"He cocked his .34-40 and cradled it. At the county fair someone had once said of Alton Drew that he could shoot at a handful of salt and pepper thrown in the air and hit only pepper. Once he split a bullet on the blade of a knife and pit tow candles out. He had no neer to fear anything that could be shot at. That's what he belived."
"The thing in the woods looked curiously down at what it had done to Kimbo, and moanded the way Kimbo had before he died. It sootd a minute storing away facts in its foul, unemotional mind. Blood was warm. The sunlight was warm. Things that moved and bore fur had a muscle to force out the thick liquid through their tiny bodies. The liquid coagulated after a time. The liquid on tooted freen things was thinner and the loss of a limb did not mean loss of life. It was very interesting, but the thing, the mold with a mind, was not pleased. Neither was is displeased. Its accidental urge was a thirst for knowledge, and it was only-interested."
Random selection from IT, by Theodore Sturgeon.