As a boy growing up in the country I had heard scary stories about a snake called a "Black Racer" that would chase you. These stories kept me very alert as I walked up and down the gravel roads around where we lived. One day mom asked me to go to the neighbors house and borrow an iron because ours was broken. I started up the road with a watchful eye on each side of the road with its weeds grown up along the way. I could just imagine one of those "Black Racers" laying back in the shadows just waiting to slip up on me and bite me. I borrowed the iron and started back down the road toward home when I sensed something was following me. I looked over my shoulder and sure enough there in the road behind me was a snake just raising up to bite me. I took off with all the speed I could muster. I ran almost to the house and was almost unable to breathe when
...