOSE SMALLER THAN
YOURSELF.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; CAMP OZANAM

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