Technically we did not steal the Ligon Electric Service Company pickup truck..... John Ligon's son, Alec had given permission for Bill Moore, Tyrone Pointer and Lewis Butler to retrieve the keys from above the driver's sun visor and take the truck to basketball games away from Carthage. Never-mind that Alec did not have authority to give permission to loan the truck!
Bill was the only member of the group with a driver's license, but Lewis had instigated the operation, and he drove most of the time. It should be injected here that the truck in question was taken to only a few games. Twice, to be exact!
Once in Gordonsville, the cross-county rival: Parking was so dear that almost everyone was wedged-in and without drastic action one could not leave until vehicles in front and behind moved to let trapped vehicles out.......We were trapped! We could not allow John Ligon to see his truck in the parking lot! So, we were required to do something drastic!
There were always several guys near the front door of any sports event, smoking ready-rolled and roll-your-owns and slipping to the car for a "sip." We recruited four of them to help us physically move cars and pickups that had us blocked. At least six vehicles were moved: Some into positions that would require considerable gyrations to avoid scraping other vehicles.
We made it back to Carthage without mishap and before anyone else. So we were not seen. This arrangement was going to be great! (Or so we thought.) And so ended episode one.
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We were eager to go to the next away game at Watertown. As it turned out it was one of those, all too common, Tennessee Fall-Winter nights with just enough rain to make the road " lose its tooth. " As usual we arrived at the High School just after the team bus left, retrieved the keys and were on our way.
We were thirsty by the time we got to the "L-Rancho" motel and restaurant on the east side of Lebanon so we wheeled into the parking lot to get Cokes. Fortunately we spotted John Ligon's car in the front parking lot, and since the truck we had "borrowed" had Ligon Electric Company painted all over the racks we wheeled around the drive in front of the rooms and made a hasty exit toward Watertown.
It began to drizzle-rain on the way to Watertown and pickup trucks are known for a lack of road-holding abilities. The road into "Watertown proper" turned to the left at about 60 degrees. The road surface was gravel with multi-, multi-sprayings of tar. By the time Lewis, Bill and Tyrone saw the turn it was too late, we were going way too fast but Lewis attempted to make it anyway.
There was a narrow shoulder then a drop of about 20 feet on either side into a creek on one side and a muddy corn field on the other. Lewis hit the brakes (having never had any experience with wet roads) and control was lost immediately. The pickup began a very fast 180 degree spin, and it was plain to all on board that there was to be no way out of this mess!
Lewis did the only thing he could, given the circumstances: HE YELLED AN APPROPRIATE FOUR-LETTER EXPLETIVE AND SHUT HIS EYES AS TIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE AND HELD ON FOR DEAR LIFE! What Tyrone and Bill did will await their own renditions of the event, but you can imagine that a certain portion of each boy's anatomy was puckered-pretty-tight!
When Lewis opened his eyes the truck was on the Watertown road, in second gear and under control. That was one time that our guardian angels earned their keep.
The boys were more careful in parking the truck this time and were able to leave without manually lifting vehicles out of their way. They left early enough not to have to hurry home, but since the Chevy pickup had "80 mph" on the speedometer why not do 80? Besides, the roads had dried considerably.
So, exiting Lebanon at high speed and in high spirits the trio headed toward Carthage. About one-third of the way Lewis noticed a car catching up quickly even while the pickup was doing 80. The car passed the boys going up the hill by Johnson's Rest Home and turned on a siren. The boys slowed wondering what could be wrong!
Since Bill had a license he and Lewis changed places. While they were doing that the pursuer was getting out of his '47 Olds with a pistol that looked to be about a foot long! He had Civil Air Patrol license tags on his car so the boys determined that he was an over eager constable out to make trouble for we completely innocent teenagers!
Bill "ground" the Chevy pickup into first and we were off again. The Constable fired at the rear tire twice as we passed and once at the truck from behind as we were going over the hill. We asked each other about getting onto a side road and hiding, but decided just to stay on Hwy-70 and go like hell!
Believe it or not the Constable didn't come after us! But believe this also we did not linger longer to give him any more opportunities to catch us!
We made it back to Carthage and were physically, mentally and emotionally shaken by the whole experience. The Ligon Electric Truck remained parked henceforth and forever more!
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