Snake Attack/Budweiser

we were in the little fishing boat
my dad, my mom, and me
Hazel was fishing off the shore about 50 yards away...
our lake was 5 acres and it had a long levee
along the levee were numerous willow trees,
it was actually very beautiful and dreamy.
but it was also dangerous because of all the Water Moccasin,
they sunned themselves hanging from the trees..
the best spot for Bluegill was a log sticking up close to the levee,
my mom tied us up and we got our hooks in the water..
it was hot, Mississippi hot..
the fish weren't biting where we were,
Hazel was having better luck off the shore..
we watched her catch five in a row..
my dad popped the top on a cold Budweiser just when my mother pointed..
a Water Moccasin that was hanging from a limb fell into the water..
then,
it started coming toward our little boat..
my dad seemed a little concerned which made me a little concerned,
my mom put her pole in the boat and was trying to untie us,
the snake was about 10 feet from us when he fired the first shot,
he carried a 22 pistol with a pearl handle when we fished,
he missed
6 times..
the snake then tried to get in the boat!
my mom was screaming,
my dad held his Budweiser in one hand,
and tried to hit the snake with a paddle in the other,
i don't think he spilled a drop..
I sat there as in a dream
he knocked the snake from the side of the boat,
when it surfaced a few feet away it turned and came back toward us..
by this time my mother and I were paddling while my dad re-loaded his 22
it chased us
when we got to the shore my mother grabbed my arm and jerked me out of the boat,
Hazel helped us both onto Land..
the snake headed for the bank and slithered  out of the water,
he emptied the 22 again,
never even came close..
Hazel grabbed a paddle and with one swing killed it dead..
my dad still had the beer in his hand..

wkm
Nashville