Patch kept bumping us. I had no idea why he was doing that. A little game of Bumper Tag. It's like a little kiddy game. He needs some more driving skills if the test is going to be Bumper Tag. As Patch kept on hitting us Bo and I were wondering if the General's back bumper was going to stay on or not. Each time Patch hit us I was getting more and more frustrated. Something seemed to cross my mind that there was a reason he kept hitting us like that. There was this rattle sound and every time Patch hit us the sound got louder. I looked around the car, trying to figure out what that sound was and where it was coming from. I looked down and noticed what it was. There was a rattlesnake crawling over Bo's foot and heading up his pant leg. Now, I was scared and we were in trouble.
"Oh, my gosh," I whispered.
Bo looked at me. "What?"
I looked at Bo. "Bo, whatever you do, don't move."
"Why?" Bo asked.
"Listen to me," I said. "Don't move and don't panic. Just listen to me. Look at your right leg."
Bo looked down and his eyes widened with fear. He then looked up at the road. His breathing became heavy and he wouldn't blink. Now, he was scared stiff.
"Don't move," I said.
"Well, what're we gonna do?" Bo asked.
"What's going on?" Jude Emery called from under the backseat.
"We got a rattlesnake up here in the front," I said.
"Don't let him back here," Jude said. "There ain't room."
"Luke, you're thinking ain't you?" Bo asked. "Please tell me you're thinking."
"I'm thinking, Bo," I said.
"Well, do you know what to do?" he asked.
"No," I said quietly.
"Well, think faster," Bo begged.
The rattlesnake was getting onto Bo's lap. Bo was whimpering so I could tell that he was scared to death. I was trying to think of something but I couldn't. I didn't know what to do. Then an idea popped into my head. It was going to be kind of hard but I had to do it. I had to do it for Bo. I wasn't going to let a rattlesnake get him.
I started to take my jacket off. "Okay, I got it. Just don't move."
"Be careful," Bo said.
"Don't move, cuz'," I said. "Just hold her steady now. Don't let Patch hit us no more."
"I wont," Bo said.
"Okay, stay real steady, cousin," I said. "I don't wanna lose you now."
I was going to put my jacket over the snake and throw him out the window. When the snake moved quickly, I stopped. The entire snake was on Bo's lap and slithering around. Bo was about to get hysterical. I had to do something. I just didn't want to make the wrong move and have Bo get bitten. The snake started to crawl up Bo's shirt. Now we were in trouble.
"Luke, get him off," Bo said. "Get him off. Just get him off. Please get him off."
"Bo, calm down," I said. "Don't panic."
"I can't calm down," Bo said almost crying. "Please get him off. I'll do anything. Just get him off."
I was going to try to get him off with my jacket again. There was no way I was going to let a rattlesnake get Bo. I was not going to lose him. Not here, not now. Not on my watch. Bo's eyes met with the rattlesnake's eyes and I knew that it wasn't good. The snake hissed at Bo and I had to get that snake away from Bo before he got bit. I got the snake with my jacket and I grabbed it around the neck. I took him off of Bo and held him tight. I told Bo to hit the brakes. Bo slammed on the brakes and Patch came up right beside us. I threw my jacket with the rattlesnake in Patch's window. I can't remember what happened but I do remember seeing Patch's car crash. I felt so relieved that I got that snake away from Bo and out of the car.
Bo pulled onto a dirt road and pulled over on the side of the road. We all climbed out of the General including Jude. Bo turned around and leaned his back against the General and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Bo, are you okay?" I asked.
He nodded and I realized he was lying. I walked around the General and I could see Bo was shaking like a leaf. He was not okay.
I put my hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure?"
Bo shook his head. He brought his hand up to his face and pinched his eyes close. He was crying but he didn't want to admit it. Most men don't cry but here we could make and exception. Bo could've been killed. He had a reason to cry.
"I'm scared," Bo said. "I am so scared."
I put my arms around him and hugged him tight. It would be hard to calm him down but it wouldn't hurt to try. I felt so bad for him because of what he had just gone through. His life could've ended right then and there.
"Bo, it's okay," I said. "You're gonna be okay. Just calm down. It's okay now."
"I'm just so scared, Luke," Bo cried. "I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life."
"I know, Bo," I said. "I know you're scared but you have to calm down. Please listen to me. Calm down."
Bo nodded and I pulled away. He wiped his tears away and he started to calm down. Jude was watching us from the other side of the road.
"Everything okay?" Jude asked.
I nodded. "I think so."
"I'm okay," Bo said. "For now."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"We're gonna have to face Patch, Willie, Snake and their goons," Bo said. "I'm gonna be okay till then."
I nodded. "Yeah, I forgot about that. We still have to get Snake."
"And we have to find Patch to see if we passed the test," Bo said.
"Yeah," I said. "Let's go back to where Patch crashed, ask if we passed the test, and we'll take it from there."
We all got back into the General Lee and headed back to where Patch's car crashed. Willie showed up and we found out that we passed the test. We followed Willie to where Snake was hiding out. Bo and I started a fight, and that's when Snake and Jude met up again. Then me and Patch arm wrestled Texas style until Daisy showed up and broke it up. Then Patch wanted me to play Chicken with him on the bridge. I told him that it was stupid. I challenged him to jump over the creek. Then Bo and Snake were going to ride shotgun. We were getting ready to go when Uncle Jesse kicked Patch out of the car. We were running from the police until we jumped over Hazzard Creek into Placid County. Jude Emery arrested Russell "Snake" Harmon once again. What a Texas Ranger!
