Read Online Theodore Boone: The Activist by John Grisham - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: John Grisham
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he’s not smart enough to advance; the kid who can be dared into doing anything; and the kid who’ll do anything in an attempt to prove he’s either cool or brave.
And, the kid who thinks a copperhead is something to play with.
In the Falcon Patrol that kid was Percy.
On a rocky ledge near a cliff, there was indeed a copperhead, a long, thick one, frozen for the moment and glaring at the humans as they gawked at him. The eight Scouts formed a nervous semicircle and stared in disbelief at the deadly creature, which, before now, existed only in the brightly colored pages of nature books. It looked much more dangerous in real life. Aside from the danger, though, the snake’s color and markings were striking. It was a very bright copper, a shiny color that seemed to glow in the sun.
It was twelve feet away, a safe distance, and it showed no sign of attacking. The boys showed no sign of advancing upon it, at least for the moment. Theo knew the boys should back away and clear the area. He knew that as the patrol leader it was his responsibility to order them away from the danger. He knew this, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the snake.
“Is it really a copperhead?” someone asked.
“Sure it is,” Woody said. “Look at its color and markings, and look at its triangular-shaped head. That’s where the venom is.” Woody had owned several snakes, of the nonpoisonous variety, and knew more about the reptiles than anyone else, though at that moment there were several experts in the group.
“It seems big for a copperhead,” someone said.
Indeed it did.
“I think it’s a male,” added another.
“You can’t tell with snakes,” Woody said. “You have to pick ’em up and look on the underside.”
“Let’s pick him up,” Percy said.
“No way,” Theo barked, and the very idea of advancing on the snake made everyone take a step back.
The standoff continued in silence for a few seconds, then the snake, perhaps sensing its own danger, slowly coiled into a defensive position. (Or was it offensive?) It lifted its head as if ready to strike, its slippery black tongue darting through the air.
“Oh boy,” someone said.
“Let’s back away.”
Instead, Percy decided to prove either his courage or his stupidity by suddenly moving toward the snake. He had a stick, a crooked tree limb, which he thrust at the copperhead.
“Get back Percy!” Theo yelled.
“You moron!” Woody yelled.
Phillip reached to grab Percy, who took another step forward with his stick. The snake struck quickly at the stick and missed. Its quickness was startling, and even Percy paused for a split second.
What happened next would be debated for months and remembered for years. Percy would swear that Phillip, the closest kid, somehow tripped him, and he, Percy, was sent sprawling toward the snake, with bad results. Phillip would swear that he attempted to grab Percy by the shoulder and Percy, already off-balance, simply fell on his own. Since the other six Falcons were staring at the copperhead, they were not sure what propelled Percy forward. However, knowing his tendencies, they would always side with Phillip.
Percy yelled in horror as he hit the ground hard and tumbled toward the snake. He screamed when the fangs made contact. The copperhead nailed him on the fatty part of his right calf, halfway between his knee and his ankle. The strike occurred as Percy was on all fours, trying to scramble away. By then everyone was yelling this and that, and in the total panic of the moment, the copperhead slithered between two rocks and disappeared.
Percy was wearing shorts, as were all the boys, and within seconds his lower right leg had a tennis ball–sized growth on it. He was wailing and crying and twisting in horror. Woody dragged him to a patch of grass and the other Scouts, all stunned by what they had just seen, circled him.
It was a Boy Scout’s dream. A real, live, genuine snakebite, on the leg of someone else. It was too
And, the kid who thinks a copperhead is something to play with.
In the Falcon Patrol that kid was Percy.
On a rocky ledge near a cliff, there was indeed a copperhead, a long, thick one, frozen for the moment and glaring at the humans as they gawked at him. The eight Scouts formed a nervous semicircle and stared in disbelief at the deadly creature, which, before now, existed only in the brightly colored pages of nature books. It looked much more dangerous in real life. Aside from the danger, though, the snake’s color and markings were striking. It was a very bright copper, a shiny color that seemed to glow in the sun.
It was twelve feet away, a safe distance, and it showed no sign of attacking. The boys showed no sign of advancing upon it, at least for the moment. Theo knew the boys should back away and clear the area. He knew that as the patrol leader it was his responsibility to order them away from the danger. He knew this, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the snake.
“Is it really a copperhead?” someone asked.
“Sure it is,” Woody said. “Look at its color and markings, and look at its triangular-shaped head. That’s where the venom is.” Woody had owned several snakes, of the nonpoisonous variety, and knew more about the reptiles than anyone else, though at that moment there were several experts in the group.
“It seems big for a copperhead,” someone said.
Indeed it did.
“I think it’s a male,” added another.
“You can’t tell with snakes,” Woody said. “You have to pick ’em up and look on the underside.”
“Let’s pick him up,” Percy said.
“No way,” Theo barked, and the very idea of advancing on the snake made everyone take a step back.
The standoff continued in silence for a few seconds, then the snake, perhaps sensing its own danger, slowly coiled into a defensive position. (Or was it offensive?) It lifted its head as if ready to strike, its slippery black tongue darting through the air.
“Oh boy,” someone said.
“Let’s back away.”
Instead, Percy decided to prove either his courage or his stupidity by suddenly moving toward the snake. He had a stick, a crooked tree limb, which he thrust at the copperhead.
“Get back Percy!” Theo yelled.
“You moron!” Woody yelled.
Phillip reached to grab Percy, who took another step forward with his stick. The snake struck quickly at the stick and missed. Its quickness was startling, and even Percy paused for a split second.
What happened next would be debated for months and remembered for years. Percy would swear that Phillip, the closest kid, somehow tripped him, and he, Percy, was sent sprawling toward the snake, with bad results. Phillip would swear that he attempted to grab Percy by the shoulder and Percy, already off-balance, simply fell on his own. Since the other six Falcons were staring at the copperhead, they were not sure what propelled Percy forward. However, knowing his tendencies, they would always side with Phillip.
Percy yelled in horror as he hit the ground hard and tumbled toward the snake. He screamed when the fangs made contact. The copperhead nailed him on the fatty part of his right calf, halfway between his knee and his ankle. The strike occurred as Percy was on all fours, trying to scramble away. By then everyone was yelling this and that, and in the total panic of the moment, the copperhead slithered between two rocks and disappeared.
Percy was wearing shorts, as were all the boys, and within seconds his lower right leg had a tennis ball–sized growth on it. He was wailing and crying and twisting in horror. Woody dragged him to a patch of grass and the other Scouts, all stunned by what they had just seen, circled him.
It was a Boy Scout’s dream. A real, live, genuine snakebite, on the leg of someone else. It was too
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