McMurtry is the sort of character that could get followed from job to job, constantly creating havoc. In fact, it would make sense that a guy like that would need to change jobs every week, eventually having to move to new towns after enough people caught on to his actions... kind of the reverse of "My Name Is Earl!"
I've never seen a rattler in person (except at a zoo) but the trail I used to run on was in an area that snakes used for mating in the spring. They weren't poisonous and weren't going to hurt you unless you messed with them, but there's still a moment of panic when you come around a corner and there's a snake in your path. All those littler boys were lucky you were there.
There were plenty of other sorts of (non-venomous) snakes up at the summer camp, and I've seen a lot of older boys deliberately chase after snakes to either prove their bravery and/or frighten smaller kids with such snakes... and all this happened despite the fact that all Boy Scouts are taught/trained not to get too close to wild animals. Hence my Scoutmaster's no-nonsense approach regarding Chappegat -- The last thing he wanted was some idiot of a Scout going up there trying to catch a rattlesnake and getting themselves bit in the process...
What a great entry, and so well told! I loved the beginning. Until the end, I didn't know if this was going to some kind of ghost story or something else. McMurtry sounds like a prize ass and the worst kind of Scout camp counselor. It's a good thing you had the training and fortitude to handle the situation.
Hopefully you didn't consider the rest of the story mediocre. ;)
Seriously: As I mentioned to another person, I deliberately dropped clues in the story regarding the fact that my Scoutmaster considered the issue with Chappegat as being a *SERIOUS* problem (as opposed to a "ghost story", which isn't a threat in the real world). Further, wearing boots is standard safety practice in any area known to contain venomous snakes, so any of my readers familiar with the rules regarding dealing with such animals would likely have picked up on that clue... and one of my readers has confirmed that recognized the nature of the threat when the read the line where my Scoutmaster warned me to *ALWAYS* wear my boots while in Chappegat.
Anyway, I'm glad you liked the story... and thanks for the feedback!
The whole story was excellent! By "ghost story," I meant the whole range of possibilities, including a real ghost or monster. In those situations, good boots are necessary for running!
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Thanks for the feedback!
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Hopefully you didn't consider the rest of the story mediocre. ;)
Seriously: As I mentioned to another person, I deliberately dropped clues in the story regarding the fact that my Scoutmaster considered the issue with Chappegat as being a *SERIOUS* problem (as opposed to a "ghost story", which isn't a threat in the real world). Further, wearing boots is standard safety practice in any area known to contain venomous snakes, so any of my readers familiar with the rules regarding dealing with such animals would likely have picked up on that clue... and one of my readers has confirmed that recognized the nature of the threat when the read the line where my Scoutmaster warned me to *ALWAYS* wear my boots while in Chappegat.
Anyway, I'm glad you liked the story... and thanks for the feedback!
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