I grew up heavily involved in the Boy Scouts of America. I went on numerous scout camps in my youth. I usually enjoyed these camps though some were boring and not all that noteworthy. Some of those camps still bring a smile to my face when I remember some of the "fine" moments. My favorite moment came with great timing and was loaded with fear.
My troop of about 15 boys were camped for a week at one of the several camps in the high Uinta mountain range in north-eastern Utah. One evening after dark, several of the boys returned to camp with a tale of glowing eyes in the brush (flashlights make the eyes of most animals "glow" in the dark). They were convinced that the eyes were those of a Mountain Lion (Cougar). I immediately had a brilliant, mischievous idea that rivaled that of Dr. Seuss' Grinch.
I disappeared down the path from camp and came back around and silently settled into a clump of brush about 30 feet from the campfire...and waited for the perfect moment. I began by lightly wiggling some of the brush and breaking some of the smaller twigs. After a few attempts someone finally said "Be quiet, did you hear that?". I could see several flashlights turn in my direction and waved back and forth across the darkened bush that held my snickering smile.
I was able to produce a very convincing cougar growl in my younger days, so I let one grow lightly from my throat...then another broken twig. To my gleeful delight a flurry of activity erupted at camp. "Everybody get around the fire" and "what was that" came flying from the campers. Several picked up large sticks...some still on fire, all the while the flashlights waving wildly back and forth into the darkened forest. Several jumped up on the picnic table which still had food from dinner on it. One of my friends began shimming up a tree in the center of our camp. The leaders looked around wildly trying to decide what happened and why 15 (actually 14 now) scouts were freaking out. Then they heard my second wild call, this one louder and more aggressive sounding. They then joined the boys in frantically trying to decide how to act (I always wondered if any of the leaders had a gun with them at camp...looking back as an adult, I now imagine bullets joining the wildly placed beams of light focused in my direction).
The screams and yells began to fade as terror really started to fill the campers. The growing quiet began to risk them hearing my now growing laughter as I tried to continue the growls of my creation...then, in the back of my mind I began to imagine the eyes the other boys had seen earlier. "Were they really those of a cougar and I was now the closest meal for it?" Thoughts like that began to pierce my mind so quickly that I think I felt more terror in my imagination than the terrorized campers felt as a group. I had to do somethings...NOW.
I jumped to my feet screaming (I could scream loud back then too) and crashed through the brush at full speed. I turned abruptly at the fire, looking over my shoulder, and dove into my open tent and pulled my sleeping back over the top of me. Fourteen other boys followed me into the tent, some of them screaming as well. One of the older boys dropped to his knees (eyes still huge) and yanked the sleeping bag from my face and shrieked the question "what's out there"?
A dozen flashlights shining in my face (I wonder how bright my eyes were glowing in that light). They instantly saw my face, full of laughter and gleeful satisfaction and the reality of what had happened crept into their understanding. Most great plans end up having "unintended consequences", as did this one. Over the next several minutes I received hundreds of punches and kicks (some leaving bruises), the whole time I was laughing despite the pain.
My troop of about 15 boys were camped for a week at one of the several camps in the high Uinta mountain range in north-eastern Utah. One evening after dark, several of the boys returned to camp with a tale of glowing eyes in the brush (flashlights make the eyes of most animals "glow" in the dark). They were convinced that the eyes were those of a Mountain Lion (Cougar). I immediately had a brilliant, mischievous idea that rivaled that of Dr. Seuss' Grinch.
I disappeared down the path from camp and came back around and silently settled into a clump of brush about 30 feet from the campfire...and waited for the perfect moment. I began by lightly wiggling some of the brush and breaking some of the smaller twigs. After a few attempts someone finally said "Be quiet, did you hear that?". I could see several flashlights turn in my direction and waved back and forth across the darkened bush that held my snickering smile.
I was able to produce a very convincing cougar growl in my younger days, so I let one grow lightly from my throat...then another broken twig. To my gleeful delight a flurry of activity erupted at camp. "Everybody get around the fire" and "what was that" came flying from the campers. Several picked up large sticks...some still on fire, all the while the flashlights waving wildly back and forth into the darkened forest. Several jumped up on the picnic table which still had food from dinner on it. One of my friends began shimming up a tree in the center of our camp. The leaders looked around wildly trying to decide what happened and why 15 (actually 14 now) scouts were freaking out. Then they heard my second wild call, this one louder and more aggressive sounding. They then joined the boys in frantically trying to decide how to act (I always wondered if any of the leaders had a gun with them at camp...looking back as an adult, I now imagine bullets joining the wildly placed beams of light focused in my direction).
The screams and yells began to fade as terror really started to fill the campers. The growing quiet began to risk them hearing my now growing laughter as I tried to continue the growls of my creation...then, in the back of my mind I began to imagine the eyes the other boys had seen earlier. "Were they really those of a cougar and I was now the closest meal for it?" Thoughts like that began to pierce my mind so quickly that I think I felt more terror in my imagination than the terrorized campers felt as a group. I had to do somethings...NOW.
I jumped to my feet screaming (I could scream loud back then too) and crashed through the brush at full speed. I turned abruptly at the fire, looking over my shoulder, and dove into my open tent and pulled my sleeping back over the top of me. Fourteen other boys followed me into the tent, some of them screaming as well. One of the older boys dropped to his knees (eyes still huge) and yanked the sleeping bag from my face and shrieked the question "what's out there"?
A dozen flashlights shining in my face (I wonder how bright my eyes were glowing in that light). They instantly saw my face, full of laughter and gleeful satisfaction and the reality of what had happened crept into their understanding. Most great plans end up having "unintended consequences", as did this one. Over the next several minutes I received hundreds of punches and kicks (some leaving bruises), the whole time I was laughing despite the pain.
2 comments:
This is a great story. Keep it up, eventually you're going to have enough of these blogged to publish a book.
I'll buy it...
So funny...I am very proud of your fun! I look forward to your stories. I don't think I have heard this story before. I agree with Niki, I will buy one too!
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