Paul looked like the least "in" of the bunch. He was dressed like the other three, but he was quieter and had a nerdy air about him. He looked conflicted for a second, then reached into the trunk to pull out some hiking boots. More interested in comfort than coolness, he removed his Chuck Taylors and put on the boots.
The four finished up with their packs and put them on. "All right, let's roll!" said Matt. Hank put on his own pack and cinched it up a bit. He took the lead and the group started down the trail. Recognizing that most or all of these guys didn't spend much time outdoors, he thought some ground rules would help things go smoothly.
"So here's a few pointers for you. If there's a lot of leaf cover on the ground at points of the trail, keep a sharp eye so you don't step on a snake. Medical kits are in each pack with a snakebite kit, just in case. We'll be going off the trail for a good stretch tomorrow and you may see some old shacks or clearings where it looks like people left their stuff. Some of these mountain people are a little off, so don't mess with them or the shacks, and don't take anything that doesn't belong to you. If you see other people, just smile and say 'How you?'. Any questions?"
"Yeah," asked Matt. "What do you mean by 'a little off' exactly?" Hank replied, "Lot of moonshiners out here, and some like their own recipe a little too much. Makes them soft in the brain after a few years."
The four finished up with their packs and put them on. "All right, let's roll!" said Matt. Hank put on his own pack and cinched it up a bit. He took the lead and the group started down the trail. Recognizing that most or all of these guys didn't spend much time outdoors, he thought some ground rules would help things go smoothly.
"So here's a few pointers for you. If there's a lot of leaf cover on the ground at points of the trail, keep a sharp eye so you don't step on a snake. Medical kits are in each pack with a snakebite kit, just in case. We'll be going off the trail for a good stretch tomorrow and you may see some old shacks or clearings where it looks like people left their stuff. Some of these mountain people are a little off, so don't mess with them or the shacks, and don't take anything that doesn't belong to you. If you see other people, just smile and say 'How you?'. Any questions?"
"Yeah," asked Matt. "What do you mean by 'a little off' exactly?" Hank replied, "Lot of moonshiners out here, and some like their own recipe a little too much. Makes them soft in the brain after a few years."
