Without hesitation, Theo answered, “Yes sir.”
The Major turned around and sat down next to Theo on the log. He cleared his throat and asked, “As a patrol leader, what are you supposed to do when your patrol confronts a dangerous animal?”
“Depends on the animal,” Theo replied.
“And in this case, it was a poisonous snake.”
“Then I’m supposed to immediately warn my patrol to move away from the snake and leave the site as soon as possible.”
“And is that what you did, Theo?”
Theo swallowed hard and said, “No sir.”
“Did you immediately recognize the snake to be a copperhead?”
“Yes sir.”
“How many poisonous snakes do we have in this part of the country?”
“Three. Copperhead, coral snake, and the timber rattler.”
“And you knew this through your study for the Nature merit badge?”
Theo had watched enough Perry Mason reruns and real-live courtroom trials to know the Major was setting him up for the kill. Slowly, he answered, “Yes sir.”
There was a long, painful pause as they watched the moonlit lake and waited for the Major to speak next. Finally, he said, “So, Theo, it looks as though the Falcon Patrol, while hiking in an area well-known for copperheads, actually encountered such a snake, and a large one, and instead of immediately taking steps to avoid the snake, did just the opposite. The patrol instantly moved closer, for a closer look, and at some point Percy picked up a stick and decided to agitate the snake. You, as a patrol leader, finally had the presence of mind to order everyone back, but by then, Percy, who we all know is probably not the most reliable Scout in the troop, somehow lost his balance, fell forward, practically on top of the snake, and was bitten. Is this a fair summary, Theo?”
Theo would probably change a word or two, but it seemed like a bad time to quibble. The Major had the important points dead center.
Theo bit his lip and said, “Yes sir.”
Another long pause. There was laughter in the distance from the campfire. Lucky guys.
The Major said, “Okay, Theo, pretend you’re a lawyer and give me your best defense.”
Finally, Theo thought to himself, and he did not waste a second. “The story you’ve heard is a correct version of what happened, but there were a few other factors involved. First, we were naturally on the lookout for copperheads, and most of the Falcons had snakebite kits in their backpacks. The wrong kind of kits, but let’s just say we were prepared. So when we actually saw a copperhead, and one that was so big and so beautiful it was impossible not to stop for a second to admire it, that’s what we did. We stopped to admire it. Don’t you think that’s human nature? You’re in the woods, looking for adventure, looking for excitement, and, suddenly you find it in the form of a dangerous snake. You can’t believe your good luck. You gotta stop for a second and stare at it. Everyone does that, or at least every Boy Scout. Sure we moved a little closer, but I did not lead my patrol into a dangerous situation. No sir. From where we were standing, the snake could not have struck us, and it was not moving toward us. We were not in danger; close, maybe, but not within striking range. The snake was stretched out on the narrow ledge, and when it slowly coiled itself up, either in defense or offense, don’t know for sure because how can you ever know for sure, I told the patrol to back away. For a second, no one moved, not even me, but you could tell that we were ready to bolt. Then stupid little Percy stepped forward with a stick and decided to have some fun. As soon as I saw the stick, I yelled for him to back up, but within a split second he was falling forward. He’s lucky he wasn’t bitten in the neck or face.”
The Major listened thoughtfully and considered every word. When Theo finished, there was another long gap in the conversation as they stared at the water. Finally, the Major said, “Leadership requires many things, Theo. Detailed planning, the ability to plan for the future, and so on, but it can also require a cool head in the heat of battle. I learned that in combat, where I often had to make life-and-death decisions in a split second. Your timing wasn’t so good, Theo. You should have cleared the area immediately.”
“You’re blaming me for Percy’s snakebite?”
“Not entirely. But under the circumstances, you failed to act properly.”
“Okay, if I had yelled for everyone to get away as soon as the snake was spotted do you really think Percy would have listened to me? He never does what he’s told. He doesn’t listen to me. He doesn’t listen to you. He doesn’t listen to his parents or his teachers. He was suspended from school last month for three days for setting off a pack of firecrackers during a violin concert. For the last campout he forgot to pack a toothbrush, clean underwear, clean socks, and a flashlight. He’s flunked the Tenderfoot exam twice. He’s an idiot, you know that much yourself.”
“Maybe that’s why Percy needs scouting, Theo. He needs to learn discipline and success.”
“Good luck.”
The Major turned and stared at Theo. He said, “You’re one of our leaders and one of our best Scouts, but today, Theo, you failed under pressure. You allowed your patrol to get too close to a dangerous animal, with a bad result. We have a Scout in a hospital with a badly swollen leg and some level of permanent scarring. It could’ve been worse. Theo, I have no choice but to suspend you from your leadership of the Falcon Patrol. I don’t want to embarrass you so let’s keep this quiet until our next meeting. Not a word, okay?”
Theo wanted to dislike the Major, but the fact was he admired him greatly, even adored him and wanted to imitate him. The Major had fought in wars, flown fighter jets, traveled the world, had two or three successful careers, and now, for fun, dedicated himself as a volunteer scoutmaster in a near full-time capacity. Theo ached at the thought that the Major believed he had failed his patrol in some way.
But the Major was a tough Marine, and Theo could try and be one as well. He swallowed hard, gritted his teeth, and said, “Yes sir.”
Clouds rolled in quickly, and the night was suddenly black. Theo followed the Major back to the campsite, where things were winding down as the ghost stories and snake stories were losing some of their appeal. The campfire was extinguished, the food secured, and the Scouts drifted off to their tents. Every sleeping bag was shaken and carefully inspected for snakes. Every tent was examined by flashlights, inch by inch. The areas around the tents, the tall grass and undergrowth, rocks, and even latrines were searched, then searched again. Slowly, the Scouts entered their tents, zipped the doors, crawled into the sleeping bags, then waited for the sounds of serpents creeping toward them across the wet grass. When things were perfectly quiet and still, some bozo in the Warthog section let loose with a loud “Hisssss,” and this seemed funny to a few.
For the first time in his scouting career, Theo just wanted to go home.
Chapter 10
The rain began before dawn, and by sunrise everything was soaked. As well-trained Scouts, they were prepared for bad weather, but the cold wind and mud took most of the fun out of camping. Usually, on Sunday morning, the Major led the troop on a short hike to some spot with a beautiful view where he conducted a chapel service. He wasn’t a preacher or a minister and did not require all Scouts to attend. He was, though, a wise man with a deep faith in God and a true admiration for what He created here on Earth. Theo always enjoyed these hilltop chapel services, which he found far more meaningful than those conducted indoors in a real church. But with the rain falling, the Major decided to skip chapel, hurry up with breakfast, and break camp.