The Decision
© 2013 - William C. Highsmith

"At Ease Eb!" commanded the soldier.

The dog stopped dead in his tracks and sat down. The growling ceased, but the vigilance did not. He stood ready to attack or do anything else to protect his leader. The big lab was built like a tank, black as coal, very intelligent and completely loyal to his master and friend. His true name was Ebony but the Sarge always shortened it to Eb.

Sergeant Anthony Pierce was a training instructor at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. He was a career Marine with over eighteen years of service behind him. Like his dog, the soldier was loyal to his country and the job. Perhaps it was this loyalty that had brought him to this point in his life - a divorce.

In the settlement, his wife got the house, but he received the dog and boat. The boat was a thirty-six-foot sailboat equipped to accommodate four people or in this case, one man and his dog.

It was time for his yearly leave - just in the 'nick of time'. In order to try to get his thoughts together, he decided to take his boat and sail south as far as he could go before time to report for duty again. There were a number of uninhabited islands along the route from North Carolina to the Florida Keys. He would often stop at one he found interesting and he and Eb would take the little dinghy to go ashore. This one seemed like a peaceful place - at least from the vantage point of the big boat.

Tony - as his close friends called him - looked at Eb as they stood gazing down the path that led from the sea into the interior of the island. The animal still had the hair of his neck standing on end. Something was not right, and the big dog knew it. It was decision time. Should they follow the path or go back to the boat? Tony was aware that decisions made today would always be a part of his tomorrows.

"Come on, Eb. Don't be such a 'scaredy-cat'!"

It seemed so peaceful and right. The trees filtered the sunlight - the result was a cool shade, even in the ninety degree heat. The palmettoes lined the path on both sides and made a pleasant border. The birds in the trees sang beautiful melodies. Now and then he could hear squirrels in the branches as they quarreled. After moving along about one-hundred yards, Tony noticed Eb was walking right beside him. He began to wonder what was wrong with his friend?

Suddenly, Eb began growling again and he stepped in front of Tony's legs - almost tripping him. Tony knew his friend was aware of something unknown to him. Then he saw it. About ten feet ahead, camouflaged by the shadows, lay the biggest diamond-backed rattlesnake he had ever seen.

Now the hair on his own neck stood up as he and the dog made a hasty retreat in the direction of the boat.

"Thank you, my friend. You have saved my life again."


By William C. Highsmith - April 12, 2013



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