Some of you guys may have heard this story, I know Gerry has. Back on Labor Day weekend in '77, my whippet, Danny and I made a trip to the Bend. On the 2nd night, I shined up a black phase alterna on the North hill in a small bush on the cut. I was driving a '74 Toyota p.u. with a standard. I put my q-beam down and got my flashlight and located the snake. Believe me I was shaking, but I was about to shake even more. I put my truck in neutral and set the emergency brake and leaving the door open, I walked over to claim my prize. As I marvelled at how beautiful the snake was, I noticed movement behind me and turned around to see my truck going down the hill backward. Even back then I wasn't much of a runner, so after a limited sprint, I started calling my dog, which wouldn't come out. I could see the truck plunging down the East side of the North hill, killing my dog. In the sprint, I had squeezed the alterna pretty tightly and it bit me and fell limp. So here I am, watching my truck and dog plunge down the hill to their deaths, with a dead alterna in my hand. God was on my side and the open door ruddered the truck into the talus on the West side of the hill and the only damage was a creased door which was bent against the front fender. Both front wheels were in the air, so I bagged the dead snake,got my dog and started the hike down the hill to Luna Vista, which was at that time a bar and rest. Luckily, Gene, who used to run the Gulf station in Study Butte was there and I got there just as the place was closing. He had a chain so he went up and hooked this four ft. chain to my truck, leaving about 2 ft of chain between the vehicles. Gene was drunk as Hell. I got in my truck and he pulled me out, but instead of stopping started driving down the road at 70 miles an hour with a rebel yell. About half way to the Longhorn, he stopped and came back to my truck, pried my clamped hand from the steerng wheel, handed me a Coors, laughed and drove off. About that time, I remembered the snake and opened the bag. To my amazement, it had returned to life and looked fine. I drove up to the Elephant Mt. rest area and spent the night. This alterna was the only one I ever heard of coming off of a bush. I traded it to Ron Savage to go with a dark Christmas male he had. It was 11:00 PM when I caught the snake, but the temps were in the low 60s that night.

Jim McLean

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