Gator was curious. There was a noise about a mile away, maybe two that was irritating him. A noise like a Chinese water torture. A machine emitting the beep beep beep as it backed up. Over and over, all summer and fall and now approaching winter. None of the Gator family was irritated, but Gator heard a constant A above C wherever he was working on the ranch. Over and over for months and finally it was time to find the source. Perhaps a bobcat or Track Hoe building a road or parking lot. Big parking lot.

Finally, the last wheelbarrow of dry firewood was stacked on the porch and Gator had it. He got into the old Ranger and drove to the noise. Backtracked once but found the source. There is a road that goes off the main highway to a gated housing community. High end homes. Gravel road. Gator drove up to the gate which was open. An electrically operated gate, more high end accouterments. There was a new road punched through the woods covered with #3 coarse rock for a short distance. Gator could hear the beep beep and knew it was the source area. He began walking up after shutting off the truck with it in reverse gear selected.

Realizing he might look out of place and snoopy, he grabbed a couple of papers out of the glove box. Looking like an inspector of sorts as he walked up the wobbly rock. There was a truck just up ahead parked. It wasn’t bad going until he got past the truck. Then wet clay with puddles. Nope.

Nothing within sight, curiosity somewhat satisfied, Gator started back to the truck. No truck. What! Gator looked left and right for it and rounding the corner, saw the truck. It was parked in a ditch on the wrong side of the road. A rather steep ditch and walking up to it, found the ditch as ‘a bit wet’. Truck was ok, started but just spun the wheels (not 4wd). Suddenly a young man up on the hill at the only home on the road so far, called out to him and said he could help. A tractor started and began to warm up in the shop and the young man walked down his driveway with a canvas tow strap and chain attached. Astonished, Gator immediately got down on the wet ground and hooked the strap to a convenient tow hook on the front of the Ranger. The chain was of a perfect length and shortly, down the driveway came a nice sized New Holland 4wd tractor with a bucket.

Gator easily hooked the chain hook to a small length of chain on the top of the bucket. A nod and thumbs up from the driver, back to the Ranger and the tractor pulled Gator out to the road. Gator crawled back under the front end of the truck (now with wet pants but not in 2 inches of water) got the strap off and the young man came off the seat of the tractor. He had a lit cigarette and Gator almost asked him for a smoke. Gator hasn’t smoked for decades but it is the thing to do when your life has been saved. Several cars drove by, high end cars without a glance in their direction. Nice Mercedes’. A few minutes earlier, there would have been a serious problem. A sixty thousand dollar car with an old Ford rolling backwards across the road.

Gator was back in the military when only a smoke would do to relax. The young man stuck out his glove hand and they both shook after giving their first names. No money asked nor given. It’s what soldiers do after it’s over. Amazing and impossible. Shaking and humbled, Gator drove home, thanking the Lord over and over for His protection and help. It’s pretty good. Jack